Gershwin Cluster I, Amsterdam

The design guidelines and preliminary designs for the courtyards, roof gardens, terraces and atriums of Gershwin Cluster I, a mixed-use development of housing and offices, have been created to assure that the quality of the outdoor spaces are just as high as the architectural designs. Gershwin Cluster I is located in Amsterdam’s Zuidas where the most ambitious building activity will occur in the city for the next decade.

The project consists of one large parking garage with six buildings built above, each designed by a different architect so that every tower has its own unique form and character. The Gershwinlaan runs straight through the middle of the complex on top of the garage and the side streets between the buildings are detailed as roof gardens and courtyards.

The requirements of the green gardens, all located on  rooftops, have been taken into consideration right from the beginning of the building design process. The gardens are located at ground level or many stories higher, both inside and outside. Each has its own set of requirements in terms of use, load, construction heights and drainage. The various garden types have been organized in a green structure plan with seven different planting characters.