Milan-based Peter Pichler Architecture has won an international design competition for a riverfront site in Maarssen, a small Dutch town in the province of Utrecht. The proposed housing complex takes the shape of two canted towers arranged in a figure-eight, with a rooftop running track connecting the two volumes diagonally.
The scheme for the 'Looping Towers' measures 35,000 square metres and includes a total of 260 apartments split between the two L-shaped blocks. A gentle terracing of the building profile allows for the centre of the space to be devoted to greenery and outdoor amenities.
The oblong running track will sit atop a low-rise structure, piercing the lower levels of the complex, and linking the opposite corners of the two highrises. This low-rise building will contain communal facilities, including a gymnasium.
The sloped sides of the building will benefit from optimized views of the city centre and the Vecht river, while also ensuring a consistent stream of sunlight. The apartments will be laid out as duplexes and framed by angular external embellishments, which gradually diminish in prominence with the building's rise.
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