Vestedatoren | Eindhoven

Design – completion: 2000–2006

Design: Apartment builing

Location: Smalle haven, Eindhoven

Client: Vesteda Project in collaboration with Van Straten Real Estate

Team: Jo Coenen | Geert Coenen | Mike Pfisterer

 

Beauty as a beacon

 

Approaching Eindhoven’s centre, this tall and narrow tower announces the heart of the city like a beacon. That is why it is at its narrowest when seen from this angle. To make the building as slim and elegant as possible, its basic form is a slender diamond with rounded corners. The tower is 96 metres high. Each floor has two apartments, and the base accommodates a double-height retail or office unit.

The architecture is serene: the building’s structure determining the design. The architectural quality is extremely high, with its facade of glass and natural stone.

As his reference, Coenen mentions the lofty Pirelli tower in Milan by Gio Ponti: ‘The striving for eternal beauty. Everything I learnt from Luigi Snozzi came in handy here. I should also mention Wim Quist, my graduation tutor at the Tilburg Academy. While the Netherlands was still messing about, he never failed to point out the power of a strong and simple silhouette.’