THE COUCH -

AMSTERDAM

MVRDV’s design will now fill this gap with an iconically functional building which provides both a viewing platform and a club overlooking the water. 

MVRDV’s challenge was to create a building that works as a central gathering for the area. The club house is a long open volume with services on either side such as dressing rooms, a kitchen, storage and toilets. 

The main space is multifunctional, so it can be used for the club’s many events. The roof dips down towards the south side and is raised towards the north up to a height of seven metres, creating an informal tribune for the club. The wide glass front to the north side allows extensive natural lighting and provides a view out over the waters of the IJ-lake. Inside the club house, the concrete construction is clad with FSC-certified wood, with the outside fully sealed with an EPDM polymer hotspray in the same colour and texture as the clay tennis courts. The reduced glass surface to the south helps to cool the building. The thermal mass characteristics of the materialisation in concrete and wood are used to reach a high degree of energy efficiency. The building will be heated with district heating made efficient by a heat exchange system. In summer there will be natural ventilation, adding to the ambitious sustainability profile of the structure. 

Photo credits: Daria Scagliola+Stijn Brakkee