The NELSON residential tower has been completed just a short distance from Arnhem's city center, on the banks of the Rhine. Designed by Powerhouse Company for VanWonen, the diamond-shaped building is the latest in a series of residential buildings along the river floodplains, positioned together in the landscape like a "string of pearls." Its location near the city center and the surrounding green spaces, along with a direct line of sight from the Mandela Bridge, makes NELSON a clear visual anchor in the surrounding area.
An expressive diamond
: NELSON is characterized by its hexagonal floor plan with sharply beveled facade surfaces, allowing each balcony to offer optimal views of the river, the city, or the surrounding landscape. The building's sharp vertical angle overlooks the Mandela Bridge—a key connection in the city—while the balconies alternate in a dynamic rhythm, giving the building a different appearance from every angle.
"NELSON occupies a prominent location along the Rhine. An iconic tower, surrounded by greenery, with a unique appearance on all sides."
– Martijn Bakers, Project Developer, VanWonen
The staggered balconies are created by varying floor plans. This flexibility is made possible by a diamond-shaped structural core that mirrors the façade's rhythm. The layout is designed so that everything except the core remains adaptable, should this be desired in the future. Flexibility is therefore an essential element of the design, without compromising quality – all apartments feature high-quality floor plans with balconies directly adjacent to the living space. Consisting of 93 units, the layout varies per floor: from affordable apartments on the lower floors to open-plan penthouses at the top of the building.
"The clay for the bricks comes from the immediate vicinity – so close that you can almost pinpoint the exact spot from the building. This makes NELSON inextricably linked to the landscape."
– Daan Masmeijer, Architect, Powerhouse Company
Local Sources
The façade is constructed of bricks made from clay, quarried directly from the nearby riverbanks. This anchors the building into the landscape and gives it a strong local identity. The color palette seamlessly blends with the surrounding buildings and enhances the visual rhythm. At the same time, warm, bold color accents give the building a unique and distinctive character.
"The building responds to the natural height variations of the dike, connecting to both the elevated dike and the lower terrain."
– Paul Stavert, Partner Architect, Powerhouse Company