3XN GXN has revealed its design for Mahler 1, a 15-storey mixed-use office building. The structure, developed in collaboration with Victory Group, Icon Real Estate, and Erik Dhont Landscape Architects, features a hybrid-timber construction system that creates a stepped volume, breaking down the building’s mass. At the street level, the development offers a wide variety of public amenities, striving to become an active hub for both residents and office workers. The project is expected to begin construction in the first half of 2025 and conclude in late 2027.
The design of the building is focused on creating a human-scale intervention based on biophilic and sustainable design principles. The 25,000m², 59-meter-high tower is divided into two main sections: a permeable podium offering public amenities, and the upper levels with scalloped-edge office floors. e upper portion, constructed with timber, consists of clustered vertical volumes. Vertical louvers attached to the windows, clad in photovoltaic panels, contribute to the vertical lines of the design, while the ground floor features a transparent façade to allow interactions between interior and exterior spaces.
The project incorporates several approachable design elements to foster a sense of well-being among its users. Tree-like columns and green terraces create a dynamic image, as the extruded horizontal volumes alternate with terraces providing outdoor spaces for the building’s users. The terraces are also panted with selected flora to attract pollinators and enhance the area’s biodiversity. Additionally, the structural design of the tenancy floor allows for flexibility, enabling users to customize the spaces as needed.
Our design introduces a stronger differentiation of scale, building volume, and façade detail than is commonly found in traditional offices. Mahler 1 emphasizes orientation to Mahlerplein, activating the human eye height level. It includes abundant green office amenities throughout and a three-dimensional play of its façade elements, uniquely shaping the entire building. - Christian Veddeler, Partner and head of 3XN’s Amsterdam studio
Upon completion, Mahler 1 will become 3XN’s second project in Amsterdam, following the opening of Muziekgebouw, a concert house for two of Amsterdam’s music institutions. 3XN is also collaborating with six other architecture studios, including MVRDV, for the development of a master plan in the Tour & Taxis district in Brussels, Belgium.
