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Museum Residences
156 West Superior
'PORTICO' Scots Church Redevelopment
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De Plussenburgh
6747-6759 St-Urbain Street
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Lofts23De Plussenburgh
Colors and wavy decks frame a playful home for "aging hippies" in the Netherlands
In 2001 an invited competition requested a design for a retirement housing project for seniors 55 and older. The objective of this competition was a design that would set a standard of architectural quality for upcoming projects in the ambitious redevelopment of the center of IJsselmonde, a suburb of Rotterdam.
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The winning design, by Arons en Gelauff architecten, was inspired by the forthcoming retirement of the hippie generation. The project embraces its target market's denial of aging by proposing a playful, colorful apartment block. The main structure juxtaposes a tower and an elevated slab. The slab volume is lifted more than 30 feet above a water feature in an open plaza, and creates a spectacular view onto an existing pond from the adjacent pre-existing nursing home. The minimal footprint of the tower creates space for a garden.
The two main volumes consist of apartments with a broad, uninterrupted span that allows for multiple floorplans and adaptability in the future. An inconspicuous elevator shaft connects the new building to the older one, where medical personnel, cooks and other help is available.
The façades of the dwellings gain a strong three-dimensional quality through the addition of wavy balconies. The glazed galleries—set with self-cleaning glass—are smooth but very colorful in over 200 different shades.
Tucked beneath the building, a recreational space in the water is accessed through the garden, paved with asphalt to facilitate wheelchairs and scooters. A recurrent grass theme can be found in several parts of the project. The bamboo pattern set in the interior concrete walls, the planting scheme of the garden and even the garden carpet on the floor of the recreational space all play on this idea.
Formal name of project: De Plussenburgh
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Gross square footage: 15.678m²
Total construction cost: €15.100.000
Owner: Stichting Ouderenhuisvesting Rotterdam
Architect:
Arons en Gelauff architecten
Gedempt hamerkanaal 92
1021 KR Amsterdam
T: +31 020 423 55 30
F: +31 020 423 05 24
www.aronsengelauff.nl
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