Studio Gang’s first completed project in Europe creates a new landmark in Buitenveldert district
Q Residences, a new mixed-use development in Amsterdam, opened in a ceremony attended by Mayor Femke Halsema, Studio Gang founding principal and partner Jeanne Gang, and Kroonenberg Groep CEO Lesley Bamberger. The project is Studio Gang’s first completed work in Europe. Developed by Kroonenberg Groep in collaboration with NEOO, the 27,600 m2 project adds 248 residences to the heart of Buitenveldert, an Amsterdam neighborhood to the south of the city and one of the last garden cities constructed in the capital. Studio Gang, working with Amsterdam-based Associate Architect Rijnboutt, designed Q Residences as two new distinct building volumes – a 23-floor high-rise named Quartz and an eight-floor mid-rise named Qube – linked by a generous new public plaza.
"We designed Q Residences to strengthen residents’ connection to each other and to the ample green spaces that define Buitenveldert,” said Jeanne Gang. “At ground level, Qube and Quartz form a new generous public plaza that brings people together around art and landscape. And on Quartz, the balconies migrate in and out of the façade to extend sightlines diagonally in all directions and allow residents be part of the building and in synch with the city and each other at the same time.”
Set in a district defined by high-density post-war housing blocks, Q Residences reimagines its context with a design that plays off the rationale rectilinearity of the surrounding 1950s developments. With a flowing façade and vibrant material palette of white pre-cast concrete and bronze aluminum paneling, Quartz introduces an organic, sculptural presence to the neighborhood. Qube, with its lower height, neutral color palette, and a more orthogonally gridded façade, serves as a bridge between Buitenveldert’s existing post-war housing and the more striking character of Quartz.
Bringing shared experiences to their inhabitants, both buildings feature deep balconies that offer access to outdoor space, fresh air, and views across the garden city. Quartz’s balconies are angled at staggered depths, lend a distinctive, undulating appearance to the façade while also establishing visual connections between neighbors and shading the apartments below. The rounded, glazed edges of the building further expand the frame from which inhabitants can view the city and park beyond, while also increasing natural light within living spaces.
As an interpretation of the garden city tradition, the architecture and landscape work together to create a pedestrian-friendly environment. Q Residences introduces new pathways through the block, connecting inhabitants to new neighborhood amenities, including new retail spaces and public green plaza. The plaza, designed by renowned Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf with Deltavormgroep, features herbaceous plants year-round greenery. It also hosts a new sculpture by artist Job Smeets, which was unveiled as part of the December 12th ceremony. The newly commissioned work interprets the Q Residences’ “Q” Logo to introduce a lively place-making icon for the project.
Additional site-specific art by Petra Blaise and Frederik Molenschot further animate Q Residences’ ground plane and establishes connections between the buildings and the outdoor pedestrian plaza. For the Quartz lobby, Blaise designed curtains that play with perceptions of transparency between outdoors and inside. Molenschot, meanwhile, created a unique new light sculpture.
An array of sustainability features at Q Residences—including rooftop PV panels that power the buildings’ electric car chargers, an integrated, high-performance heating and cooling system, and energy-efficient envelopes—helps Amsterdam advance its ambitious sustainability targets, while evolving its garden-city legacy.
The development is the first in Europe completed by Studio Gang. A collective of more than 130 architects, designers, and planners working in four locations, the firm has had a European office in Paris since 2017. In addition to Q Residences, work on the continent includes the University of Chicago Center in Paris and the Odyssey mixed-use redevelopment in Paris’ La Défense. Significant projects opening in 2023 include the Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Tom Lee Park in Memphis, Tennessee in collaboration with SCAPE.
Team:
Architect: Studio Gang
Photographer: Kees Hummel, Set Vexy
Developers: Kroonenberg Groep and NEOO
