Luxury Townhouse in Amsterdam

IJburg, a manmade island

Since its 2005 opening, the IJburg, a fully manmade island neighborhood, has thrived due to a 15-minute public transport link to Amsterdam Central Station. Following Harbour, Steiger, and Rietlanden islands, a plan emerged for Centrum and Strand islands. Our client, securing a plot on Centrum island, engaged ZEST architecture. Urban planning is crucial for Centrum island. All townhouses enjoy design freedom while adhering to specific constraints on proportions, heights, and facade transparency. The outcome is an innovative mix with overall continuity and charm.

Architectural design

To cultivate a welcoming streetscape, ground floors require a minimum height of 3.5m and visual transparency to a depth of 5m. With a 15m max building height, 7m width, and 10m depth, we opted to split levels for 3 bedrooms, an office, and a spacious roof terrace.

The split levels guide one through spaces, creating double volumes and visual connections. From the living area, views extend to the office, down to the dining room, and through a 3.7m high window to the garden. A glass floor in the lounge visually connects it to the kitchen, located one split level down from the dining room. The master bedroom, one split level down from the master bathroom, fosters a visual connection through a laser-cut screen.

The South facade, facing the street, features laser-cut aluminum screens in a brushed brass finish for sun protection and privacy. Balconies on the street facade are angled, adding dynamism. With a 250m2 max buildable area, the split levels provided extra space for a spectacular roof terrace, where the top floor is set back from the street. A portion of the ground floor extends past 10m, allowing a total area of 268m2.