HoLaTuKa Housing as Urban-Infill
HoLaTuKa as a Part of Amsterdams's ''Open Gaten'' Housing within the Urban Renewal of the 1980s and 1990s
S. Eland (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
J.S. Zeinstra – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
This study examines how infill-projects in the so-called “open gaten” of the Amsterdam urban fabric engage with its historic urban environment. Political, social, and architectural consequences are addressed through literature research, historical theory and architectural analysis, focusing on façades, material use, scale, urban context, and spatial organization.
As a central case study, the HoLaTuKa housing project in Amsterdam by Claus & Kaan Architects (1994–1998) is analyzed. Developed within the context of the city’s “open gaten” and shaped by the Compact City policy, HoLaTuKa exemplifies broader design strategies in Dutch housing architecture of the late 1980s and 1990s and provides a suitable case for examining the spatial, aesthetic, and constructive challenges of infill development.
Whereas earlier infill projects often prioritized standardization and efficiency, resulting in relatively uniform architecture, HoLaTuKa represents a shift toward a more site-specific approach. Interventions along Hoogte and Laagte Kadijk respond to their immediate surroundings, producing distinct architectural translations. Rational principles and contextual considerations guide plans, structure, construction and inform architectural expression, enabling variation within a coherent design framework. By situating HoLaTuKa within the development of the “open gaten,” the study demonstrates a broader transition in Dutch housing architecture toward a more context-driven and differentiated approach.