Het Strijkijzer: 2007 Winner

The SKYDB Awards recognize high-rise buildings that unite architectural quality with practical performance, and Het Strijkijzer in The Hague was selected as the 2007 SKYDB Awards Winner.

The 132-meter residential tower occupies a triangular site bordered by streets and railway tracks near Den Haag HS station. Its wedge-shaped plan recalls New York's Flatiron Building while responding directly to the unusually narrow plot. The tower contains 351 homes, with public rooms at its base and an observation level near the top.

A central winter garden brings daylight into the deep plan and provides a shared interior space for residents. The brick-colored cladding and sharply defined prow give the high-rise a warmer, more solid character than a conventional glass apartment tower. The award recognizes an economical housing project that turns a difficult piece of infrastructure-bound land into a confident urban marker.

Architect: AAARCHITECTEN