Mixed-use building Hibi
- Residential
Keizer Koopmans, together with ANA Architects and BOOM Landscape, commissioned by VORM, won the tender for Block 10B in Amstelkwartier, a plot with a supermarket, retail stores and 120 apartments. The building marks the beginning of a new residential district in Amsterdam and will serve as the central shopping area for the surrounding neighborhoods. HIBI connects industrial no-nonsense with elegance and style. Different architectural units make one urban gesture: five residential blocks, each with their own distinctive character.
The design is inspired by Kintsugi (“golden connection”), a Japanese ceramic technique in which fragments are joined together using gold to form a new object. This makes the new cohesion, including the connections, more valuable than the individual elements. This new, more valuable cohesion, is called Hibi, which is also the name of our project. Our design integrates various aspects of the project (nature inclusiveness, sustainability, spatiality, program) into a coherent and unbreakable whole. The “golden connection” symbolizes the visibility of social interaction and sustainable use.
Connection and quality
The secret of Hibi lies in the special entrances and collective spaces in the building block, the Hibi-spaces. By assigning collective programs to these, connections between users are created and the quality of living is enhanced. Hibi’s lush courtyard garden includes a garden room for communal use. There will also be a sports and laundry bar, a workshop area and a roof terrace. All of these spaces are accessible to all Hibi’s residents and have a direct connection to the courtyard garden.
Nature-inclusive connection
Hibi’s leafy and lush courtyard garden is a habitat for a wide variety of native plant and animal species. It is an ecological stepping stone between Morgenstondplantsoen and Park Somerlust. Together with plot 10A, the garden forms a tight link and an important urban biotope. These living spaces for plants and animals are an inseparable part of the architecture and, with this nature-inclusive approach, underscore the connecting qualities that characterize Hibi. The garden is designed so that social interaction, climate adaptation and nature inclusiveness are in line with each other. Common areas in the courtyard garden provide residents with an opportunity to meet and have social interaction, but also provide space for individual rest and relaxation. Rainwater is collected in retention crates on the roofs and in the courtyard garden, thus irrigating all the greenery with its own water. An important aspect of the landscape design is the link between Hibi’s garden and the adjacent plot 10A; a meandering system of stairs connects the differences in elevation. The foundation for nature is healthy soil so this transition consists of open ground in which native trees are planted.
Lively shopping area
Hibi is part of the central shopping area for the surrounding neighborhoods, with a thoughtful plinth program that contributes to the liveliness of the streets. A variety of functions can be found in each street. At street level there are small-scale offices, townhouses, a bicycle workshop, the entrance to a large supermarket, retail stores and inviting residential entrances to higher-end properties. Residents and visitors will have 24/7 access to the underground parking garage. For the retail program, Hibi is introducing a retail mix of well-known crowd pullers and local entrepreneurs, giving the Merenburg Street its own and unique urban atmosphere.
