For years, a triangular site, only 350 square feet in size and owned by the city, sat vacant in a neighborhood near the historic center of Amsterdam. Small and awkward, this urban remnant left from a decades-old demolition eventually tempted a couple—an architect/engineer and a gallery owner—to buy the parcel for their home. The two asked Croatian-Dutch architect Lada Hrsak—whose multidisciplinary firm, Bureau LADA, is based in Amsterdam—if she could come up with a livable design.
There was only one way to go: up. Hrsak designed a five-story shaft that would accommodate one function per floor in its polygonal plan. Entering the vestibule, you find a space for an office or a guest room on the ground level. Mounting the spiraling stair on the west, you arrive at the kitchen and dining area. Each floor serves as a de facto stair landing: you loop around and continue up, arriving at the living room on the third floor, then the bedroom above. A roof terrace occupies the top of the “Towerhouse.” There is no elevator, but at least you don’t need a home gym for your exercise.
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