Differences in height, stones and colors give Allure its own face

The residential buildings along the railroad in Utrecht Leidsche Rijn form a balanced whole. At the same time, they are all different. The different heights, stone types and color schemes give each building its own face. The face of Allure is defined by the black brick, the metallic gold frame and the striking fresh green interior area.

Designer of apartment building Allure is Klunder architects from Rotterdam. For her, Allure is not the first building in Utrecht Leidsche Rijn. The designs of the underlying low-rise and adjacent high-rise are also her work. This increased the possibility of coordinating the buildings. 

Inspired by a metaphor

"The supervisor used as a metaphor a butterfly fluttering from one building to the next," says Paul Cardinaal, architect of Klunder architects. "With this he indicated that the buildings should have different heights with additional height accents here and there. The TV frame that will soon protrude in front of the building line and the two entrances, one extending over two floors and the other over one, are also the result of this." 

Gradual transitions

The metaphor also generated the idea for the connection between the U-shaped Allure and the low-rise building behind it. "From here, the building jumps up into the height in steps, so to speak, to create a gradual transition. Setbacks were used in the side facade to reduce the building height. In the armpits are the stairwells. The interior area and TV frame are finished with the same green façade panels, which provide an attractive contrast to the black bricks on the exterior."

Low-noise outdoor spaces

With its location directly on the railroad tracks, the apartments at the heart of the building had to be protected from train noise. To this end, Klunder architects cleverly used the building's U-shape. She designed no outdoor space on the railroad side cum front of the building, but on the soundproofed rear and side, where necessary with a glass screen. At the front in the frame, she created dynamism by staggering the window frames and by a fresh green cladding. This is the same green color as in the interior area.

Parking basements and storerooms

"Because of the building's small footprint, part of the storage rooms are located in the outer ring of the sunken parking basement," Cardinaal says. "The other part is located near the apartments, but is accessible from the general traffic areas. With this layout, the semi-underground storage rooms are visible from the street and both the parking and storage issues were solved. For residents who prefer not to take their bikes to the upstairs storage, there will be a collective bike storage area on the first floor." 

A face of its own

Allure and the adjacent Amulet share the structure, but are completely different in their architectural appearance. At Allure, the "TV frame" in particular stands out. "I think I am most proud of that," Cardinaal concludes. "The TV frame will soon give Allure its own face."