The Silverling is an imposing silver giant of fifteen floors with a range of different apartments on the edge of a park the western suburbs of Amsterdam. The project with a total of 68 social and privately owned apartments has basically a clear structure of five flats per floor, but the metal skin that curls around the tower like an armor makes it at the same time expressive. This innovative wall system, a ‘doubled skin’, consists of horizontal aluminum bands with a zinc coating. It provides all residents with a spacious balcony, where even the apartments in the northeast can benefit from the sun in the morning and afternoon.
After the start of the Amsterdam General Expansion Plan, a green zone was created between two western suburbs. This park acts as a hinge in the orthogonal urban plan. Since long you can find here notable buildings with expressive forms. The shape of the Silverling refers to this structure. The proven value of the garden cities - light, air and space - are translated into a modern use, with spacious balconies and a parking garage that is adapted in the landscape under a green hill. The building is accessible via the deck and via the street level through the ‘hill’, both levels are connected by a double high hall in the tower. Outside, the monumental stairway at the corner is provided with a special artwork saying “The key lies under the door-mat”.
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