OMA residential block "pays homage" to unbuilt prison tower

Dutch studio OMA has completed The Jay, a concrete-clad residential tower on the site of the former Bijlmerbajes prison in Amsterdam.

Rising 17-storeys, the The Jay was designed by OMA to reference an unbuilt tower that was planned to be built as part of the prison complex.

"The Jay now occupies this plot and its design – characterised by a square window grid – pays homage to the unbuilt tower of the Bijlmerbajes," the studio told Dezeen.

The tower sits within the Bajes Kwartier masterplan, a 135,000-square-metre redevelopment led by the studio that aims to transform the former prison complex into "a hub for sustainable living".

The Jay forms the first of four residential buildings set to be completed by the studio for the development.

Containing 135 apartment units, the tower has two volumes – one with standard apartments and the other, taller volume containing vertical circulation and a set of more spacious apartments.

Prefabricated white concrete panels, made using concrete salvaged from the prison's demolition, clad the tower's exterior. Its structure was built on site in less than six months.

Evenly-spaced square openings line the building's facade in reference to the unbuilt prison tower.

"The materiality of The Jay is informed by the historic white concrete prison towers," the studio said.

"Each square window protrudes from the facade, referencing the horizontal bars of the original prison and evoking the site's history."

At ground level, a shared garden was enclosed by an existing prison wall, while walkways link to pedestrian and bike paths.

Inside, rows of compact apartments are connected by central corridors, while a light-filled staircase connects the tower's levels.

A communal area and co-working space was created for the residents on the ground floor.

In line with the masterplan's sustainability goals, solar panels were used on the tower's south facade. Additionally, a two-floored bicycle parking space and organic waste collection room were added to encourage a healthy lifestyle for the residents.

The Bajes Kwartier masterplan will include the preservation of an administrative building and a tower that will be transformed into a vertical public park. This will be complemented by new residential, commercial and cultural programmes.

Elsewhere, a pair of angular residential towers with terracotta-coloured brick facades were completed in London and a twisting residential tower was framed by a reinforced concrete structure in Le Havre.

The photography is by Ossip van Duivenbode.

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