Realized on the corner of the Spaarndammer Street at the Spaardammerdijk in Amsterdam a striking building is realised. The block marks a transitionally small scale working class neighbourhood in a harbour area, which will be converted for residential use.

The Noordkop, a project of De Key, a public housing association, consists of new buildings and renovations, of which the block in question is a part of. Marlies Rohmer designed the new building, a block of twenty homes, supermarket and parking garage. Given the transitive nature of the location, it was the design intention to be in harmony with the existing buildings. This was realized by articulating the street-facing facades: to adopt the horizontal nature from the surroundings. Notably, while the orientation may be similar, the new façade deviates slightly in height. The ground floor façade dominates the overall façade impression in its whiteness, whereupon at night the name of the country’s largest grocer glows. There above is a façade segment made of wide brick ribbons. Hidden behind the ribbons is a living typology which equally deviates from surrounding dwellings. This is where Rhomer introduces the deck-access flat, with five flats accessible per gallery.

Equally, harmony and introduction of something new is furthered in the materialization. The choice of bricks and traditional looking masonry points to the existing buildings. The use of prefabricated masonry is clearly contemporary. While Rhomer’s building remains a relative newcomer at a striking location, it may count as an overture in the entire harbour district’s change.