Vertical ‘green village’ for Amsterdam by MVRDV and OVG wins competition
By Adilla Menayang, Assistant Digital Editor
Dutch firm MVRDV joined forces with OVG Real Estate to win a mixed-use high-rise competition with their “vertical green village” design.
Inhabitat describes the structure as “three main high-rise volumes covered in greenery with protruding bay windows.” The planned site is in the up-and-coming Zuidas business district of Amsterdam. A mix of apartments, offices, and commercial spaces will fill the building.
The total floor area is between 538,000 to 807,000 square feet (50,000 to 70,000 square meters), with its entirety open to the public, except of course the private residences and offices.
The designed charmed Amsterdam’s city council, awarded the project by MVRDV and OVG Real Estate as competition winners. “OVG’s proposal, designed by MVRDV, has a bold and distinctive architectural appearance and marks a crucial turning point in the development of Zuidas into a mixed area with housing, employment and services. This plan effectively increases the attractiveness of Zuidas,” said Klaas de Boer, director of Zuidas, Amsterdam City Council in a press release.
“With this project we wanted to introduce an innovative building into what is becoming an increasingly popular district of Amsterdam. The building is, to a large degree, open to the public,” Coen van Oostrom, CEO of OVG Real Estate, said in a statement.
“The public space literally extends into, and over, the building. We are honored to provide Zuidas with a uniquely designed building by MVRDV which carries international recognition and will contribute to a local sustainable and innovative living – and working – environment.”
“The houses have bay windows with beautiful views and large balconies with lots of vegetation, turning the whole building into a kind of village green,” Winy Maas, architect and co-founder of MVRDV, told Inhabitat. “We combine the quality of living in a green environment with the central location and the excitement of an urban environment in this unique location.”
OVG real estate confirmed in a statement that “a number of possible tenants for the offices and other commercial spaces have already been involved in the project.”