A former industrial site becomes a lively residential quarter

The first tower, built on columns, has three interconnected volumes consisting of a tower, a pavilion and a hook-shaped, protruding building. The base forms a basic triangular shape. Each of the three volumes has its own characteristic façade. While the façade of the pavilion is made of glass and anodized expanded metal, the red-brown brick façade of the so-called “hook” makes direct reference to other brick buildings in De Nieuwe Defensie. The pavilion and the so-called hook are separated from each other by a wide external staircase. Plants climb up the façades of both buildings, reaching up to the roof garden on the second floor. This connects the three separate volumes into one building. The façade of the tower is also characteristic: a horizontal gradient in the density of the windows can be seen here. The density of the windows decreases towards the center, resulting in curved vertical stripes of champagne-coloured anodized aluminium. These stripes also emphasize the verticality and height of the tower. Horizontal bands interrupt these and bring the human scale back into the façade.

Toren 1 has five residential units per floor, all of which are accessible via a shared main entrance on the first floor. Immediately next to the entrance, there are technical rooms, parcel rooms and post boxes, a bicycle room and commercial units in the form of a mobility hub. Residents can access the large green roof garden on the second floor via a common room.

Toren 2 is a sculptural, glass tower that plays with the vertical relationship between open and closed. White ceramic panels dominate the building's appearance, the number of which is concentrated in the middle of the north-western façade. The use of both single and double-height panels emphasizes the height of the tower.

A total of 27 luxury condominiums are located in Toren 2, which can be reached via a two-storey high entrance. Floors with two or three apartments emphasize the sculptural effect of the building - also due to the asymmetrically positioned balconies. There is a penthouse on the top floor.

The outdated power station on the edge of De Nieuwe Defensie requires renovation and seamless integration into the emerging residential area. A new decentralized heat buffer, which supplies the site with hot water for the central heating system, replaces the oil storage tanks previously used.

Black and anthracite patterned elements clad the heat buffer tank. The dark color and verticality make the massive volume appear slender and emphasize its height. The composition of the cladding depicts bubbling water, which not only matches the functional aspects of the heat buffer, but also creates a uniform appearance with the surroundings.

The functional building is integrated into the ENECO complex and merges with the existing industrial chimneys to form a single unit. To clearly separate the complex from the residential units, a fence was designed consisting of reused columns from former warehouses on the site. This creates a direct link to the industrial past of the new De Nieuwe Defensie site.