Looping Towers in The Netherlands

-Peter Pichler Architecture has been selected as the winners of a

competition to design a new residential tower complex in the
town of Maarssen just outside of Utrecht, Netherlands. Called
the “Looping Towers,” the scheme consists of two L-shaped
residential towers that connect as their ends to create a figure-
eight shape that is optimized for its site.

-Located along a main artery connecting the cities of

Amsterdam and Utrecht, the 35,000 square meter complex is
envisioned as a “social engine” for the area, which is expected
to grow significantly over the upcoming years. The scheme will
contain approximately 260 apartments as well as a parking
garage and an abundance of amenities, including a unique
running track on the roof.
-PPA’s concept is derived from massing studies calculated to
optimize views and natural sunlight. The architects explain:

- [We started with] massing studies of straight extrusions that

are moved towards the end of the plot to guarantee the view
from the offices behind towards the river and the old city center
of Maarssen”
-The special situation of the site (north side with view, south
side sunlight) and the unsophisticated orientation of the
apartments within a straight extruded tower with central core
led to a slim L shaped geometry that guarantees multiple views
and sunlight. While sloping back the L shaped towers with the
lower tower on the west side, better views are generated for
adjacent buildings with a minimum shadow impact.
-The facade was then overlaid with a sawtooth geometry that
allowed for each unit to receive a terrace, connecting the
apartments with the city. Most of the apartments in the
building are designed as a duplex, giving units views in two
directions and increasing the amount of occupiable area within
the building.
-At the podium level, the towers connect to create two green
courtyards. Shared amenities such as the gym as located on
these levels, as well as access to the rooftop running track.
-Construction on the project is slated for completion in 2020.
Architects: Peter Pichler Architecture
Location: Maarssenbroek, The Netherlands
Design Team: Peter Pichler, Gianluigi D´Aloisio, Daniele
Colombati, Simona Alu’ , Giovanni Paterlini, Ugo
Licciardi, Silvana Ordinas
Developer/Client: Winter Trust BV
Engineer/Consulting Competition Phase: Arup
Visualizations: Visualarch
Area: 35000.0 m2
Project Year: 2020