Brink Tower in Amsterdam is a pillar of sustainable design
Brink Tower is a new high-rise building set to make a big impression on Amsterdam, Netherlands. It’s an example of how sustainable, modern design can integrate perfectly into the world’s most historic cities.
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A special competition was held to determine the design for the Brink Tower. The winning design is a stunning 295 feet high, or 90 meters if you’re in Amsterdam, created by Xior Student Housing and DubbeLL with Mecanoo Architecture. This mixed building has space for living areas, workplaces and relaxing. But it’s the energy features that make this tower stand out.
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The residential tower is designed to be an energy-positive, green building. That means it generates more energy than it consumes. There are photovoltaics on the terraces and even on the facades. Both wind and solar power are harvested on the rooftop. An aquifer thermal energy storage system has been integrated into the design. In addition to gardens on the roof terraces, there are also nests and nooks for birds and insects.
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Moreover, the entire district where the tower will sit was designed to be a sustainable, green neighborhood, which was planned as early as 2005. The tower is 28 stories high and has 408 residential units. There’s also an inner garden, a communal roof, a community center, a bowling center, a restaurant and several retail spaces.
Therefore, the Brink Tower has an ultra-modern design, but it’s also made to match the rest of the historic city all around it. This building, like so many others in Amsterdam, has brick cladding in a warm red shade. It looks like part of the city. If more buildings like this find a place to belong, it’s a big step toward healing the damage of the past.