The residential tower designed by Zecc Architecten was built on the banks of the Mervedekanal in Utrecht, on the territory of a former factory for processing flax and then soybeans. Production was suspended in 2002, and after a fire in 2008, the territory began to be converted. Historic brick buildings have been renovated and converted into housing, schools, libraries, restaurants and art centers, and several new buildings have been built, including the Zecc Architecten zinc tower.
The tower is round in plan - a tribute to the genius of the place, a reminder of the metal elevators that stood here for storing soybeans. There are 16 apartments in the tower, all 120 m2. Each floor has two spacious balconies, located approximately like branches on a tree trunk - each next level is shifted relative to the previous one by 90 degrees. The balconies are located so that in the summer they shade part of the windows from direct sunlight, and in winter, on the contrary, they do not prevent sunlight from entering the apartments. In addition, they offer panoramic views of the park, water and romantic "castle" buildings of the factory.
The facades are fully clad in blue-gray titanium-zinc panels RHEINZINK-prePATINA blaugrau. Narrow and long panels encircle the building, like a bobbin of yarn, easily pass into the curves of the balconies, splicing them with the main cylindrical volume. The panels are laid with an angled vertical seam in a horizontal design - this system is distinguished by a pronounced seam with a width of 12 mm.
RHEINZINK is a natural material that looks good against the background of brick facades and concrete surfaces of the distribution tower, but at the same time makes it clear where the architecture is old and where is new. Over time, the material acquires a noble “aged” appearance: under the influence of the atmosphere, a patina forms on its surface - a waterproof layer of zinc carbonate, which is responsible for the anti-corrosion resistance and, accordingly, the durability of the coating. The tower's façade area is 1400 m2, a total of 14 tons of titanium-zinc RHEINZINK-prePATINA blaugrau gray-blue color was used.
The building was nominated for the NRP Gulden Feniks 2016 award in the category "transformation of industrial zones".
