multifunctional complex in Overhoeks, a new urban district in Amsterdam. It is part of an ensemble of six skyscrapers on the northern banks of the River IJ. Each tower has its own distinct character. The two Yvie towers and the plinth positioned between them, together comprise 176 luxury rental apartments, 120 extended-stay apartments, a 579-room congress hotel with a conference venue for 4,200 people, a wellness centre with swimming pool, a number of restaurants and bars and 2,000 m² of office space. The scale and complexity of the program requirements come together in a well-organised, clear and evocative design.

Two towers

Though the two Yvie towers are connected via the lower floor levels, they differ vastly in their design. At a height of 110 meters, the hotel tower is the tallest in the ensemble, modestly sleek in appearance with vertical articulation and anthracite-coloured rough stone cladding. The 100-meter-tall residential tower is comparatively more architecturally expressive, featuring staggered horizontal bands of sand-coloured natural stone cladding. Variation in dwelling types is expressed in the balconies, which are distributed irregularly across the façade. The façades of both towers extend to the ground, allowing them to be experienced as separate buildings at street level.

Multipurpose middle ground

The plinth is positioned between the two towers as a transparent third building. The public facilities inside are visible from the street and include two bars, a restaurant, conference halls and a hotel lobby. The two large conference halls are flexibly designed with a soundproof box-in-a-box construction, making them suitable for a variety of events such as congresses, banquets and pop concerts. An atrium also acts as a thoroughfare to the hotel lobby and conference centre, and the roof of the atrium features diamond-shaped windows with integrated lighting. This creates a welcoming ambiance, both during the day and in the evening.

Complexity versus simplicity

Despite the complexity of the program requirements, the result is an ostensibly sleek, straightforward design. The hotel tower has clear floor plans with a simple, repeating structure. On each floor, the main corridor extends all the way to the façade at one end, allowing uninterrupted access to natural light and views. Windows along the corridor are vertical strips of glass which, when viewed from outside, stand out clearly in the streamlined façade. This gives the tower a distinctively slender silhouette in the Amsterdam skyline. Technical spaces are strategically placed on the level between the conference halls and the wellness centre, rather than on the roof. As a result, the entire roof surface on the plinth is used for gardens designed by Piet Oudolf.