“When I walk through a building after completion and can picture myself living there, I know our design has truly succeeded.”
Joël Swaab, Architect
At Moke, we aim to offer the best solution for every design challenge. This always begins with understanding the end users of a building. For Building A in the Bajeskwartier (Prison Quarter) this meant creating a design in which collectivity plays a central role. The building accommodates both Hotel Jansen and student housing for De Alliantie, and is composed of small neighbourhoods – each centred around its own shared living room or outdoor space. These communal areas form the spine of the building. The plasticity of the façade – with volumes that push in and out, framed by both deep and shallow reveals – enhances the sense of intimacy and small scale. In the spirit of the old Bijlmerbajes, we deliberately opted for concrete – visible, tangible, and experiential. The building is constructed entirely in concrete, both inside and out. To me, a love of architecture also means showing love for the material. And when that leads to a building where people truly feel at home, you feel the love and appreciation returned as an architect. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.
Bajes Kwartier
In Amsterdam a new vertical city is arising in the new Bajes Kwartier (Prison Quarter). Within OMA’s (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) urban development plan, Moke Architecten are creating a building nearly 100 meters long and 12 floors high. It has a vibrant concrete façade and a dynamic relief of living rooms and terraces. Students, tourists and local residents meet in the collective ground floor and in the little park overlooking the Bajeswater, a picturesque water feature.
Programme
284 student apartments
200 hotel rooms, hospitality spaces
Surface
20.000 m²
Architect
Ludo Grooteman
Team
Sietske van der Meulen, Mark Spijkerman, Bram Ruarus, Koen van Hoof, Joël Swaab
Year
2019 – 2023
Status
Completed
Location
Amsterdam
Client
Hotel Jansen, Alliantie
Construction
Van Rossum
Building pysics
DGMR
Installations
Hamelrt, Techniplan, Linthorst Techniek
Photographer
Thijs Wolzak
Interior design
Fiction Factory, Monk
Contractor
Heddes
