MVRDV breaks ground on 'valley', a tree-filled mixed-use complex in amsterdam

dutch architectural practice MVRDV has unveiled new images of ‘valley’, a 75,000 square meter mixed use complex in zuidas, amsterdam’s central business district.

dutch architectural practice MVRDV has unveiled new images of ‘valley’, a 75,000 square meter mixed use complex in zuidas, amsterdam’s central business district. the competition-winning design for OVG real estate was selected by the municipality of amsterdam in 2015 and construction began in august 2017. scheduled for completion in 2021, the green-terraced towers will include apartments, offices, underground parking, a sky bar and various retail and cultural facilities.

the zuidas area of amsterdam is an important international business center lacking residential quarters. MVRDV’s ‘valley’ will transform the area into a more livable and complete urban quarter, ‘welcoming large amounts of residents and additional public facilities to the area over the next decade’.

the project is defined by three peaks of varied heights which reach up to 100 meters, where a publicly accessible sky-bar offers panoramic views over amsterdam. the complex consists of 196 apartments, 7 stories of offices, a three-story parking lot, and various retail and cultural facilities.

a pedestrian path weaves through retail spaces, terraces and roof gardens, leading to a central ‘valley’ area which is placed on the 4th and 5th levels surrounding the central tower. this public ‘valley’ serves as a core public element of the project. the architects collaborated with landscape architect, piet oudolf, who designed the lush vegetation that will create a year-round green appearance.

another core component of the project is the ‘grotto’, a large interior space, fully clad in natural stone and lit by two great skylights that double as water filled ponds on the valley above. publicly accessible from ground floor, through 2 large stairs, the grotto serves as both a living room for the residents of ‘valley’ as well as a grand foyer for all other activities in the building.