Kaap - Residential District And Circular Pavilion
KAAP - RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT AND CIRCULAR PAVILION
NEXT architects, Orange Architects, Powerhouse Company
ARCHITECTS
NEXT architects, Orange Architects, Powerhouse Company
PARTNERS IN CHARGE
Nanne De Ru, Paul Stavert
CLIENT
Kop Grasweg Cv, Amvest, Cod
DESIGN TEAM
Robert Verheij, Lesia Topolnyk, Gert Ververs, Roelant Nijwening, Stefan De Meijer, Niels Baljet
PHOTOGRAPHS
Jeroen Musch, Sebastian van Damme, Emile Hoens
AREA
16685 m²
YEAR
2025
LOCATION
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
CATEGORY
Apartments
English description provided by the architects.
Where Grasweg meets the Amsterdam-Noord waterfront, KAAP occupies a prominent position on the IJ.
Once an industrial harbor area, this part of the city is being reworked into a new district as part of Cityplot Buiksloterham, the urban plan by Studioninedots and DELVA Landscape Architects & Urbanism.
Commissioned by AMVEST and COD, with buildings designed by Powerhouse Company, Orange Architects, and NEXT architects, KAAP combines 70 apartments across five residential buildings with ground-floor commercial spaces and a circular hospitality pavilion, set within the future Oeverpark along the IJ.
The buildings follow the orthogonal grid of the neighborhood but are rotated in relation to Grasweg, which cuts diagonally through the area. The result is a more open waterfront composition: instead of one closed line of buildings, the plan creates space between the volumes for daylight, privacy, and long views across the water.
The outdoor space surrounding the buildings, designed by DELVA Landscape Architects and Urbanism, connects pedestrian and cycling routes through the area and along the waterfront. Together with the hospitality pavilion, they bring public use to the waterfront and create recreational value along the IJ.
COAST AND VERDE BY POWERHOUSE COMPANY
Powerhouse Company designed Coast and Verde, the two outer buildings that frame the ensemble. Glass, black steel, strong horizontal lines, and generous outdoor spaces give the buildings a character rooted in the industrial setting of Buiksloterham.
Designed around the shift from city side to water side, entrances are placed on the street side, while balconies, roof terraces, corner glazing, and long views are oriented toward the IJ.
The design takes the "modern harbor loft" as a starting point: open, flexible layouts, large windows, tactile materials, and an effortless flow between indoor and outdoor space.
CIRCULAR PAVILION KAAP AND BLANC BY NEXT ARCHITECTS
Blanc occupies the center of the plan and includes 18 corner apartments with panoramic views of the IJ and the city.
Flared, cantilevered balconies give the building a sculptural profile, while yellow-pigmented concrete and perforated facade panels create a warm material expression and filter direct sunlight.
NEXT architects also designed the KAAP hospitality pavilion, built with 92% recycled or bio-based materials and achieving a Building Circularity Index score of 82%.
Its materials were 'harvested' from local partners in Amsterdam, including a steel structure from a factory on Cruquius.
