Leidsevaart

location
Haarlem
Nederland

status
Under construction

typology
offices, café facilities and gym

team
ir. Heiko Hulsker| ir. Angelique Stegeman| ir. Thijs Giskes| ing. Bernard Pieters| ing. Thomas Bruijns| ing. Hans Tabak|



The building at Leidsevaart 574 is located at a prominent site where multiple functions and traffic flows have historically converged. The building was designed in 1978 by G.A. Spoort, commissioned by J.G. Nelis & Zn. IJmuiden, and functioned as an office building until 2020, with its final years of use by Feadship. In its current condition, the building presents a rather cluttered appearance, partly due to visible parking and garage functions, and behaves as a closed storage site with little relationship to its surroundings.

The proposal focuses on transforming this closed storage site into a lively and active part of the neighbourhood. The building will accommodate a multifunctional programme including office space, hospitality, parking facilities for cars and bicycles, and a gym.

Leidsevaart in 2020
Bird’s-eye view of proposal
Situation

Activating the façade

The activation of the building is achieved through targeted, minimal, yet effective interventions. Large glazed openings, extending from the ground floor to the first floor and behind which the gym is located, open up the façade, creating interaction with the street and discouraging disorderly parking. On the top floor, the existing terraces are enhanced with pergolas and loggias. 

The façade along Leidsevaart is enlivened by replacing the existing fence, behind which cars are visible, with a semi-transparent brick façade in Brazilian bond. This creates a more welcoming and urban appearance. On Grijpensteinweg, the new entrance to the gym is clearly articulated. The existing structure of the building is retained and, where necessary, structurally reinforced to accommodate the new functions.

Cohesion

The existing terrace is reused and transformed into generous outdoor spaces with views over the Leidsevaart. Planters along the inner side of the roof parapet provide the new pergola structure with greenery and reinforce the connection with the natural surroundings on the east side of the building. The pergola structure follows the rhythm of the building, creating a connection between the lower floor levels and the rooftop outdoor spaces. 

To create greater cohesion in the façade with the existing zinc parapet, which is being retained, the red limewashed façade is given a new dark grey colour. An accent is added to the plinth through the use of mottled grey brickwork in a block bond between the glazed openings and the new entrance to the gym. All existing windows are wrapped in black. Combined with the new black-framed glazed openings, this results in a clean, cohesive, and contemporary appearance for the building.
Impression
Impression