The ‘Valley’ is a high-rise tower complex designed by MVRDV for developer Edge, featuring extensive green vegetation coverage. Its architectural form draws inspiration from dramatic and dynamic terrain. Recently opened, the project covers an area of 75,000 square meters and consists of three towers standing 67, 81, and 100 meters tall, respectively. Located in Amsterdam’s Zuidas district, this striking cantilevered apartment complex has been honored with the Emporis Award, earning the title of the world’s best new skyscraper.
The ‘Valley’ is distinguished by several unique features. First, it integrates office spaces, commercial areas, dining, cultural facilities, and residential apartments within one complex. Unlike other enclosed buildings in Amsterdam’s southern district, the winding ‘Green Valley’ on the fourth and fifth floors is publicly accessible via two external stone staircases. Landscape designer Piet Oudolf created the green spaces, planting approximately 13,500 seedlings, shrubs, and trees. Over time, these plants will mature, giving the ‘Valley’ an increasingly lush appearance—a bold statement for a greener city.
The ‘Valley’ serves as an experiment to reintroduce greenery and a human-scale environment into Amsterdam’s otherwise non-residential southern office district. The building’s exterior features smooth mirrored glass that harmonizes with its commercial surroundings. In contrast, the inner facade showcases a more natural and inviting texture, resembling shattered glass revealing rugged rock formations made from natural stone interspersed with greenery.
From various vantage points within the three towers, residents and visitors can enjoy stunning views of Amsterdam. Apartments offer particularly impressive outlooks, while the public can access city views from the Sky Bar on the tallest tower’s top floor, reachable through the Molteni flagship store on the ground level.
The ‘Valley’ is functionally zoned to accommodate residents, workers, and tourists alike. It includes a three-story underground parking garage, office spaces from the ground to the seventh floor, and apartments on the eighth floor and above. Most areas are open to the public: visitors can enter the “Central Valley” from street level via winding public pathways and explore the indoor atrium street called “the Grotto” on the second floor.
This atrium connects to the upcoming “Sapiens Lab,” a hub for young scientists. The ‘cave’ area benefits from two large skylights, which are shallow water pools situated in the ‘Central Valley’ above. The floor, walls, and ceiling of the ‘cave’ are crafted from the same stone as the tower’s exterior, creating a consistent geological theme throughout the public spaces.
The design and construction of the ‘Valley’ were fully customized, requiring ongoing collaboration among hundreds of designers, engineers, builders, consultants, and owners. The building’s complex form demanded meticulous attention to detail, pushing all participants to refine every connection and joint to realize the design vision.
To support this, MVRDV’s technical experts developed a suite of custom digital tools, ensuring optimal natural light and views for each apartment. They also programmed the random arrangement of 40,000 stone bricks of varying sizes across the facade. Furthermore, all 198 apartments have unique floor plans, crafted by interior design firm Heyligers Architects.
Innovative engineering enabled the creation of dramatic cantilevered spaces, supported by eleven specially fabricated steel structures anchored to the concrete frame. This elevates the ‘Valley’s’ architectural presence to new heights.
Landscape designer Piet Oudolf developed a matrix system to select appropriate plants for each part of the building, considering factors such as wind exposure, sunlight, temperature, and maintenance. Most trees are planted on the lower floors, while smaller plants occupy the uppermost spaces. The natural stone and greenery feature over 220 plant species, including more than 271 young trees and shrubs, and approximately 13,500 smaller plants.
As the vegetation matures, the building will gradually transform into the lush architectural vision originally intended by the design team. Biodiversity is further enhanced by “hotel” habitats designed for birds, bats, seals, and insects. An automated irrigation system and “façade gardeners” maintain the terraces’ vegetation, ensuring a positive impact on those living and working in the ‘Valley’.
The ‘Valley’ seamlessly combines sustainability, advanced technology, and a healthy living experience. Its overall energy performance surpasses local regulations by 30%. The commercial spaces achieved BREEAM excellent certification in the Netherlands, while the residential section scored 8 out of 10 in the Dutch GPR building evaluation system, which assesses energy, environment, health, usability, and future value.
Additionally, the office spaces incorporate the latest intelligent technologies, including IP-based building automation and various sensors to monitor actual usage, enhancing operational efficiency and occupant comfort.
Construction of the ‘Valley’ took four years, with the first residents and businesses moving in at the end of 2021. The opening ceremony, hosted by RJB Group and developer Edge, marked the official public launch of the building.
The ‘Valley’s’ striking design has attracted considerable media attention and sparked widespread discussion in the Netherlands. Kirsten Hannema of the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant praised MVRDV’s work, saying, “MVRDV once again proves that ideal visuals can be built.” The architects employed various 3D software tools, integrating requirements for lighting, views, cooling loads, and noise impact to rationalize the design. The irregular facade features ten distinct angles, assembled as if from natural stone cladding.
Bernard Hulsman from NRC Handelsblad described the ‘Valley’ as “an oasis in the stone desert of Amsterdam’s southern district.” He highlighted the building’s striking vertical forest system and the impressively large cantilevered spaces—eleven of which seem to float effortlessly. Unlike other towers built in the area over the past 25 years, the ‘Valley’ uniquely combines dining and shopping at its base, offices on floors one to seven, and 198 luxury rental apartments of varying shapes and sizes above. It is the first building in Amsterdam’s southern district to fully integrate work, living, and leisure.
Project Drawings
△ General Layout Plan
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Fourth Floor Plan
△ Fifth Floor Plan
△ Tenth Floor Plan
△ Fifteenth Floor Plan
△ Nine-Story Office Floor Plan
△ Tenth Floor Apartment Plan
△ Section Diagram
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
Project Information
Architect: MVRDV
Area: 75,000 m²
Project Year: 2022
Photographer: Ossip van Duivenpole
Owner: EDGE
Responsible Partner: Winy Maas
Partner: Jeroen Zuidgeest
Director: Gideon Maasland
Competition Team: Anton Wubben, Luca Moscelli, Sanne van Manen, Elien Deceuninck, Marco Gazzola, Jack Penford Baker, Brygida Zawadzka, Francis Liesting, Annette Lam, Hannah Knudsen
Design Team: Gijs Rikken and Gideon Maasland with Guido Boeters, Wietse Elswijk, Saimon Gomez Idiakez, Rik Lambers, Javier Lopez-Menchero, Sanne van Manen, Stephanie McNamara, Thijs van Oostrum, Frank Smit, Boudewijn Thomas, Maria Vasiloglou, Laurens Veth, Cas Esbach, Mark van Wasbeek, Olesya Vodenicharska
Building Owner: RJB Group of Companies
Real Estate Consultant: CBRE, Heeren Makelaars
Sustainability Certification: BREEAM Excellent Certification (Netherlands)
Contractors: G&S Bouw B.V., Boele & Van Eesteren B.V.
Landscape Design: DeltaVorm Groep & Piet Oudolf
Interior Design: Heyligers Architects
Project Management: Inbo
Structural Engineering: Van Rossum Raadgevende Ingenieurs
Installation: Deerns, DWA
Visualization: Vero Visuals
Graphic Design: Plusone
Model: Made by Mistake
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up