DESA1002 'Continuous City' Amar Dzihic

Abstract

Amsterdam Plaza The Netherlands is a nation of the sea, with Amsterdam being largely exposed to the sea through its direct connection and canals. As with many cities, Amsterdam has spaces that are underutilised and unappreciated. The site of my building sites on such a space. The proposed Restaurant Apartment building for this plaza space in the Dutch city of Amsterdam has been developed to convert this relatively unused plaza into a social destination. With this intention in mind, the program of the building and its exposure to the plaza have been carefully considered in the design. The public are first drawn to the building by the two small cafes on ground level, as well as large presence this building has on the surrounding area. From the cafe space, the public can then traverse a flight of naturally lit stairs from either cafe space, or a single small lift. Here, in the restaurant space is where the building is fully experienced, with a central fountain featured below the large glass atrium ceiling, with views out onto the plaza and canals from the outdoor dining space. To access the residential areas, occupants must use the lift, which has been used to prevent as much as possible, unwanted members of the public simply moving up to the apartment level. At the apartment level there are two luxurious apartments with large rooms and balconies looking out over the plaza and canal.