Stork: Youth Dwellings Oostenburg

The island of Oostenburg in Amsterdam, for centuries the center of trade and industry, is being developed into a new, sturdy urban district with approximately 1500 homes. There will be a mix of social, middle segment, and free sector rental homes, apartments for sale, self-build homes, catering, and industry. On plot 6 a residential tower, two smaller (residential) buildings, and a commercial space that represents the core values of the island of Oostenburg have been built: sturdy, lively, and rich in contrast. The diverse range of housing in this historic place close to the center of Amsterdam makes Oostenburg a unique city district for everyone.

In commission of Stadgenoot, NEXT architects, HOH Architects, and Urban Echoes have designed 150 social housing apartments for students, 30 for the elderly, and a workspace on plot 6 in Oostenburg. NEXT architects was responsible for Stork, the apartment tower with student studios, and had a coordinating role in the design process. The collaboration between the architectural firms has resulted in four unique buildings that together form an ensemble, but also have their own character and identity. Designing for young and old offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the creation of a city that is inclusive, where different needs are brought together on the basis of shared values while respecting the different needs of the various residents.

The building has character and its own identity that the young people who live in it can identify with: tough, powerful, and ‘vulnerable’. The residential tower is constructed as a stack of ‘neighbourhoods’ with collective indoor and outdoor spaces where interaction and meeting between residents are facilitated. The communal outdoor areas have a double-height so that residents from different floors are brought together and interaction is encouraged. The stairs leading up to these spaces and the large windows generate a source of light in the tower. The outside world is continuously visible from the core of the building; a visual connection with the city and its surroundings. A number of special meeting places in the building, with concepts such as a laundry library and various co-working spaces, make the tower a unique place to live.

The detailed facade of rust-brown corten steel with large, deep windows also fits in with this industrial aesthetic. The robust steel offers an interesting contrast to the surrounding greenery of the planted roofs and the collective outdoor garden.