Noordereiland residential towers

Rotterdam, Holland

 In Rotterdam—Europe’s largest harbor—housing has steadily expanded across docks and quays, with houseboats becoming part of the everyday urban fabric. The next logical step is inevitable: mass housing migrates from land into the harbor itself.

The project introduces four residential towers set directly in the water. Since they  have in common relative  isolation on their site- standing in the water- the towers are each conceived as an autonomous community with their own community gardens, terraces and amenities. 

The architecture explores distinct identities:

The Woven Obelisk — Stands as an entirely new interpretation of a beacon on the edge of a shore, as a marker with its own identity

The Emmentaler — Named after the iconic Swiss cheese, is clad in shimmering titanium tiles and is hollowed out by a negative sculpture, creating a alternative version of a common courtyard

The Painted Forest — Two towers connected by a timber framework of bridges and garden terraces, forming a vertical landscape. Its exterior walls are a canvas for contemporary street art, merging architecture with urban expression.

The Interlock —Explores the juxtaposition of solid and void, creating an ambiguous relationship between the two. 

view from across the river

view from across the river

view from the Erasmus Bridge

view from Noordereiland