Havenstraat Amsterdam [architectural design]
Project: Vrijhaven, De havenstraat, Amsterdam
Client: Red Company B.V. & Caransa Groep
Programm: Living, Public spacesÂ
Location: De havenstraat, Amsterdam
Timespan: 2023- now
Team: Studio Donna van Milligen Bielke & Ard de Vries Architecten
Collaborators: Powerhouse Company, Joppe Kusters, Team V, Delva Landscape
Advisors: Merosch, DGMR, Alba Concepts, Vlasman, The Future Mobility Network , OMRT, STIPO, Van Rossum, Metron
Contractor: Construction Company
Images:Proloog & Aesthetica studio
The Havenstraatterein has been crafted by Powerhouse Company, Studio Donna van Milligen Bielke & Ard de Vries Architecten, Team V Architecture, Joppe Kusters, and DELVA Landscape Architecture | Urbanism. The plan incorporates the existing qualities of the site into a new urban ensemble. VrijHaven is a place for experimentation, devoid of rigid boundaries, designed to allow space for the individual expression of its future users. The site is a well-known fringe area in Amsterdam and has much to offer: a creative community in between old industrial remnants, historic trams, and informal greenery. Local businesses, creatives, and makers are part of the free-spirited identity of the city and have used the characteristic Romney sheds that make up the Havenstraat. Fringe areas like this are essential for the city.
VrijHaven is a refined ensemble, crafted through close collaboration among renowned architects, each contributing their unique and creative designs that consist of a vibrant plinth and expressive residential buildings. The ‘Oerplint’, designed by Studio Donna van Milligen Bielke & Ard de Vries Architecten, draws significance from the site’s original railway character, radiating abundance and timeless appeal. Functionally, the plinth recalls the activity of the Havenstraat Terrain’s second life, housing flexible studios, affordable maker spaces, restaurants, and cultural venues. The Oerplinth flanks the area, with the ‘Kopblok’ to the north and the Tramloods to the south. In between, the Oerplint stands as a timeless monumental element that serves as a stage for the blocks above. The Tramloods will house a museum for historic trams. Atop is ‘De Vrijplaats’, a public square for cultural programming.
Powerhouse Company, Team V Architecture, and Joppe Kusters designed an enticing family of twelve expressive housing blocks characterized by raw elegance comprising re-used and biobased facade materials, flexible plans, distinctive roofscapes, and small-scale circulation design. The design stimulates meeting, individual expression, and a sense of community. In appearance, the building blocks are individually characteristic but collectively create a cohesive ensemble of buildings.
The housing ensemble and Oerplint are strongly connected by lush green courtyards, this is where neighbors meet and children can play freely. An art route throughout the neighborhood forms an additional inspirational layer to the design.
