Westerdok Apartments / MVRDV
Dutch architects MVRDV shared with us their latest housing project.
Photographs by Rob’t Hart
Openness as design concept: The minimal amount of materials used, glass, steel and concrete, results in maximum openness for the façade.
The building which has just been completed with a total surface of 6000 m2 contains 46 apartments and a day-care centre. Each apartment has a balcony of varying depths which stretch as bands along the entire facade, offering varied outside spaces and views over the western docklands of Amsterdam. The floor-to-ceiling glass façade can be fully opened and contrasts with the other buildings within the so called VOC Cour port redevelopment that are mainly made of brick.
The urban plan is a closed city block with buildings of differing heights surrounding a central court. After two earlier urban plans failed, the client O.M.A. (Ontwikkelings Maatschappij Apeldoorn) has in fact determined the current urban plan. The MVRDV building is located inside the court with one façade facing the waterfront of the Westerdok. The project started in 2004 and is currently one of the nominees for the Amsterdam Architecture Award.
the internal distribution is very bad
Pretty weak. if this went up in my neighborhood – i’d be depressed.
Btw – Do the dutch not need closets…
agreed. plans are not so hot.
I agree. Terrible floorplans.
the floorplans are great.
This is good combination between compact, necessary units and the great wide open conected with the fullsize windows.
I agree… I think the plans (while not earth shattering) are absolutely reasonable.
I have no idea what the complaint is? Those who dislike the floorplan layouts, tell us why you feel they’re so poor? I’m interested .
Those linear kitchens and 6 different closets in a row give me heartburn. The concept of randomly extruded decks could have translated into the building and influenced the floor plans on a more directly relating level, too.
I think it’s pretty awesome. Spatious appartments with a very separate logic to sleeping/private and public/livingroom.
The floorplan are so bad, it’s terrible!
The worse are the very long or dark corridors and no closet.
floor plan are not that terrible
The floor plans are VERY bad. Facade is just a formal play.
I have about 5 professors that would rollover and die if I turned this in as a proyect.
Floorplans are without furnitures, because a choice of representation, if you are not able to understand this simple thing, just give up architecture.
They tried to provide high flexibility and for what I see, I think they achieved the result. Nowadays, flexibility is one of the main aims in dutch housing…
However, I agree that the floorplans are really simple and aren’t so amazing in terms of design.
I definitely agree with comments regarding the floor plan and elevation design. It’s just poor. My concern however is about safety of people living therein. In case of fire, this building appears to be a death trap… was the design reviewed by a fire commissioner?
Looks cool outside, inside like some middle appartments in Russia
nothing new
ну хуй знает … СЛОЕНЫЙ ТАКОЙ ТОРТ ИНОГДА…
very compact and flexible! and 6 apartments each floor is not bad at all!! the biggest apartment is weird..
nothing new
plan bashers,
i agree there are some awkward moments here. could one of you post a link to a similar project with a more successful floor plan?
bad to the bones.
there is one apartment that you can actually play one of those tv shows where you choose a door…there are at least 5 or 6 of them in a tiny space!
blargh!
this is awful… this is what an architect shouldn’t do
1:36 AM Dec 8th
KEEP IT OPEN IF YOU WANT LIGHT TO GET IN http://t.co/ek6AjmA2