Lofts by the Amstel

Its undulating white concrete facade distinguishes Lofts by the Amstel as an eye-catcher at the waterside of Amstelkwartier, a new mixed-use district in Amsterdam along the Amstel river. Accommodating six different apartments, the building was developed independently by a collective of private owners, who each occupy a whole floor of 160m². They each designed their ideal apartments, which range from a family home to an open loft, and were free to customise the ceiling height within multiples of two steps. Studioninedots designed the interior of the top floor apartment.

The apartments span the entire width of the site to capture the widest possible views. Curving full height glass facades facing north and south reflect the movement of water. The balconies recede to create generous balconies, with recesses positioned strategically to open up double height outdoor spaces. To maintain openness on the facade, we used a strong prefabricated structure that spans the entire 12.5 metres without supporting columns. The striking combination of ultra white prefabricated concrete in combination with the dark grey basalt plinth results in a dynamic exterior that looks attractive from both the water and land.

Project details

Client

6 Private clients

Type

1 building with 6 apartments, interior top apartment

Location

Amstelkwartier, Amsterdam, NL

Design-Completion

2014-2016

Partners

OntwerpJeWoning, Vink Bouw, Bruil

Design team

Albert Herder, Vincent van der Klei, Metin van Zijl, Arie van der Neut, Jurjen van der Horst, Coen Smit, Giovanni Lavanna

Image credits

Peter Cuypers

Crafting a site-specific waterfront building

In contrast with the neighbouring apartments, our strategy utilises the full width of the site to capture the widest possible views; this means wide single-storey apartments instead of narrow double-storey apartments.
We wanted to create an expressive facade that communicates the individuality of the apartments as part of a coherent whole. In this way each balcony is unique according to the design of every floor. The curved balconies alternate to create double height outdoor spaces, ensuring sun and daylight reach deep into the apartments.

An organic form that reflects the movement of water.

Utilising the advantages of the prefabrication process.

The balcony dimensions are exceptional: 2,5 meters deep and 12,5 meters wide.
The balconies were constructed by first outlining the forms in 3D-modelled reinforcement, around which a timber mould was constructed, and then the white concrete poured.
Also the framework, roof edging and structural walls were prefabricated and delivered onsite – this allowed a greater level of detailing and integration and saved a significant amount of production time.
Planters are integrated in the balconies to add a green outer layer. Strip LED lighting accentuates the curvilinear architecture by night.

1 steel balustrade, powder-coated white
2 substrate 165 mm, drip irrigation pipe 16 mm, drainage layer and overflow
3 LED strip
4 white concrete 5% titanium oxide
5 stainless steel built-in spotlight
6 aluminum capping, for sunshading and rainwater drainage
7 aluminum facades, RVS-look Schuco, triple glazing
8 concrete layer with a timber floor

Six ideal apartments.

Six private client were free to customize their 160 m2 floor and each of them designed their ideal apartment, ranging from a family home to an open loft.
The owner of the top floor apartment also commissioned Studioninedots to design the whole interior.