news
01.06.2026
Floating Gardens selected as a CVU Award of Excellence winner
We are happy to share that Floating Gardens has been selected as a CVU Award of Excellence winner, competing for Best Tall Building Europe at the 2026 VU Summit in London this October! Together with Synchroon, we will present the project live before an international jury. As cities continue to grow upward, the challenge is no longer simply how to build taller, but how to create healthier, more connected, and more sustainable ways of living together. Together with Bureau Rowin Petersma (school design), Felixx landscape architects and the Municipality of Amsterdam, we created Floating Gardens. A building composed of layers of varying sizes that accommodate green roof gardens, enhance biodiversity, and improve residents’ well-being. The fully integrated, sustainable structure includes an “all-in-one school,” 192 apartments — including 85 mid-range rental studios — and a large communal living room. Exactly ten years ago, Orange Architects received the Best Tall Building Award for the Middle East–Africa region with The Cube in Beirut, marking our first project abroad. Back then, we travelled to Chicago to join the celebration and receive the award. Now, we are honoured to stand on stage once again, this time in London.
read more19.05.2026
From industrial harbour to residential waterfront: this is KAAP!
Powerhouse Company, Orange Architects and NEXT architects collaborated on KAAP: an ensemble of five freestanding residential buildings on the IJ in Amsterdam-Noord. Commissioned by AMVEST and COD, the project brings together 70 apartments, ground-floor commercial spaces and a circular waterfront pavilion within the future Oeverpark. KAAP forms part of Cityplot Buiksloterham, the urban plan by Studioninedots and DELVA Landscape Architects & Urbanism. The five buildings follow the neighbourhood grid, subtly rotated in response to Grasweg’s diagonal line through the area. This open composition brings daylight into the site, safeguards privacy and preserves long views across the IJ. Powerhouse Company designed Coast and Verde, the two outer buildings. Their design draws on the idea of contemporary harbour lofts, with glass, black steel, strong horizontal lines and generous outdoor spaces rooted in Buiksloterham’s industrial setting. Orange Architects designed Horn and York, combining white concrete bases with sculptural corten-steel tops. Lower apartments open with panoramic views over the IJ, while higher up, double-height windows are integrated into the corten-steel facades, framing the famous Dutch skies. NEXT architects designed Blanc, with 18 corner apartments, yellow-pigmented concrete, perforated panels and flared balconies, as well as the circular KAAP pavilion, built with 92% recycled and bio-based materials. When the surrounding landscape is completed, KAAP will become more than a place to live: it will offer space for relaxation, recreation and public life along the IJ waterfront.
read more13.05.2026
De Bouwmeesters win pitch for the redevelopment of Louis Bouwmeesterplein!
De Bouwmeesters — The team of HilberinkBosch Architecten, Werkstatt and Orange Architects — have won the pitch for the redevelopment of Louis Bouwmeesterplein in Tilburg! The design introduces a new urban residential and cultural ensemble next to the Tilburg theatre and Zomerpark. Located at the intersection of three distinct urban worlds: a robust edge along the Schouwburgring, the green character of the Zomerpark, and the city’s culture-cluster. Rather than separating these atmospheres, the plan interweaves them into a single, layered ensemble. The history of the site is made visible through architecture and spatial design. References to Tilburg’s textile past are subtly woven into the façades and detailing. Colour plays a central role in the design. De Bouwmeesters are collaborating with Tilburg based artist @sigridcalon to develop a palette rooted in the city’s textile heritage and evolving urban layers. A palette that anchors the ensemble in its context while giving it a distinctive contemporary identity. In the months ahead, we will be working closely with our team and partners to further develop the design.
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