Where Grasweg meets the Amsterdam-Noord waterfront, KAAP occupies a prominent position on the IJ. Once an industrial harbor area, this part of the city is being reworked into a new district as part of Cityplot Buiksloterham, the urban plan by Studioninedots and DELVA Landscape Architects & Urbanism. Commissioned by AMVEST and COD, with buildings designed by Powerhouse Company, Orange Architects, and NEXT architects, KAAP combines 70 apartments across five residential buildings with ground-floor commercial spaces and a circular hospitality pavilion, set within the future Oeverpark along the IJ.
The buildings follow the orthogonal grid of the neighborhood but are rotated in relation to Grasweg, which cuts diagonally through the area. The result is a more open waterfront composition: instead of one closed line of buildings, the plan creates space between the volumes for daylight, privacy, and long views across the water. The outdoor space surrounding the buildings, designed by DELVA Landscape Architects & Urbanism connects pedestrian and cycling routes through the area and along the waterfront. Together with the hospitality pavilion, they bring public use to the waterfront and create recreational value along the IJ
Powerhouse Company designed Coast and Verde, the two outer buildings that frame the ensemble. Glass, black steel, strong horizontal lines, and generous outdoor spaces give the buildings a character rooted in the industrial setting of Buiksloterham. Designed around the shift from city side to water side, entrances are placed on the street side, while balconies, roof terraces, corner glazing, and long views are oriented toward the IJ. The design takes the “modern harbor loft” as a starting point: open, flexible layouts, large windows, tactile materials, and an effortless flow between indoor and outdoor space
Orange Architects designed Horn and York, the second and fourth buildings in the ensemble. Each combines a white concrete base with a sculptural corten-steel top. The contrast gives the buildings a clear silhouette, while the material palette is reminiscent of Amsterdam-Noord’s industrial and shipbuilding past through concrete and weathered steel. The lower apartments are horizontally oriented, with open layouts, broad balconies, and views over the IJ. Higher up, loggias and sheltered balconies are integrated into the corten steel volume, offering outdoor space that responds to the windy conditions along the water. The vertical, double-height windows frame views across the IJ and the wide Dutch skies.
Blanc occupies the center of the plan and includes 18 corner apartments with panoramic views of the IJ and the city. Flared, cantilevered balconies give the building a sculptural profile, while yellow-pigmented concrete and perforated facade panels create a warm material expression and filter direct sunlight. NEXT architects also designed the KAAP hospitality pavilion, built with 92% recycled or bio-based materials and achieving a Building Circularity Index score of 82%. Its materials were ‘harvested’ from local partners in Amsterdam, including a steel structure from a factory on Cruquius.
KAAP brings housing to the IJ while building on the character of Buiksloterham industrial waterfront. Five freestanding buildings, an open ground level, and a waterfront pavilion turn the site into a lively place that keeps the water visible, active, and connected to the city
