Castellatoren
Precisely at the intersection of two city entrances in Nijmegen, the Graafseweg and the railway, a unique residential and work tower is rising. The Castellatoren is becoming the landmark of the new Dobbelman site, partly due to the building’s sound proof glass shell. This deaf façade is a 13-story vertical relief, made of flat, semi-deep and deep niches that reflect on the outside. On the inside they create a homely atmosphere. The residential and work tower, featuring 60 social apartments and approximately 1,200 m2 of office space was designed by Ludo Grooteman and realised on a limited budget.
Programme
Apartments and office space
Architect
Dok Architecten; Ludo Grooteman
Team
P. Lievense
Year
2009 – 2013
Status
Completed
Location
Nijmegen
Client
Talis
Construction
ABT
Building physics
ABT
Installations
ABT
Photographer
Thijs Wolzak
Shared living room
Beneath the sloping ground level lies a two-story parking garage. Above that are three office floors, accommodating three social organisations: Tandem, Swon, and MEE Gelderse Poort. On top of these are ten residential floors with 6 apartments each. The six apartments on the first residential floor are adapted homes for clients of Plureyn. Not only are the apartments in the Castellatoren homey, but the 10-meter-high entrance lobby also leads to the common access: the living room shared by all residents. They meet at the benches, chairs, tables, and plants in the open niches. Each niche has its own lighting and the interior walls are painted in different colours. The homely ‘floormats’ with the logo of the old Dobbelman are cast in relief in the prefab concrete floor. While the building is cozy on the inside, the façade shines like a diamond on the outside. This effect is created by the glass of the most protruding niches, which reflects more strongly and has more intense colours. Some panels are printed with a pattern. The Castellatoren won the award for the best building in Nijmegen 2012/2013.
Built with budget surplus
The tower was built for approximately 70% of the budget. This was achieved by opting for an extremely rational building structure. The variation in the façade was detailed and engineered at an early stage, so that the construction costs were clear. The open collaboration with client Talis and consulting agency ABT played an important role in this process.