The Oosterdokseiland is located east of Central Station and has a mix of functions: there are residences, offices, shops, a hotel, a conservatory, the public library, and catering establishments. The urban development plan by EEA Architects assumes a high density within the six blocks. For variation, narrow alleys and courtyards have been incorporated.
In the midst of all this stands the Studioninedots building. Shops have established themselves on the lower levels, and above them, space has been created for luxury apartments with a beautiful view of the city center.
It was a blind spot next to Central Station, where the concrete giants of the post office stood. Now Amsterdam is enriched with a vibrant piece of city, where on that relatively small Oosterdokseiland a large hotel, various coffee shops, a Michelin-starred restaurant, the Central Library, the conservatory, an electronics store, and offices vie for attention. People live there too – and how.
"It was the joint ambition of the municipality and us to truly make a city out of this last piece of building land in the city center," says Anne-Lize Hoftijzer (46) of Bouwfonds MAB, the project director of ODE (Oosterdokseiland). "That means a high density of buildings, with many different functions on a small piece of land. That was a super complex process, because in addition to the shops and offices, we had to take the privacy of the homes into careful consideration."
The nominated block is relatively small, with 28 homes, and is situated right on the waterfront, attached to a large office building. It was designed by the firm of Albert Herder and Arie van der Neut, which was then still called HVDN Architecten and is now Studioninedots.
"This was the smallest lot, and we also had to split it in two," says Herder (52). "Furthermore, the side walls run off at an angle. We opted for many different apartments, from 64 square meters to over two hundred, all of which have a view of the water."
Herder had to work closely with the architects of the other buildings at Oosterdokseiland. 'We wanted a very beautiful harmony of designs, a series of buildings that would fit well together. They also all recede in the same way on the top floor.'
The five jurors who determined the nominations were lyrical about this building, and especially about the view over the water of the Oosterdok and over the city.
The exterior didn't immediately appeal to a single juror, but others noticed the special brick. "Yes," says Herder proudly, "specially baked for us. Long, thin bricks in a vibrant color; nicer than natural stone."
The beautiful facade, location, and view are also the main advantages that residents list. Their only drawback: they have to go a long way for regular groceries.
On the fifth floor, Reg van Steen (56) points out the landmarks in the city center that he can see from there. He and his wife lived in Den Bosch due to different workplaces, but once the children had left home, they decided to settle in Amsterdam. As close as possible to Central Station, because of their travels.
There they are now, at 135 square meters for approximately 500,000 euros (without bought-out leasehold); a parking spot cost an additional 58,000 euros.
'This building has a very high quality of finish,' thinks Van Steen. 'You don't hear any outside noise, and the homes are heated and cooled geothermally.'
This provides a very pleasant warmth, you don't get that dry air from air conditioning, and there are no radiators anywhere. A lot of thought has gone into this.
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