The 4 towers on Jan van Zutphenstraat are part of the renewal project of the Western Garden Cities. The 370 apartments of the four towers are spread over eleven floors. The facades are constructed mainly of glass and aluminum. The towers stand on an underground parking garage. Due to the vegetation on the roof of the garage, the green character of the park is preserved. The fourth tower, Aquamarijn, is the only tower equipped with balconies of approximately 10 m2, and this building was nominated for the New Construction Award and designed by Wiel Arets Architects.
On Jan van Zutphenstraat in Osdorp, nestled in greenery, stand four elongated residential towers on sturdy legs, striking because of their wide aluminum strips and random window placements.
Construction of it had already been decided eleven years ago, but it involved a great deal of difficulty. There were three clients: the Protestant Housing Association took charge of one tower, Rochdale two, and Eigen Haard the last one. They decided to team up with one architect, Wiel Arets, and one contractor, De Nijs. Two towers became private-sector rentals, while the other two got owner-occupied apartments.
The first three towers were built in a single construction phase, but the last one, Aquamarijn, was only completed last year, says Peter Visser (52), project developer for Eigen Haard. "We wanted to put quality above commercial results, which is why we insisted that this tower alone be given outdoor spaces. Arets initially struggled with the adjustment to his design, but ultimately became enthusiastic. Because of those balconies, it has become much more of a residential building."
A problem did arise for the builder, however. “We had to come up with a system that would allow us to build the same concept, but this time with balconies,” explains Thijs de Nijs (61), director of construction company M.J. de Nijs en Zonen. “We developed it in such a way that the entire structure, including balconies, could be attached to the facade as a prefabricated element. And as a result, we also managed to stay within budget.”
The 88 apartments were sold within a few months, and the residents gave it an average rating of 8.2. Marco Riesener (54) and his wife are therefore extremely satisfied. After 25 years in Halfweg and three years in Hoofddorp, they wanted to return to Amsterdam, but it had to meet a series of requirements: the center had to be easily accessible, you had to be able to get out of the city quickly, and parking could not be an issue.
And of course everything had to stay within their budget. “We searched for a year, but when we stumbled upon this, we were sold immediately. I feel reborn now. The location is beautiful, and because of all the glass, you feel like you are outside.”
Riesener has 140 square meters at his disposal, on a corner, with a lot of glass that has a protective sun coating. Underfloor heating is standard. He paid 320,000 euros; a parking space would cost an extra 17,500 euros. Smaller apartments, starting from 75 square meters, cost from 150,000 euros.
According to the jury, this is a building featuring top-tier apartments: pleasant living spaces, a spacious balcony, and a stunning view. "There is nothing to fault about the finishing," says jury member Joyce du Pont (48). "Especially the value for money is very good."
She herself lives in Collage, a large block of two hundred homes on the corner of Hoofdweg and Bos en Lommerweg, which was awarded the Zuiderkerk Prize by a jury of experts. The residents there are also satisfied, but their grade of 7.9 was not enough for the Amsterdam New-Build Prize.
Also this year, the nominations from the experts and the residents diverge remarkably again. Although Aquamarijn did win the Amsterdam Architecture Prize Golden AAP, in a competition organized by architecture center Arcam.
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