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Article from issue 7/1997 »Balconies, Oriels«

Housing for the Elderly in Amsterdam

Drafts
Ground/1st/5th floor plan 1:750
Section through oriel balcony, north-west face/section through balcony, south-east face 1:20
Sections through building 1:750

Since it was not possible to accommodate the required number of dwellings on the site in the form foreseen, five large elements were cantilevered out from the north face of the main block, the concrete structure of which acts as a counterweight. Each of the projecting elements contains between one and four dwellings and has a load-bearing structure of storey-height steel trussed girders anchored in the wall slabs of the main block. The cantilevered floor slabs were levelled at the end of finishings work by means of steel tension members fixed to the trussed girders. The opposite face of the building presents a collage of colourful balconies of different sizes. The basic façade materials are concrete and metal, with glass balustrades of various colours.