PROJECT

‘De Zuidkolk’ - Hooikade, Delft

CLIENT

NL Development

ARCHITECT

Sjoerd Beerends and Vera Yanovshtchinsky
associates Michiel Pronk en Henk de Haan

FACING BRICKS

Nature7 Brick J

Photos: © Jan Willem Dragt

The special place in the panoramic view of the Schie where Vermeer painted his View of Delft is now marked by the ‘De Zuidkolk’ building. The city may have changed but the view is still as exceptional as ever. Nineteen spacious apartments with expansive views and striking sculptural architecture now occupy this ‘postage stamp’ of a site.

A ‘folded’ brick façade of generous bay windows and loggias encases nineteen luxury apartments, designed based on and around the panoramic view of the old town, the church tower and the water. From a distance, the sculptural building immediately catches the eye: a vertical structure on top of a plinth, pronounced eaves and a pattern of varying façade openings. From up close, the image is enhanced by the relief created by the vertical and quarter bonds and the detailing of the window frames, balustrades and blinds. 

The level of gloss, colour and depth of the sculptured brickwork, eaves detail, bronze anodised window frames and blinds change according to the daylight, weather conditions and viewing position. The flat raised plinth, with clear varnished wooden window frames and pronounced fanlight, accommodates commercial space and raised maisonettes. The detailing and execution of the pre-glued sharp angles in the brickwork, reveals and expansion joints, window frames, balustrades and blinds demonstrate great precision. The possibilities of BIM have been optimally utilised here.

The former office location is only 840 m2. After a number of feasibility studies, VYa’s proposal was chosen by developer NL Development. NL wanted to make the most of the view. In-depth studies into parking, living, outlook, construction, energy consumption and feasibility led to an ingenious structural design with ten different types of apartment spread over 2,200 m² of usable space. The apartments are optimally focused on the surrounding urban landscape. The often diagonal positions of the windows reinforce the feeling of space and make the apartments part of their surroundings. The arrangement of bay windows, loggias and windows reflects the diversity of the floor plans and makes each apartment unique. Every resident has their own view of Delft.

Masonry
“We take a great deal of care over – and pay a lot of attention to – brickwork in our projects. Making the right choice is a process which closely involves the client and advisor. The brick is selected based on possibilities. Test set-ups are produced both in the office and on site. For ‘Hooikade’, we worked with De Nis (Denis de Haan) and looked into the possibilities of using a light brick with an attractive blended look that would create vibrancy. Durability and appearance were important factors when it came to making a choice. 

The Nature7 Brick J chosen is a Wasserstrich moulded brick produced according to the Hand-Made principle, a brick with proven durability and good processing properties. Contractor Vergeer took care of every aspect of the brickwork, down to the last detail. The sharp angles were sawn and bonded in the workshop to enable high elements to be installed as single parapet units, resulting in a beautiful architectural line”, says Sjoerd Beerends (Vera Yanovsthchinsky architects).

Ground floor plan