Summertime
Summertime is a housing project designed by SeARCH in Amsterdam Zuid, completed in 2016. The two residential buildings with a total of 197 rental apartments consist of a system of stacked and shifted pixels which generate a large variety of outdoor spaces and readability of the individual apartments. The ground floor offers a nursery and pharmacy and an additional public square.
The ZuidAs business district is pursuing the development of a lively residential area. The ‘Summertime’ apartments contribute to this with its human scale dimensions and playful appearance.
‘Summertime’ consists of two pixelated towers. By stacking and shifting apartments as three-dimensional ‘Pixels’ SeARCH was able to maximize views, sunlight and privacy within a high-density urban environment. This clever offsetting of spaces stretches the relative distance between apartments, offers a large variety of outdoor space and increases the individual readability of the apartments. All while staying within the constraints of the urban plan.
Spread across the two towers are 197 rental apartments, mostly for the middle-income segment. An interior atrium provides a generous naturally-lit entrance with subtly coloured balustrades wrapping the 10 floor high void. At ground level 1100 m2 of public space will be realized along with commercial space and a nursery. And below ground a parking garage with a capacity for 150 cars connects the two towers.
Coloured ceramic walls line the large entrance portal. The patterns are inspired by former Dutch bank notes, specifically the golden sunflower of the 50 Guilder and the lighthouse of the 250 Guilder. The coloured glass balustrade of each apartment animates the exterior facade. Hues of pink and yellow form a gradient across the building and bring liveliness to the grey office-building dominated surroundings.
This project embraces sustainability measures such as alternative energy generation, low temperature heating, grey water recycling and green roofs, meeting the high standard pursued by the municipality of Amsterdam.
