Day 07 - Amsterdam Zuid
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam Zuid to Vrije Universiteit
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A super sunny day in Amsterdam called for a good sesh of exploration throughout the city’s outer ring and all of it’s architectural treats. I set off towards Amsterdam RAI station to catch a glimpse of OMA’s latest hotel tower under construction. The week before my arrival the NHow Hotel project - situated next to the Amsterdam Convention and Exhibition Centre - had celebrated it’s tree-topping ceremony, making me lucky enough to see the three-stacked-and-twisted volumes perching over the railway platform at their full height.
A short walk through an adjacent park led me to the RAI parking garage completed in 2016, also by Benthem Crouwel Architects. The ‘car park’ isn’t typically expected to be the most inspirational of building typologies, however the attention to detail and execution of the external helical ramping made for a pleasing pit stop (yes a shameless car-reference) and fine example of intricate concrete prefab-construction.
After a walk through the picturesque Beatrixpark I arrived at an iconic student housing building; Ravel Residence. The project was developed by OZ Architects and houses 800 students within a homogeneous modular facade. The circular windows create a unique and contemporary identity that reflects within the surrounding waterways - there was even a full sized basketball court cage on the rooftop for added amenity.
It was a solid day. I caught a glimpse of an organic masonry building on the horizon which led me to the Vrije Universitet. The small number of students on campus were making the most of the sunlight and smashing their way through a game of beach volleyball. As I stumbled back through the various unknown suburbs I even discovered the Heinz headquarters - a nice moment of homage to Jack Hobbs McConnell’s own journeys and the inspiration of this travelling fellowship.
If you’re not fully acquainted with the background of Jack Hobbs McConnell I highly recommend reading so here. This opportunity to travel, explore, observe, and discuss the current and historic contexts of architecture has been completely humbling and inspiring to say the least. And to think this is only one week in!
