Port front: architecture of the highest level

GROOSMAN's design consists of three parts: residential building Havenfront with apartments, penthouses and in the plinth space for catering establishments, a Cityfront and townhouses. Each side of the building block has its own atmosphere, but with a cohesive look.

"The closed building block has different functions that are accentuated through heights, materials and subtle color differences. For example, the corners are higher than the middle sections and the complex was given a classic plinth-middle crowning. This can be read through setbacks, color differences and masonry dressings," says architect Sharon Broek. "We chose a brick architecture with a lot of symmetry. From a distance you can see the plinth and crowning and that makes the building readable with the masonry color accents. To give the robust complex a friendly character, the corners were rounded. The curves consist of masonry bands in block bond, where the rest of the masonry has wild bond."

With a height difference of four meters, visitors are guided from the Harbour Front to the City Front. This difference in height has been used to give all homes a nice view and in the positioning of the demountable parking garage. This lies in the middle of the building block, but certainly does not dominate the image. Broek: "The lower level is half sunk into the ground and the upper parking level is reached from the higher landscape. The parking garage consists of a steel frame with wooden elements against it. Should the parking requirements change in the future, the garage can be made smaller or removed thanks to the Flexideck construction system."