108 apartments Tonkenstraat

Amsterdam (NL)

The area surrounding the Groningen stadium is undergoing rapid development. A green corridor, a landscaped, car-free space along which the buildings are situated, is planned for the heart of this area. The Tonkensstraat building, by Korthtielens Architects, is a T-shaped structure situated directly on this green corridor.

 The heart of the building is formed by a large, bright hall with stairs and elevators. This space serves as the communal hub of the building. For the flooring in this space, Korthtielens designed a pattern of reddish-brown and white-gray terrazzo tiles. We were asked to find terrazzo in these colors. The white-gray terrazzo was quickly found, but no comparable reddish-brown terrazzo was available in the standard color range.

 Following research, it turned out that a terrazzo color had been created for a specific project in 1992 that seemed to match the desired color palette well. A sample tile was made at the factory in Italy using the old recipe, and it proved to be a perfect match. This unique terrazzo color was aptly named Autunno and is now available as standard.

Architect: Korthtielens Architects
Tilizer: Unimar Tegelwerken
Photography: Denis de Haan
Supplier: Terrazzo advised and supplied by De Nis BV