City Beach, Veenendaal

The Urban Beach – a unique place for Veenendaal

The urban beach in Veenendaal originated during the crisis as a bottom-up initiative and has since grown into one of the city’s most beloved meeting places. Our ambition: to design a building that reinforces this identity and, together with the beach, creates a lasting and unique place in the city.

Urban concept
The building presents itself as an all-sided volume that relates to the surrounding structures while contrasting in material expression. Its open U-shape brings light, space, and a strong connection to the urban beach.

Architecture & theme
Inspired by beach pavilions and stilt houses, the design adopts the archetype of a house on stilts. Wooden structures, decks, and semi-transparent façades provide openness, light, and informal transitions between inside and outside. The loft apartments are oriented in playful ways, with terraces and lowered corners that strengthen the connection to the ground level.

Material & sustainability
Wood as the primary material, combined with Scandinavian colors, creates a warm and sustainable character. Decks, brick paving, and a transparent glass skin enhance the relationship with the four-season urban beach.

Green & experience
Trees and shrubs in and around the building soften the architecture and make the seasons more tangible. The result is a special place that unites living, nature, and encounter in the heart of Veenendaal.