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Mercado Groningen

This dynamic multi-use building in Groningen, the Netherlands, is a central element in that city’s pedestrianization scheme. Its 41 apartments are arranged on a stepped and terraced volume above a large glass plinth. The ground floor, which is enclosed by six-metre-high windows, is dedicated to public spaces; by pushing stairs and elevators to the sides, the architects produced a flexible multi-purpose layout. The apartments above are distinguished by a vertical garden composed of 3,800 plants and a facade decorated with 1,400 square metres of green glazed terracotta whose hue subtly shifts according to the light. The five species of plants, which were selected for year-round greenery, reside in custom planters made to match the shade of the terracotta cladding and are maintained by a computerized watering system and a gardener.

Mercado Groningen

Team: Henk Stadens (De Zwarte Hond) and Frank Loer (Loer Architecten) with Jurjen van der Meer and Bas Frieling (DZH); Jesús Macias, Tijs Niessen, Jan Loerakker and Rianne Vossen (LA)

Award of Merit: Multi-Unit Residential Buildings
Mercado Groningen

A vertical garden and a green glazed terracotta facade characterize this striking Dutch apartment building.

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2017
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2016
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2015
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