Having visited Amsterdam before, I did saw the construction of MVRDV's Crystal Houses. I didn't understand its architecture and uniqueness at first but learning about it now makes even more sense. So the Crystal Houses is a store located in Amsterdam, Netherlands designed by the amazing folks from MVRDV who has received International recognition since their opening in 2016. Its particular uniqueness? Well it's built with a jewel-like façade with materials provided by glass manufacturer Poesia and Delo Industrial Adhesives. The outcome was a dreamlike shopfront which combines the intricate complexity of traditional brick construction with the transparency of a retail façade. It has now been renovated and re-opened for French luxury brand Hermès.

In their words

Created for Amsterdam-based retail real-estate company Warenar, Crystal Houses was envisioned as a recreation of the traditional houses that make up PC Hooftstraat, with a dramatic twist: the usual brick façade is replaced by a glass replica, which dissolves into the traditional terracotta bricks on the upper level.

More Links

• MVRDV Site

Architecture

All images © Daria Scagliola & Stijn Brakkee

Credits

• Architect: MVRDV
• Principal in charge: Winy Maas
• Design Team: Gijs Rikken, Mick van Gemert, Marco Gazzola, Renske van der Stoep, Antonio Luca Coco
• Copyright MVRDV: Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries
• Co-Architect: Gietermans & Van Dijk Wim Gietermans, Arjan Bakker, Tuğrul Avuçlu
• Manufacturer glass bricks: Poesia (brand of Vetreria Resanese): Ivano Massarotto
• Importer of Delo glue: Siko - Rob Janssen
• Contractor: Wessels Zeist - Robert van der Hoef, Richard van het Ende, Marco and Ronald Van de Poppe
• Constructor: Brouwer & Kok - Paul Brouwe
• ABT: Rob Nijsse
• Research: Delft University of Technology - Frederic A. Veer, Faidra Oikonomopoulou, Telesilla Bristogianni
• Municipality aesthetics commission: Wealth - Charlotte ten Dijke, Ellis van den Hoek, Natasha Hogen, Patrick Koschuch, Alexander Pols, Gus Tielens, Marcel van Winsen, Pepijn Diepenveen
• Visualisations: CIID