The Netherlands is full of them. Long multi-storied housing blocks, built at a fast pace in the Sixties and Seventies, to finally solve the housing shortage, 25 years after the Second World War. Admittedly functional and economical, but with little attention to urban context and meaningful architecture.

Such is the case at the Boelelaan in the south of Amsterdam. After 40 years of service, the apartments drastisch need an upgrade. Renovation is physically necessary to meet up to the current demand. Newly constructed penthouses on top compensate the loss of homes below. Between both blocks space that for some reason went unbuilt in 1965 finally gets its residential destination.

At street level, garages are moved from the front to the back and the free-coming space is added to the offices above, creating a more lively streetscape. New entrances and state-of-the-art elevators guarantee that living here retains its essential qualities. Joining and enhancing the current urban core south of Amsterdam called Zuid-as, a development to watch.