Nieuw Bergen has reached a new phase: names have now been given to the seven ‘mountains’, the seven apartment buildings that make up the project; Indigo, Violet, Bleu, Rouge, Orange, Jaune, and Vert. 

Nieuw Bergen consists of seven apartment buildings which are unique in shape and form. The masterplan combines renovated and transformed buildings with new constructions, linking the area to the rest of the city and making sure it will become a lively, sustainable area for residents. The design approach echoes Eindhoven’s status as a city of technology, design and knowledge.

The architecture is as unpredictable as it is exciting: imaginary planes are drawn from the footprint of neighbouring residential buildings at an angle of 45 degrees, leading to building forms with jagged silhouettes. ‘Suncuts’ allow sunlight to pour into both houses and public spaces. The sloping roofs, which form an interesting landscape recognizable from afar, are ideally suited for solar panels and green roofs, while collective gardens and greenhouses crown a number of buildings. All of this makes Nieuw Bergen a shining example of sustainable densification. The series of buildings in Nieuw Bergen connects the traditional with the modern and continues the informal character of the Bergen neighbourhood.

Each building is different. Some are reminiscent of the reconstruction architecture Eindhoven is known for, others are hypermodern and contemporary. Indigo is the tallest, an eye-catching tower containing 28 luxury apartments, three penthouses, and a 250-square-metre rooftop garden. Violet has two penthouses, one city loft and 24 luxury residences. Bleu is a transformed building containing 13 apartments. Rouge has 66 rental apartments, while Orange has 51 apartments reserved for social housing. Jaune – originally built in 1950 – served as a police station and now houses traffic and crime investigation departments. In Nieuw Bergen, its lifespan is prolonged as an apartment building containing 18 rentals. Last but not least is Vert, a building from the 1920s which also served as a police station and is now completely reinvented as a building with 12 rental apartments. It connects the area to Eindhoven’s ‘De Bergen’ area, known for its shops.

“The assignment was to make the neighbourhood a good place to live and stay, as it is now mainly a through route”, says founding partner of MVRDV Jacob van Rijs. “We envisioned a residential area where everyone would feel at home, one that serves different target groups. Urban density was necessary, but we wanted buildings with character, not standard residential towers. That was one of the reasons for choosing to slant the roofs of each building in a different way. The result is a chain of architecturally interesting buildings with an exciting contour that resembles a mountainous landscape. The suncuts also ensure maximum daylight in each apartment, which is of course particularly attractive for future residents.”

Nieuw Bergen is a design by MVRDV for SDK Vastgoed (Volkers Wessels). A special website has been launched to raise interest from future residents: https://www.nieuwbergen.com/

The project can be seen on MVRDV's website here.