Masira Blok C

The city’s Nieuw West district has undergone large-scale renewal in recent years and this is set to continue despite the current economic crisis. The Delflandpleinbuurt neighbourhood forms part of this far-reaching programme. Snitker/Borst/Architecten had already divised a master plan for Noordstrook Masira, in which the open row layout has been replaced by perimeter blocks.

The same office has now also designed one of the three Masira blocks, Blok C. The starting point was that the new build (a large U-shaped block) should feature as many characteristics of the original, now demolished, modern development as possible. Thus, in conformity with the old garden suburb ideals of the Westelijke Tuinsteden, light penetration and green space play an important role in the new build. Thanks to the spacious balconies and large windows, despite its size, the block does not appear massive. Two gateways give access to a large green inner garden courtyard, in which there is a clear separation between public, communal and private space. As in the original row housing development, here too, there is no distinction between the formal elevation on the street and the more informal elevation on the courtyard side. The garden suburb concept has, however, been translated into a new aesthetic. This is particularly evident in the emphatically designed distinction between the (darker) ground-floor plinth with ground-based dwellings and the (light) elevation of the apartments above.