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The brief for Borneo and Sporenburg, two peninsulas in the eastern part of the Amsterdam docks, tied together two seemingly opposing ideas. On the one hand the potential of the large scale dockland area was to be exploited for water-related activities, on the other hand the brief called for 2500 low-rise dwelling units, with a density of 100 units per hectare. Taking these points of departure presented a fascinating and unique opportunity for an urban experiment. West 8 sought the solution in developing a new typology of three-storey, ground-accessed houses deviating from the usual terraced house in being strongly oriented to the private realm.
This approach is a variant upon the traditional type of Dutch canal house.
The new buildings are prone to private spaces like patios and rooftops.
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A great deal of what would normally be designed as public space is included in the plots, thus creating space within the walls of the buildings.
The most compact new housing district in the Netherlands of the 90's.
By repeating this typology in a great variety of dwelling modes (from social housing to exclusive apartments) and with maximum architectural variation, an animated street elevation emerges with a focus on the individual plot and property owner. At the scale of the area as a whole, a delicately balanced relationship exists between the repetition of the individual dwellings, the roofscape and the great scale of the docks. Three immense sculptural blocks take their place in the vast expanse of houses in a configuration derived from nodes of interest in the surrounding landscape. They offer occupants a spectacular view, and conversely, are landmarks visible from a distance. The elastic quality of the building generates a wide variety of dwelling types. The interaction of high-rise and low-rise provides an urban fabric, orientation, and structure. The scent of the water, the sunsets and reflections over the canals are pulled into the living environment.
West 8
Concept
1993
1996
The Borneo Sporenburg area (east of Amsterdam City) is a former harbour area. The harbour moved to the west, in the direction of the sea. Adriaan Geuze of West 8 Landscape Architects tried to develop the Borneo Sporenburg area into a kind of old fashioned neighbourhood like 'De Jordaan' in the west part of the Amsterdam inner-city. The 60 terraced houses on Borneo refer of course to the Amsterdam Canal houses.
For a new interpretation of the traditional Dutch canal house, West 8 suggested new types of three-storey, ground-accessed houses deviating from the usual terraced house in being strongly oriented to the private realm by incorporating patios and roof gardens. By repeating this type in a great variety of dwelling modes and with maximum architectural variation, an animated street elevation emerges with a focus on the individual. At a larger scale, a delicately balanced relationship exists between the repetition of the individual dwellings, the roofscape and the great scale of the docks. Three immense sculptural blocks take their place as landmarks in the vast expanse of houses.
The Master Plan Borneo-Sporenburg, two peninsulas surrounded by the docklands.
04The Python Bridge by West 8 Architects
A lot of beautiful and unusual bridges can be seen in Amsterdam. Among them, the python bridge or the snake-shaped bridge must be mentioned above all. The distinctive name of the bridge perfectly reflects its primary particularity. The metal bridge is characterized by the unusual serpentine shape. The bridge is equipped with beautiful railings with a lot of scarlet threads, which makes the figure even more attractive. The bridge connecting Borneo Island with the Sporenburg Peninsula was opened in 2001. The bridge is located in the center of Amsterdam, next to the striking historical monuments. The workers of the architectural office West 8 decided a few years ago to refresh the center of the city and built this strange high-tech bridge, which reminds of the huge winding python.
There is another bridge close to the Python bridge which is lower and curves more around its length pivot, making it look like the street lights have been bent.
