![\"Bajes](\"https:\/\/www.e-architect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/bajes-kwartier-amsterdam-buildings-o130726-o1.webp\")
<\/a><\/p>\nPhotos Ossip van Duivenbode<\/p>\n
Bajes Kwartier buildings designed by OMA<\/p>\n
The Bijlmerbajes was a prison complex built in the 1970s on the southeastern edge of Amsterdam. As the city expanded in the following decades, the site came to occupy a more central position while remaining enclosed by walls, largely disconnected from its surroundings. As part of a team led by real estate developer AM, OMA<\/a>developed the Bajes Kwartier masterplan \u2013 a 135,000 m\u00b2 development on the 7.5-hectare site \u2013 transforming the former prison into a sustainable urban neighbourhood integrated into Amsterdam\u2019s fabric.<\/p>\n Operating between 1978 and 2016, the Bijlmerbajes was conceived as a relatively open prison, designed to offer inmates a degree of freedom and support rehabilitation. The complex comprised an administrative building and six towers connected by the Kalverstraat \u2013 a central communal spine \u2013 alongside courtyards and gardens. OMA\u2019s masterplan retains key elements of the former prison complex while introducing new pedestrian and cycling routes that reconnect the site to the city. The preserved prison wall, administrative building, and one original tower, together with new construction, accommodate a mix of residential, commercial, and cultural programmes.<\/p>\n The development is organised into four clusters, each with a distinct identity. The former Kalverstraat is transformed into a central pedestrian and cycling route linking these clusters. One of the remaining prison towers is repurposed as the Green Tower \u2013 a vertical public park showcasing Dutch urban farming and providing a viewing platform for the neighbourhood. In contrast to the solid concrete prison towers, the new buildings are characterised by varied volumes, materiality, and permeable fa\u00e7ades.<\/p>\n Sustainability is a central principle of the masterplan. Approximately 98 percent of materials from the demolished towers \u2013 including concrete, steel bars, and cell doors \u2013 have been reused or recycled. Bajes Kwartier is designed as an energy-neutral neighbourhood, supported by an underground heat and cold storage system, photovoltaic installations, and a system that converts organic waste into soil and energy.<\/p>\n The land and building property at the Bijlmerbajes were acquired by developer AM from the Dutch government\u2019s Rijksvastgoedbedrijf. The masterplan comprises approximately 1,350 homes for sale and rent, 30 percent of which are designated as social housing. OMA has designed four residential buildings within the development: The Jay, The Martin, and The Cardinal.<\/p>\n The Jay<\/p>\n The design of The Jay draws directly from the history of the Bijlmerbajes. Originally, seven prison towers were planned, but only six were constructed, leaving one plot vacant for over five decades. The Jay occupies this site at the northeast corner of the development.<\/p>\n The 17-storey building, containing 135 apartments, is composed of two volumes: one accommodating standard units, and a taller volume housing vertical circulation and special apartments. Its white prefabricated concrete panels and square window grid reference the unrealised seventh tower. Each window projects outward from the fa\u00e7ade, with proportions informed by the sizes of the original horizontal prison bars, subtly evoking the site\u2019s past. Inside, a central corridor connects compact apartments on either side, while a generously daylit stair provides vertical circulation.<\/p>\n In line with the sustainability ambitions of Bajes Kwartier, the building incorporates solar and green panels on its south fa\u00e7ade. Communal amenities include a shared living room, co-working space, and a garden adjacent to the preserved prison wall. A two-level bicycle parking and facilities for organic waste collection further support sustainable living.<\/p>\n The Martin<\/p>\n The Martin is one of four buildings framing the central square of Bajes Kwartier. It is composed of four interlocking volumes that merge like a three-dimensional Japanese puzzle. This configuration generates a cascading sequence of terraces, with a distinct expression on each side.<\/p>\n In contrast to the former prison towers, the building features a layered, permeable fa\u00e7ade with balconies running along its entire perimeter. An outer grid unifies the entire building, while transparent glass balustrades on the balconies allow views into everyday domestic life.<\/p>\n Inside, the building is organised around a central core and two atria. Apartments range from compact two-room units of approximately 50 m\u00b2 to four-room units of up to 140 m\u00b2. Rooftop terraces on the 6th and 9th floors provide communal outdoor areas with panoramic views, extending the wider landscape design of Bajes Kwartier. These are complemented by a reservable room for both communal activities and guest accommodation, while commercial spaces on the ground floor add everyday convenience.<\/p>\n Sustainability measures include solar panels, rooftop water retention for delayed drainage, and a two-level bicycle and scooter parking facility support low-impact urban living. Staircases, visible from the lobby and lift vestibules, encourage physical activity.<\/p>\n Bajes Kwartier Amsterdam buildings \u2013 Property Information<\/p>\n Bajes Kwartier<\/p>\n Status: Construction TEAM Masterplan: Buildings: COLLABORATORS<\/p>\n Collaborating Architects: FABRICations Renderings: Robota, Beeldenfabriek Weena-Zuid 158 Photos \u00a9 Ossip van Duivenbode, courtesy of OMA<\/p>\n Bajes Kwartier Amsterdam building images \/ information received 130726 from OMA architecture office<\/p>\n Location: Amsterdam<\/a>, The Netherlands, The Netherlands, western Europe.<\/p>\n Amsterdam Buildings Designs<\/p>\n Amsterdam Architecture<\/a> : links<\/p>\n Amsterdam Architecture News<\/a><\/p>\n Modern Dutch Capital Building Designs<\/p>\n Major New Dutch Capital Building Designs<\/p>\n De Teunis in Buiksloterham<\/a>, Papaverweg, Amsterdam-Noord Sluisbuurt 1B<\/a>, Zeeburgereiland housing development Amsterdam Architecture<\/a> \u2013 contemporary building information<\/p>\n Amsterdam Buildings<\/a> \u2013 historic building information<\/p>\n ++<\/p>\n Dutch Architecture<\/p>\n Netherlands Architecture Designs<\/a> \u2013 chronological list<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
Clients: AM
Location: Amsterdam
Site: Bijlmerbajes
Program: residential 97,500 m\u00b2; education 13,500m\u00b2; hotel 7,000m\u00b2; museum\/gallery 3,000m\u00b2; restaurant\/bar 1,100m\u00b2; total 135,000m\u00b2
Partners-in-Charge: David Gianotten, Reinier de Graaf<\/p>\n
Competition:
Partners-in-Charge: David Gianotten, Reinier de Graaf
Project Architect: Mariano Sagasta
Team: MacAulay Brown, Caterina Corsi, Timothee Jourdain, Lex Lagendijk, Emma Lubbers, Max Scherer, Jim Shi, Yushang Zhang<\/p>\n
Partner-in-Charge: David Gianotten
Associate: Mariano Sagasta
Team: Caterina Corsi, Bozar Ben-Zeev, Lex Lagendijk with Matthew Paul Price, Ivan Brozina<\/p>\n
Partner-in-Charge: David Gianotten
Associate: Mariano Sagasta
Project Architect: Koen Stockbroekx
Team: Dharvish Aubeeluck, Bozar Ben-Zeev, Anna Bozak, Xiaoting Chen, Caterina Corsi, Fran Gamulin, Helena Gomes, Gerrit Knappers, Alicja Krzywinska, Lex Lagendijk, Daan Ooievaar, Michael den Otter, Niccolo Pasti, with Jonathan Levine, Karolina Szczygiel, Robbe Vanderwyngaerde<\/p>\n
Landscape Architects: LOLA Landscape
Sustainability: DGMR; Wageningen University; The Waste Transformers; reA architectuur
Structure: ABT, Van Rossum
Installations: Techniplan<\/p>\n
Model Photography: Frans Parthesius<\/p>\n
3012 NC Rotterdam \u2013 The Netherlands
t +31 10 243 8200 \u2013 f +31 10 243 8202
[email\u00a0protected]<\/a> \u2013 www.oma.com<\/p>\n
Design: Studioninedots Architects in collaboration with Up4<\/a>
image : Proloog<\/p>\n
Architects: Powerhouse Company and Beyond Space<\/a>
image \u00a9 Powerhouse Company<\/p>\n