groenmarkt

groenmarktkade amsterdam

apartments, social housing, office space, 7450 m²

in collaboration with bastiaan jongerius architects and buro harro

commissioned by edwin oostmeijer projectonwikkeling & hbb groep

built, 2022

COMPETITION WON, 2015

WINNER ZUIDERKERK AWARD, 2022

WINNER OF THE LILA, RESIDENTIAL HOUSING, 2022

NOMINATED ABE BONNEMA ARCHITECTURE AWARD, 2023

NOMINATED AMSTERDAMSE NIEUWBOUWPRIJS, 2023

NOMINATED DUTCH DESIGN AWARDS, 2023

The Groenmarkt project is the result of a tender issued by the Centrum district, which was partly shaped and evaluated by local residents. The two new residential blocks are oriented on all sides and create an enclosed, car-free neighborhood square.

The Marnixstraat block aligns in materials and detailing with the nineteenth-century protected cityscape. The building has five storeys above ground and a basement, and contains duplex apartments, each with its own front door on the street. The ground floor offers space for small-scale businesses.

The Singelgracht block is a building whose interior is, in a way, turned inside out: green and informal. In every aspect, it is a sustainable building with attention for people, plants, and animals. The main entrance is located on the square side. Small-scale commercial spaces bring life to the corners facing the closed façade of Liander. In the basement and on the raised ground floor, there are homes with outdoor spaces and entrances on the street. On the first floor, there is a cluster of social housing units with care facilities, including a shared living room and kitchen. The second and third floors consist of entirely unique homes. All sides of the block feature outdoor spaces and bay windows. Floor-to-ceiling windows ensure optimal connection to the square and the canal.

The façades are covered with plants rooted directly in the ground, and space has been reserved for birds, insects, butterflies, and bats. The roof is fully designed as a rooftop garden with a dune landscape and a natural swimming pool.