Sluishuis
In November 2016, it was announced that Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and BARCODE Architects had won a design competition for a new landmark building in Amsterdam.
The 46,000 sq. m mixed-use Sluishuis (Lock House) will be located in Ijburg, an emerging neighbourhood near the harbour area of Amsterdam’s historic city centre. The development will offer 380 zero-energy residences, approximately 4,000 sq. m of commercial and common areas and 240 underground parking spaces.
The design was inspired by classic European courtyard typology, which embraces the canal site and appears different from every vantage point. At one vantage point it seems to be a vertical green community; at another, a traditional urban block with street access; and at another, the bow of a ship.
The block steps down like a cascade of landscaped terraces toward the urban district. Winding around the building a promenade, with public passages climbing the cascading terraces will serve as a small rooftop street that will loop to the top of the building and create a viewing platform.
The ambitious sustainability objectives of the design impressed the jury. The environmental impact will be reduced during the construction phase, limiting total CO2 emissions, and using renewable resources throughout.
Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner, BIG said:
“Having spent my formative years as an architect in Holland at the end of the 20th century, it feels like a homecoming to now get to contribute to the architecture of the city that I have loved and admired for so long.
“Our Sluishuis is conceived as a city block of downtown Amsterdam floating in the IJ Lake, complete with all aspects of city life. Towards the city, the courtyard building kneels down to invite visitors to climb its roof and enjoy the panoramic view of the new neighborhoods on the IJ. Toward the water, the building rises from the river, opening a gigantic gate for ships to enter and dock in the port/yard. A building inside the port, with a port inside the building.”
Content and images courtesy of BIG.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Futurebuild and UK Construction Week London Unite
Creating the UK’s Built Environment Super Event and over 25 other key partnerships.
Welsh and Scottish 2026 elections
Manifestos for the built environment for upcoming same May day elections.
Advancing BIM education with a competency framework
“We don’t need people who can just draw in 3D. We need people who can think in data.”
Guidance notes to prepare for April ERA changes
From the Electrical Contractors' Association Employee Relations team.
Significant changes to be seen from the new ERA in 2026 and 2027, starting on 6 April 2026.
First aid in the modern workplace with St John Ambulance.
Ireland's National Residential Retrofit Plan
Staged initiatives introduced step by step.
Solar panels, pitched roofs and risk of fire spread
60% increase in solar panel fires prompts tests and installation warnings.
Modernising heat networks with Heat interface unit
Why HIUs hold the key to efficiency upgrades.
Reflecting on the work of the CIOB Academy
Looking back on 2025 and where it's going next.
Procurement in construction: Knowledge hub
Brief, overview, key articles and over 1000 more covering procurement.
Sir John Betjeman’s love of Victorian church architecture.
Exchange for Change for UK deposit return scheme
The UK Deposit Management Organisation established to deliver Deposit Return Scheme unveils trading name.
A guide to integrating heat pumps
As the Future Homes Standard approaches Future Homes Hub publishes hints and tips for Architects and Architectural Technologists.
BSR as a standalone body; statements, key roles, context
Statements from key figures in key and changing roles.
Resident engagement as the key to successful retrofits
Retrofit is about people, not just buildings, from early starts to beyond handover.