Opportuna, a 20-storey residential tower, is a landmark building in the densification plan for the Western Garden Cities in Amsterdam West. In collaboration with Office Haratori, the building’s design was inspired by the 1960s reconstruction architecture characteristic of the original area. Opportuna’s architectural expression is characterised by outdoor spaces and horizontal lines that accentuate the volume and emphasise the height of adjacent buildings.

The building’s façade is composed of load-bearing precast concrete elements that run rhythmically over two or four floors, creating an anchorage in the context. This proportioned order emphasises plasticity and texture, rather than simple storey stacking.

Opportuna has a load-bearing façade and central core. As a result, the layout and use can be adjusted in the future – giving the building the potential to have a long lifespan.

The residential tower consists of 174 social housing units for starters with collective facilities in the plinth. To allow more daylight, the flats are organised in width (instead of the usual depth). The clever layout of compact homes creates a diversity of living zones, resulting in small-scale flats of unique high quality.