Between the sheets
Between the sheets
MetaDecor
YEAR
2014
LOCATION
Amsterdam, Netherlands
TYPE
Residential › Apartment
The building's claim to architectural fame is its façade, created by Amsterdam-based designer Chris Kabel.
As contemporary as it may look, it's also related to the history of the area, where the city's textile industry was located in medieval times.
He created a white façade that wraps the house like a huge lace doily, even forming sliding shutters over the windows and serving as a balustrade for the roof terrace.
It consists of powder-coated aluminium plates covered with small punched-out hexagons.
By hand-bending the hexagons in one direction or the other, a graphic pattern is generated on the façade. Little marks on the backs of the hexagons told the workers which way to bend them.
According to Kabel, the idea came from punching a sheet of paper with a needle from the back and the front, which resulted in a similar texture.
It proved to be a simple trick with a huge effect, covering the building with a beautiful metal curtain that constantly changes its appearance, depending on the sunlight. MetaDecor has engineered, produced an assembled the facade.
