Hasta La Ideas

Dutch studio NL Architects used turquoise-coloured bricks to build this apartment block in Rotterdam, which staggers at the top to make room for sunny balconies on one side (+ slideshow).

NL Architects was one of seven firms invited to design buildings for a new residential development in the Nieuw-Crooswijk neighbourhood. Each architect was encouraged to include “elaborate details” in their designs to give variety to the different facades.

This 15-storey tower is the tallest building within its surroundings, so the architects staggered the five uppermost floors to create south-facing sun decks that aren’t shaded beneath the roof of the floor above.

Each floor is the same size, which means these upper storeys project outwards on the opposite side of the building to create the impression that the building is leaning over.

“We wanted to displace the floors in a way that would create a sunny terrace on one side and an interesting facade on the other,” architect Kamiel Klaasse told Dezeen, describing the overall effect as a “freaky cornice”.

The designers named the building Kuifje, the Dutch name for Tintin, to draw comparisons between the hairstyle of the famous cartoon character and the unusual profile of the tower.

Rather than matching the red brick of its neighbours, the walls of the tower are built from turquoise bricks that were made by a process called engobing.

“The aqua-marine effect is caused by something we call engobe, which includes a coloured clay slip coated in this case with copper oxide,” said Klaasse.

Two apartments are contained on each of the building’s 14 main floors, creating a total of 28 units that each feature one double bedroom, an open-plan kitchen and living room, and a study.

Apartments on the regular floors don’t feature sun decks, but do come with smaller recessed balconies.

Photography is by Luuk Kramer.

Here’s a project description from NL Architects:

B05 “Kuifje” Rotterdam

Nieuw-Crooswijk is a residential area in Rotterdam, strategically located near the city centre and Kralingse Bos, a beautiful park. “Everything within 10 minutes.” Large parts have recently been demolished and will soon be reconstructed.

Seven architecture offices were invited to contribute to a differentiated ‘cityscape’. The objective was to create expressive architecture; the focus on refining the facades by to introducing elaborate details; accentuating entrances, articulating bay windows and balconies, introducing intricate brickwork, pronounced window frames and delicate fences: sculptural on the micro scale.

Each of the invited offices designed several blocks that are sprinkled around the area. In order to manage the resulting complexity an experimental organisational system was invented: one single ‘back office’ would draw up all plans and develop them into coherent architecture. ABT is responsible for what is ‘under the hood’; the selected architects can as such concentrate on detailing the facades…

The developer, Ontwikkelings Combinatie Nieuw Crooswijk/Proper-Stok Groep, asked NL Architects to design several of what were called ‘specials’: seven apartment blocks that presumably will play an important role in the area for their position or height.

B05 is part of a series of 7 designs for Nieuw Crooswijk that all emphasise a building part, mostly the outdoor space, to create a both functional and sculptural quality.

B05, or Kuifje (Tintin), is positioned in the second block along the Boezemlaan that is now under construction. B05 is the tallest structure in this cluster; a 15 stories tower, two apartments per floor. The first 10 floor go up straight, but after reaching the maximum height of the neighbours, the building starts deforming.

The highest floors lean forward, piercing through the building line, creating a distinct silhouette. A kind of super sized cornice comes into being.

The standard floors all feature a loggia facing south west. By pushing the upper floors the penthouses can all feature an additional balcony over the full width of the apartment with a sensational view over the skyline of Rotterdam.

Location: Boezemlaan, Nieuw Crooswijk, Rotterdam
Client: OCNC, Woonstad Rotterdam, Proper-Stok Groep, ERA Contour
Program: housing (28 units), retail space, total 3,600 sqm
Process: design 2008, start construction 2010, completion 2013
NL Architects: Pieter Bannenberg, Walter van Dijk, Kamiel Klaasse
Project Architect: Sarah Möller
Collaborators: Thijs van Bijsterveldt, Wim Sjerps, Stefan Schülecke, Florent Le Corre, Gerbrand van Oostveen, Gen Yamamoto
Structural Engineering and Working Drawings: Adviesbureau voor Bouwtechniek (ABT)
Contractor: ERA Contour

The post NL Architects completes turquoise tower
that leans over towards the top appeared first on Dezeen.

This gymnasium in Utrecht by Dutch studio NL Architects has no windows but features walls that swell outwards to let light in from above (+ slideshow).

The architects wanted to fill the hall with natural light but were worried that glass walls would create glare and that gymnasts might become too distracted by the views outside.

“This is perhaps the main dilemma for this type of facility,” NL Architects explained. “In order to be ‘livable’, daylight is required, but for serious training and competitions, windows will cause undesired effects.”

The architects were also worried that transparent glass would attract unwanted spectators for female gymnasts. “Windows at eye level are not a good idea,” they added.

Instead of glass, the exterior walls are made from corrugated steel and they sweep outwards at the top to allow for a line of skylights around the perimeter of the roof.

These skylights allow daylight to reflect onto the inside surfaces of the walls but prevent direct sunlight from disrupting activities.

Changing rooms, toilets and storage areas are grouped together along one side of the hall and spectator seating is positioned on a mezzanine above.

This year Amsterdam studio NL Architects also designed a cycle-hire shop in China with a velodrome on the roof – see more stories about NL Architects.

See more sports centre on Dezeen »

Photography is by Luuk Kramer.

Here’s some more text from NL Architects:

Gym Hall, Turnzaal Nieuw Welgelegen, Utrecht

Turnaccommodatie Nieuw Welgelegen (TNW) is a sports hall dedicated to Gymnastics. It will not be used for any other sports. Four clubs combine efforts in this new facility. TNW is the 3rd and probably last building in the redevelopment of the sports complex in the center of Utrecht called Nieuw Welgelegen.

The brief excluded the possibility of creating windows in the hall. This turns out to be the main dilemma for this type of facility: in order to be ‘livable’, daylight is required, but for serious training and competitions windows will cause undesired effects: too much contrast and too much distraction. Windows at eye level are not a good idea.

Furthermore the vulnerability that comes with glass is an issue. Especially in this particular area: not long ago the streets around here used to be paved with shattered glass from cars that had been broken in to. But the most surprising problem of windows is their transparency: the suspicion is that perverts might try to get a glimpse of the elastic girls inside. As a consequence gymnastics halls often tend to be gloomy.

The idea of TNW is to ‘peel off’ the skin at the top to bring daylight into the interior. By partly bending out the facade a gap comes into being between the roof edge and the walls: indirect light will reflect into the hall.

The carefully deformed envelope creates a mildly glowing gradient that lights up towards the top. A pleasant side-effect of bending out the facade is that the building becomes sculptural: an optimistic gesture comes into being.

A two story service block with dressing rooms, storage spaces, technical installations is placed along side the room in such a way that the facade remains ‘free’.

A light-filled double-high corridor provides access to the changing rooms. Two stairs at both ends of the corridor lead to the grand stand that is placed on top the dressing rooms. The draught lobby bends out, clearly demarcating the entrance.

The traditional material to clad large halls – corrugated steel plate – has been deployed in a blissful way: even the obvious corner profile could be avoided.

The post Gym Hall Nieuw Welgelegen
by NL Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

An amazing piece from NL, this is going to be the Taipei Performing Arts Center in China. There’s a lot of great work on their site, make sure you click the images on the left. It was also nice to see them use illustrations for people in the renderings, instead of those awkward looking clippings that normally get placed. Like random guy checking watch, couple walking, and woman with shopping bags (each of which are usually lit from different directions and heavily pixelated). Enjoy.