ABSTRACT
La Grande Cour was a central part of Amsterdam's urban development plan for the Westerdok or West Docklands. The startling building appearance of La Grande Cour, with the penthouse projections and balconies that make it a signature building, is the result of an error in calculation. The Westerdokseiland area where La Grande Cour is located had begun to be developed with the Silodam project. The housing within the La Grande Cour complex is oriented to the three courtyards, each of which has a different character. The southern courtyard, designed by MVSA, is elegant and cool. The south vestibule building is skinned with a white concrete surface up to the second or third levels and above that a shiny gray metallic panel. The middle courtyard, designed by de Architekten Cie, is notable for its orange ground surface and wooden decking. La Grande Cour has five basic housing types, such as, rowhouses, back-to-back rowhouses, skip-stop maisonettes, cluster apartments, and penthouses.
