Multi-company building in Noord

Amid architectural eye-catchers such as Eye and Overhoeks and the large-scale urban development along the IJ waterfront, the multi-company building Asterpark in Buiksloterham in Amsterdam Noord is a modest, yet pleasant surprise. Asterpark was designed by Gietermans & Van Dijk Architecten and contains twenty-six commercial units.

The complex comprises two buildings on either side of a semi-public street that extends from Asterweg to the water. The six commercial units at the end elevations on Asterweg and on the water side are three storeys high and the twenty-two ‘in-between units’ are two storeys high. These in-between units look out onto the semi-public street and have their backs to the neighbouring buildings.

By incorporating a street in the plan, each commercial unit has a connection with the water and, moreover, its own parking space on the street. The street functions as a collective courtyard. It is a pleasing exterior space, which really does feel communal. This is mainly due to the careful detailing of the exterior elevations, which are clad with a combination of aluminium sandwich panels and untreated western red cedar. The warm façade detailing of the units on the street contrasts sharply with the glazed elevations of the end units.

Because of their layout and neutral design, the units are suitable for a wide variety of small businesses. The ground floor of the ‘in-between units’ is intended as a commercial or storage space, while the floor above, with a storey-high glazed front on the street side, contains a small office. Each unit has its own sheltered entrance with a parking space and an overhead door. This door can, if so desired, be replaced by a glazed front, so that the space on the ground floor is then suitable for representative uses. The upper floor is, moreover, split level, giving rise to an extra high space, on the ground floor, at the back of the unit. Above the upper level, a roof light extends across the entire width of the unit and, due to an opening in the floor, also provides the ground floor with extra daylight. (ARCAM/RS)