top of page

Prins Bernhardstraat, Hilversum

Prins Bernhardstraat, Hilversum NL, Project Team: René van Zuuk , Denis Lazurka, Karolina Ornowska , Client: Eliza vastgoed, Design: 2018-2020

The project tackles the development of an apartment building on Prins Bernhardstraat, at Hilversum. Because of the existing typology of the street, we believe that the building should comprise of a one-piece volume, so that the block fits with the structure of the surrounding buildings, such as the nearby school and police station. The school has a different style, boasting a classical structure, and makes a bigger statement compared to the other houses in the street. Since the school is placed a few meters behind the street line, in recession, its landmark character is emphasized even more. Placing the new apartment building behind the street line, as was suggested in some plans, would overshadow the special design features of the school. Moreover, the maximum volume of the structure would be reduced, making efficient underground parking impossible. Following the street line, has the advantage of being able to place the entrance of the new complex in the corner of the building, adding design quality to the structure.

The urban planning preconditions, require the construction of a three-storey building with a roof, a classic design that reinforces the homogeneity with the nearby residential tissue. Due to the fact that the architectural quality of the nearby structures is poor, we were refrained from making a similar design. Nevertheless, we want to respect some basic principles, and that is why we propose a brick building volume with a bevelled top. A contemporary variant of a canopy is thus created. The colour of the brick matches the bricks of the area. The facade is flat at ground level and gradually moves up to a zigzag pattern. This creates a pleated volume at the top. The regular window construction makes the buildings both classic and modern, thereby creating a smooth transition from the school to the rest of the area.

The total construction volume consists of four floors on top of a parking garage. The entrance to the apartments is at the corner of the east side. The entrance to the garage is on the west side. The garage is equipped with a car lift and contains 24 parking spaces. The common storage and also 14 individual storage areas are also located here. The communal garden is located above the storage spaces. In total, there are 19 small apartments, with an area smaller than 50 m², and 14 with an area larger than 50 m².

bottom of page