OMA has completed The Martin, a residential building within Amsterdam’s Bajes Kwartier redevelopment, which marks another milestone in the transformation of the former Bijlmerbajes prison into a mixed-use urban neighborhood. Designed by David Gianotten and Mariano Sagasta, the project forms part of OMA’s broader masterplan, which is converting the 7.5-hectare prison site into an energy-neutral district that reconnects the once-enclosed complex with the city.
Located in the Central Cluster of the development, The Martin follows the completion of The Jay in 2025, while The Cardinal is scheduled to be completed in 2030. Together, these residential buildings frame the evolving neighborhood, which will ultimately provide approximately 1,350 homes alongside commercial, cultural, and public amenities. Around 30 percent of the housing has been designated as social housing.
A Residential Building Shaped by Interlocking Volumes
The Martin is composed of four interlocking volumes that create a stepped massing, giving each façade a distinct architectural expression. Continuous balconies wrap the building, while an external aluminum grid unifies the composition and reinforces its identity. Transparent glass balustrades maintain visual connections between apartments and the surrounding public spaces, replacing the enclosed character of the former prison with a more open and permeable architectural language.
Positioned along the site’s primary pedestrian and cycling axis, the building serves as a key connection between different parts of Bajes Kwartier. Its cascading terraces also contribute to the neighborhood’s landscape strategy by extending outdoor spaces vertically through the project.
Apartments and Shared Amenities
The residential building accommodates a variety of apartment layouts, ranging from approximately 50-square-meter two-room units to four-room residences of up to 140 square meters. Internally, the building is organized around a central circulation core and two naturally lit atria, where planted moss-covered walls introduce greenery into shared circulation spaces.
Communal rooftop terraces on the sixth and ninth floors provide outdoor gathering spaces with views across Amsterdam. Additional shared facilities include a reservable multipurpose room that can function as a community space or guest accommodation, while commercial units at ground level contribute everyday services to residents and the wider neighborhood.
From Former Prison to Mixed-Use Neighborhood
Bajes Kwartier transforms the former Bijlmerbajes prison, which operated from 1978 until 2016, into a new urban district while retaining key elements of the original complex. The masterplan preserves the Kalverstraat spine as a pedestrian and cycling route, together with existing courtyards, gardens, sections of the perimeter wall, the administrative building, and one of the original prison towers. These preserved structures are integrated with new residential, commercial, and cultural programs.
Sustainability has guided the redevelopment from demolition through construction. Approximately 98 percent of materials recovered from the demolished prison buildings, including concrete, reinforcing steel, and former cell doors, have been reused or recycled. The neighborhood is designed to operate as energy neutral through underground heat and cold storage systems, photovoltaic installations integrated into buildings, and other low-impact infrastructure.
Image credit: Ossip van Duivenbode / OMA
