At the corner of two streets in Princenhage a combination of various elements had evolved: trees, a transmission mast, traffic signs, small parking lots and various types of building. To give more structure to this somewhat ‘messy’ situation, an assertive building was needed, orderly and abstract in character.
The building catches the eye due to the attractive curved planks of wood (western red cedar) that wrap around the complex. The unusual rounded corners and the curved inbuilt balconies lend an aerodynamic aura to the whole concept. Both dwellings on the ground floor have a door on the front of the building giving onto the garden. Their ‘front doors’ are situated at the back of the building, as is the entrance to the internal stairway that is built into the rounded corner. The six apartments in the upper storeys open onto the galleries.
The apartments at Doelen 13 have been incorporated into Breda’s Architecture Guide. More information about this guide and how to order it is to be found on the homepage of Breda’s Architectuurcentrum: www.gebouwf.nl (Dutch only).
