'Domino' Europan 5, Almere, NL

context
the building site is characterized by the vast polder landscape. this almost empty surroundings, determined by the regular green grid, will be totally transformed during the next decade: landscape will become built environment.
This raises a few questions:
- what kind of relation is there between building and landscape?
- how can the building become a catalysator for the future expansion of almere?
- how can the building transforme itself?
these questions ask for a specific strategy to solve the diverse needs of urban and social development.

strategy
the followed strategy sees its aim in strengthening the strip between "Spoor" and "Evenaar" as a main business area for the expected expansion of Almere Buiten. This Strip-City along the Evenaar, which might become a green boulevard, will contain diverse amenities of the future. it has to overtake the function of a center for the dwelling areas north and south of the railway.
Whereas the neighbourhood will be defined by a low-rise buliding fabric that evokes the image of a gardencity with a great comfort of living, the strip will offer another - until now missed - quality:

hybrid urbanity
being one of the first buildings that will occupy the vast empty area, it has to prove its capability to relate itself to the surrounding landscape as well as having the effect of beeing an efficient catalysator for the future city.
in the beginning the concepted urban density will be a counterpoint to the vast open land and a kind of landmark. the proposal consists of 6 hybrid urban buildings, each of them beeing the essence of a small capital: I am living next door to a lawyers office. I'm working at home, connected with the whole world via the net. before leaving the house for my daily jogging I have a quick stop at the espresso bar on the third floor. In the evening I'm going out, down the strip to meet some people either under the trees of the boulevard or in a club or I simply stay at home on my gardenterrace to enjoy the formidable sunset and the view over the "Oostvaardersplassen".

landscape-building
the six buildings are contrasting with the surrounding polders.
They mark the beginning of the transformation of this vast landscape, adding a special flavour to it. Yet it is thought in the same manner as the neighbouring artificial landscape: by transforming 'the grid' in the third dimension, landscape becomes building.
The agile facades of the buildings create a sculpture which reflects the landscape outside. beyond, the buildings contain themselves landscape: we call it the vertical gardencity structure.