‘GRIETA’

This project is situated in Hamerkwartier, Amsterdam. We were given a plot of land to create a super- block near the river. The ideogram of our project is a “grieta”, a fissure in the ground. The idea was to create one main axis that acts like the main street for the super- block. With the “grieta” in mind, our idea was to create an irregular road instead of a straight one to strengthen the concept of the project. At different points on the road, one will not be able to see the end. He would encounter different buildings on the path that lead to smaller roads.

On the top section of the super-block is where the tall residential/ apartment buildings are located. They create a boundary that separates the industrial buildings and the new super- block. As the buildings approximate towards the main street, they decrease in height which helps create different scales of the building. The buildings that border the road are the commercial buildings. These buildings have no ground floor creating covered urban spaces for people to pass through and converge in. In the middle of the road, there is a grand plaza where life is concentrated. The hustle of people and the different interactions between nature, buildings and the people are situated here. On the other side of the road is the residential area but at a smaller scale. Here the density of the buildings is lessened to create spaces for leisure. In this area, there are more green spaces and parks here for the dwellers to breathe. This area is situated nearer the river therefore, the blocks are designed to allow the people to take advantage of the scenery. Lastly, on the border of the plot, we situated cafes and restaurants that allow people to interact and appreciate the views in front of them.

Group credits: Juan Ignacio Urdaneta, Adriana Villarosa, Julio Viejo, Erlantz Frías