Urban planning scheme
The area around Th.K. van Lohuizenlaan covered by the plan will combine living and work, large-scale and small. In urban planning terms, the building will play the same structural role as the other large-scale buildings in this straightforward peninsula area. This building however also towers like a striking sculpture above the others in the area, and has a unique orientation and function. The building, shaped from a single main form, makes up an exciting entity, different from every angle from which it is viewed. This sculptured building resembles a work of sculpture tailored to its specific location and requirements, making it a bespoke part of its surroundings.
The basic idea is a single solid block, from which parts have been cut away to create an appropriate design. Following the axis of the Van Lohuizenlaan, a tapering section has been removed, giving a view of the water behind the building. This cut-out, along with the others, also allow the area to be flooded with sunlight. The car parking facilities are located a metre above ground level, lifting the entire approach to the building and offering a superb view out across the water. The ground floor level in front of the entrance to the hotel part of the building is transparent, creating an inviting, clear ground level.
The building undergoes a transformation in the evenings and at night: from a largely solid object into a light sculpture, radiating light from its heart.
The building determines the impression made by the area, both when approached by car from the Van Lohuizenlaan or across the water, entering the Entrepôt harbour.
