A green oasisin the city

Mixed-use building with attention to biodiversity

An extraordinary project has been rising in Utrecht in recent years: Wonderwoods. It consists of two mixed-use towers, equipped with no less than a hectare of greenery. "A lot of thought has gone into how the planting changes with the seasons. That makes it interesting."

The taller of the two towers was designed by Italy's Stefano Boeri Architetti, the second tower by MVSA Architects. Roberto Meyer, owner of MVSA Architects: "We are extremely proud to be able to create this complex because it is very topical. In the coming years, cities will become increasingly densified. We must do this in a good way so that future generations are also assured of a pleasant living environment. This is an example of how we can densify urban development and at the same time add quality. We therefore won a Future Architecture Award with this plan."

The spot where Wonderwoods stands is a pivotal point to the other side of the tracks in Utrecht. From the 'block boxes' around Central Station, it forms the transition to a yet-to-be-realized new part of the city center.

Puzzling with the design 

A total of four hundred homes were built, one hundred and fifty for sale and two hundred and fifty for rent, ranging from 50 m2 to more than 200 m2. Thus, the project taps into many different target groups; from starters to families. Each home has its own private outdoor space. Jeroen Schilder is the project architect for Wonderwoods: "Tower 1 consists of a plinth with commercial spaces, tower 2 of a commercial plinth including a museum, above that an office layer and above that the homes. It is especially important now that buildings are mixed-use and thus promote vibrancy in the city. It did create a puzzle in the design: which entrances are needed? We did not want to create a building with a back, but rather interaction with the neighborhood. And: how do you combine the different functions in the building?"

Planting as on the Utrecht Ridge

In tower 1, the abundance of greenery is mainly on the outside. In tower 2, the architect chose interior gardens and winter gardens, allowing daylight to penetrate deep into the building. To ensure that the green appearance is maintained in the coming years, the maintenance for the next 25 years has been contracted. Meyer: "In terms of planting, native plants that are also found on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug have been chosen. A lot of research was done beforehand so that we could offer the plants the right conditions and thus really contribute to biodiversity. We also thought about how the plants would look in the different seasons. This gives the building a different look each time, which makes it interesting."

A bridge allows one to walk from one building to another. It is also possible to walk around the terraces. The landscaped gardens are partly accessible to the public and partly linked to living and working areas. Painter: "This too has been well thought out so that all the outdoor space will actually be used. The greenery also influences the scale of the building. They are big buildings, but they don't look huge." The architect also wanted to achieve this effect at ground level. A recessed plinth was therefore chosen. In short: a fine example of a new way of building in an urban environment. Meyer: "It is a unique opportunity to create such a magnificent complex together."

Construction Info

Client
Wonderwoods Development B.V. (G&S&)

Architect
Stefano Boeri Architetti and MVSA Architects

Main contractor
Boele & van Eesteren and Kondor Wessels Amsterdam