'the silo competition' proposal by NL architects
image courtesy NL architects

amsterdam city council recently held 'the silo competition' which involved the
adaptive and reuse design for two former sewage treatment silos in the city's
zeeburg district.

for the competition NL Architects proposed silos dedicated to climbing,
sports and culture. in their design the existing structures were extended to
the maximum height to benefit from the views.

the cultural silo consists of two theaters with dressing rooms and rehearsal
spaces, spaces for workshops, exhibition spaces, music studios and a space
for hair design. a bridge connects the silos at the height of the original
roof level and office spaces will be positioned on top. the top level will
be dedicated to a restaurant with 360 views and a roof terrace.

using the cylinder of the silo as a basis they created a 40 meter high artificial
cave that consists of challenging cantilevers and overhangs for climbers.
since climbing walls essentially are oblique, a section can allow for an increase
in space between the inside and outside, allowing useable floor areas on a higher
level. on the level above is a hotel, training facilities and a square that can be used in
multiple ways. on the ground level is a public cafe, connected to the climbing tower
through a hole in the floor above it and is surrounded by the boulder area.
climbing grips will be placed on the outside of the silo too. the exterior as
such becomes part of the 'program' climbers will activate the facade. by pushing
the silo wall from the inside several swellings form on the outside; these bulges
create more challenging routes


'the silo competition' proposal by NL architects
image courtesy NL architects




'the silo competition' proposal by NL architects
image courtesy NL architects


'the silo competition' proposal by NL architects
image courtesy NL architects


facade allows for outdoor climbing
image courtesy NL architects


'the silo competition' proposal by NL architects
image courtesy NL architects

climbing silo
image courtesy NL architects

climbing silo
image courtesy NL architects


climbing silo
image courtesy NL architects


climbing silo
image courtesy NL architects


climbing silo
image courtesy NL architects


climbing silo, overhangs
image courtesy NL architects


side elevations of silo
image courtesy NL architects


cultural silo
image courtesy NL architects


cultural silo
image courtesy NL architects


floor plans of silos
image courtesy NL architects


floor plans of silos
image courtesy NL architects




floor plans of silos
image courtesy NL architects

floor plans of silos
image courtesy NL architects


location of silos
image courtesy NL architects


the original zeeburg silos, two are only part of the competition, the third has been converted into an office space
image courtesy NL architects