Moke Architects - Bajeskwartier

MOKE Architects is a socially conscious firm of architects based in Amsterdam which develops innovative solutions to create an inspirational living environment. MOKE works on a variety of projects, from housing and schools to retail, mixed-use buildings and hotels. MOKE Architects stands for committed experimentation, for responsibility, empathy and idealism, a pioneering spirit, bravura and a healthy dose of pragmatic awareness.

For the Learning District MOKE has designed an iconic building 100 metres long and 12 floors high, brimming with liveliness on its terraces, in the living rooms, gardens and other meeting spaces. The building provides space for 200 short-stay rooms in Hotel Jansen and 280 student flats of De Alliantie.

Village in the city The residents are students, young people who come to live or stay here temporarily for a conference, internship or study. Some will stay just a few days, and some for four years. The building is designed to facilitate contact with others. The short corridors lead to homes, but also to communal living areas and gardens where local residents are also welcome. It’s easy to meet each other here. The building has a sturdy but small-scale character. The marked roughness of the former prison site is combined here with a small-scale, village feel where residents will quickly feel at home.

Making sustainability visible Planters and climbing plants scrambling up the façades give the building an exceptionally green appearance. The climbing frames are reused prison bars. And the building serves as a power plant for Bajeskwartier: solar panels also generate energy for the other buildings in the district. By using solar panels to cover the façades, sustainability is a visible presence in the daily life of Bajeskwartier.