The City

‘The City’ is the project addressing the first plot in the masterplan of Wenckebachweg Zuid, and is to be developed in direct adjacency to the exit of the A10. It will entail a mixed program of housing, communal areas, offices and business spaces in accordance with the guidelines set by the Municipality for this plot of 25.000 m2.

The Wenkebagweg masterplan will create a new streetscape, whereas a new water canal and park (eveloped by the plinth of the building) will define a new urban square. This sequence of spaces, alongside the landscape design of the park with plants of different heights and volumes, guides the visitors to the entrances of the complex.

As a response to the plot and the mixed brief set by the municipality, the massing of the building responds by separating the public and semi-public program of the project into a plinth of 18m height, where offices, communal spaces and businesses are inter-weaved. Two towers of 50 and 70 meters arise from the plinth and mark the entrance to the neighborhood from the A10. Those will provide a mixture of social housing, medium rent apartments and free sector apartments.

Due to the diversity in the overall program of the building, as well as the diversity of apartment sizes and types, the development will invite a range of diverse users into the area – from singles to families of various ages – providing a variety of lifestyles in the building complex. The roof of the plinth volume will function as a green oasis and meeting point between both residents and office-workers. Here, atelier-apartments and a canteen for the offices will be situated, providing a meeting ground between the different functions of the building. From a sustainability point of view, the South-facing roof area will host trees and large plants, which function as a second ground level and water buffer, creating a system of phytoremediation.

To deal with the challenging conditions caused by the railway and highway A10, the language of the building is articulated by double facades and a system of balconies and loggias that offer playful texture and depth to the facade, as well as a buffer from the noise pollution.