Peter Pichler Architecture to design figure-8 “Looping Towers” complex in The Netherlands

Milan-based Peter Pichler Architecture's “Looping Towers” was the winning proposal for a new 35,000m² residential tower complex in the Dutch town of Maarssen in Utrecht. Located on a main axis between Amsterdam and Utrecht, the complex must serve as a “social engine” for the area, which is expected to undergo major developments in the coming years.

Peter Pichler Architecture shared more details about their proposal below.

The architects designed the tower complex as a looping, figure-8-shaped structure in order to optimize views of the surrounding city and sunlight. The complex will have approximately 260 apartments as well as parking garages, public facilities, a gym, and a running track on the roof.

For the building's concept, the architects began with “massing studies of straight extrusions that are moved towards the end of the plot to guarantee the view from the offices behind towards the river and Maarssen. The special situation of the site (north side with view, south side sunlight) and the unsophisticated orientation of the apartments within a straight extruded tower with a central core led to a slim L-shaped geometry that guarantees multiple views and sunlight,” they write. “While sloping back the L-shaped towers with the lower tower on the west side, better views are generated for adjacent buildings with minimum shadow impact. The naturally formed terraces generate multiple views towards the old city and achieve a maximum sunlight during the day.”

“At the podium level, the two towers connect in a loop that steps back to create green parks. The interweaving podium strings contain care housing as well as public facilities, such as the gym with a running track on the roof. Most of the apartments are conceived as a duplex in order to guarantee the double-side view, and to have an optimized ratio between GLA and circulation. The duplex typology is expressed in the facade as well, which fades from a more closed structure at the street level and then opens towards the top.”

The complex is currently slated for a 2020 completion.

Project credits:

PROJECT: Looping Towers
ARCHITECTURE: PETER PICHLER ARCHITECTURE
PPA CREDITS: Peter Pichler, Gianluigi D ́Aloisio, Daniele Colombati, Simona Alu’, Giovanni Paterlini, Ugo Licciardi, Silvana Ordinas
YEAR: July 2017, 1st prize invited international competition, 2020 finish construction
LOCATION: Maarssen, Utrecht, Netherlands
SIZE: 35.000m²
DEVELOPER / CLIENT: Winter Trust BV
ENGINEER / CONSULTING COMPETITION PHASE: Arup
VISUALISATION: Visualarch