Summertime Housing | SeARCH

The ZuidAs business district is pursuing the development of a lively residential area. The Summertime apartments contribute to this with its human scale dimensions and playful appearance.
Summertime consists of two pixelated towers. By stacking and shifting apartments as three-dimensional ‘Pixels’ SeARCH was able to maximize views, sunlight, and privacy within a high-density urban environment. This clever offsetting of spaces stretches the relative distance between apartments, offers a large variety of outdoor space and increases the individual readability of the apartments. All while staying within the constraints of the urban plan.

Spread across the two towers are 197 rental apartments, mostly for the middle-income segment. An interior atrium provides a generous naturally-lit entrance with subtly colored balustrades wrapping the 10-floor high void. At ground level, 1100 m2 of public space will be realized along with commercial space and a nursery. And below ground, a parking garage with a capacity for 150 cars connects the two towers.

Colored ceramic walls line the large entrance portal. The patterns are inspired by former Dutch bank notes, specifically the golden sunflower of the 50 Guilder and the lighthouse of the 250 Guilder. The exterior facade is animated by the colored glass balustrades of each apartment. Hues of pink and yellow form a gradient across the building and bring liveliness to the grey office-building dominated surroundings.

This project embraces sustainability measures such as alternative energy generation, low-temperature heating, grey water recycling and green roofs, meeting the high standard pursued by the municipality of Amsterdam.

Photography by © Ossip van Duivenbode

Project Info:
Architects: SeARCH
Location: George Gershwinlaan, 1082 LS Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Lead Architects: Bjarne Mastenbroek
Area: 26800.0 m2
Project Year: 2016
Photographs: Ossip van Duivenbode
Manufacturers: Schüco
Project Name: Summertime Housing