Located in a green and car-free neighbourhood of Amsterdam East, The Alan Turing by Studio Appelo is a social housing building with 20 compact homes for small families, status holders and first-time buyers. This new part of the city exemplifies urban densification by blending social housing with private development.
Firmly rooted in its context, the building establishes a strong connection to the surrounding structures and the public with its 19th-century orange-red brick design. Reinforcing this, the standard floor plans for the units feature a central axis leading to gardens or balconies. Direct access from the living spaces of the apartment to the square strengthens the connection to public areas while protruding balconies at the rear foster community interaction and shelter the entrances of ground-floor residences.
The building also features a masonry portrait by Mathieu van Ek of Alan Turing, the project’s namesake. Turing, the father of artificial intelligence and Enigma codebreaker, symbolizes crucial social values such as innovation and justice.
The façade is distinguished with different shades of red, orange, and pink that create a depth effect in the façade. The façade rhythm is emphasized by a grid of horizontal and vertical bands in protruding brickwork that wraps around the building, which is complemented by the external support structure of the rear balconies. Both elements are used to grow wisteria, Tuscan jasmine, and honeysuckle - favourites of the neighbourhood.
