Kubus / Katrijp
Amsterdam-Noord is a special place, according to architect Ludo Grooteman. “You find old polder structures there, a few pre-war houses, and a lot of post-war housing.” The people are equally diverse. “We had the opportunity to design the Kubus in the Katrijp neighbourhood in Amsterdam-Noord for very diverse groups of people. Young and old, people with more and less to spend. The building will also provide cohousing groups for people with intellectual disabilities.”
Programme
257 apartments
Surface
22.600 m² GFA
Architect
Ludo Grooteman
Team
Sietske van de Meulen, Maarten Kist, Lennart Aben-Leufkens, Joël Swaab
Status
Under construction
Year
2020 - now
Location
Amsterdam
Client
Stadgenoot, De Nijs
Construction
Swinn
Building Physics
LBP Sight
Contractor
De Nijs
Mix of hooks and towers
De Kubus combines the hook construction of the adjacent neighbourhood with the towers of the nearby shopping centre. The green strip running from north to south has been extended along the building, which has even been made slightly smaller in favour of the greenery. The road that ran there has disappeared.
Mix of people
Social, private sector and middle-segment apartments blend together in the Kubus. “The building has a gallery, corridors and apartments opening directly onto the ground floor. The residents primarily meet each other outside, in and around the semi-collective courtyard with little gardens, many trees, smaller greenery and planters.”
Soft up close
The façade is simple, calm, and stylish. The soft brick and small variations in the structures give the building a delicate human touch. The attention paid to the small details is visible in the green attachment of the building at ground level with beautiful entrances.
Robust from afar
The low hooks and tall towers with thick tops give the Kubus a robust character. “The upper apartments have been given large, exciting outdoor spaces, to reduce the wind’s impact and provide the residents with ample space.”