Lakeshore Housing The Sphinxes: Apartment Buildings with A Sphinx-Like Profile

These five ‘sphinxes’ are apartment buildings designed by Neutelings Riedijk Architects and completed in 2004. Lakeshore Housing The Sphinxes is an awesome project that consists of 65 apartments in 5 buildings on the water. The result of this project is apartments with maximizing unobstructed views and a sphinx-like profile.

Apartments

Each building has fourteen apartments arranged well to create the most of the sun lighting and location. In plan, the blocks taper towards the water to maximize unobstructed views of the stunning lake from the sphinx apartments and the shore. Each floor has one less apartment as one moves up the building. This way creates a sphinx-like profile with sun-oriented terraces on the mythical beast’s slanting back.

Design

The penthouse apartments are designed differently for each block to give a rise to the distinctive heads’ rhythm, a striking skyline that can be seen from the shore approach of Stichtse bridge. This bridge links the old mainland and new polders. Stand in a fringe of reeds, the sphinxes serve both as a hydrophilic filter for water treatment and a gentle transition with the shore.

Structure

Access to the sphinxes for the pedestrian is provided by the concrete landing stages that cut through the reeds. Next to them, there are sunken entrances to the underwater garages that also serve as foundation tanks. The building facades are clad with silver-colored metal sheets while the public spaces are designed as a scheme’s integral part. The esplanade becomes a look-out bastion, a fishing jetty, a wind balcony, a village square, and a surf beach at five points along the length.

Lakeshore Housing The Sphinxes Gallery

Photographer: Jeroen Musch