Narva Island is a unique residential area in Amsterdam’s Houthavens, where history, sustainability and contemporary living come together. The island is part of a transformed district along the IJ, where former timber ports have been redeveloped into a vibrant urban neighbourhood, with the distinctive character of Amsterdam. Narva Island consists of three subdevelopments: Houthaven DEF, Narva Island West and the Beacon of Narva. The name Narva refers to the Estonian Baltic port of Narva, which was historically significant for Amsterdam’s timber trade.
FREE SPIRITS: A NEIGHBOURHOOD FULL OF VARIETY AND FREEDOM
Each island in the Houthavens has its own theme; for Narva Island it is ‘free spirits’, which stands for freedom, happiness and tolerance. The visual-quality plan prescribed a rich streetscape, with individual houses varying in urban grid, façade width and height. Houthaven DEF was the first subdevelopment to be realised, followed by Narva Island West, which seamlessly matches the atmosphere of the first subdevelopment. Multiple façade designs in different widths, heights, brick bonding patterns and materials ensure every home is unique. Besides this the façades also show a lot of variation in colour and detail, with patterns, balconies, roof terraces, white frames, bay windows and a staggered arrangement of windows. Altogether, this creates a richly varied appearance.
To achieve the desired number of homes a structure was chosen in which the building blocks are composed of city houses and apartments. An unobtrusive gallery provides access to the apartments and penthouse maisonettes above the city houses. The city houses have their entrance in the front garden which lays on a car-free street. Uniform property boundarieswith the same fencing and beech hedges ensures the block still forms a whole.
At the tip of the island, bordering the IJ, are two apartment buildings that form the end of the block. Both are characterized by light façade accents anchored between traditional robust brickwork. Residents of these homes have an unobstructed view over the IJ.
VIBRANT ISLAND NEIGHBOURHOOD BY THE WATER
All of Narva Island is surrounded by water; many homes have a small jetty adjacent to their property, ideal for exploring Amsterdam’s waters by boat or sup. Narva Island is connected to the two adjacent islands by bridges; there is no connection to the mainland. The bridges and roads for car traffic are perpendicular to the islands, while pedestrian and bicycle bridges cut diagonally through the area.
Inside, the homes were freely configurable, making the houses different both inside and outside. Residents experience Narva Island as a village in the city: life takes place on the street, where people play football, volleyball and table tennis. In summer people swim in the IJ and in the winter they can even ice skate. This development offers a unique combination of historical inspiration, modern architecture, sustainability and a strong sense of community, right in the heart of Amsterdam.
