Valley is an attempt to bring a green and human dimension back to the inhospitable office environment of Amsterdam Zuidas. The dramatic, geology-inspired, plant-covered building stands out with its three towers of 67, 81, and 100 metres and its spectacular cantilevered apartments. It combines offices, shops, catering, cultural facilities, and 200 unique apartments in one building.
It is a building with multiple faces; on the outer edges of the building is a shell of smooth mirrored glass, which fits the context of the business district. Inside this shell, the building has a completely different, more inviting natural appearance, as if the glass block has crumbled away to reveal craggy rock faces inside replete with natural stone and greenery.
The enormously complex shape required a special commitment to fine detailing that further enhances the design concept. MVRDV’s technology experts created custom digital tools to perfect the building, from a tool to ensure that every apartment had adequate light and views, to a tool that made possible the apparently random pattern of over 40,000 stone tiles of varying sizes that adorn the building’s façades.
Project: Valley, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Firm: MVRDV
Jury Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Architecture + Façades
