Powerhouse Company

Powerhouse Company completes diamond-shaped residential tower on the Rhine

Just a short distance from the center of Arnhem, on the banks of the Rhine, residential tower NELSON has been completed. Designed by Powerhouse Company for VanWonen, the diamond-shaped building completes a series of buildings along the floodplains, arranged like a subtle ‘string of pearls’ across the dike landscape. With its striking form and prominent sightlines, NELSON serves as a visual landmark, anchoring the view and defining its place in the city’s silhouette.

Expressive diamond
Defined by its hexagonal layout design, NELSON features sharply beveled façade planes that allow each balcony to offer optimal views of the river, the city, or the surrounding landscape. Its crisp vertical corner faces the Mandela Bridge – a vital urban link – while balconies ripple outward in a dynamic rhythm, giving the building a different appearance from every angle.

‘NELSON is located in a prominent spot along the Rhine. An iconic tower, set amidst greenery, with a unique appearance from every angle.’
– Martijn Bakers, Project Developer at VanWonen

The dynamic shift in balconies is possible by varying the floorplans. This flexibility is created by having a diamond-shaped structural core that mirrors the load bearing façade. The layout is designed to remain flexible, as everything between the core and the façade can be reconfigured, should future demand arise. Adaptability is thus a key part of the design, while always maintaining high- quality floorplans with balconies connected to the living spaces. Comprising 93 units, the apartment configuration varies per floor from affordable housing on the lower levels to open plan penthouses at the top.

‘The clay used for the bricks was sourced so close by, you could almost point to the exact spot from the building itself – grounding NELSON firmly in its landscape.’
– Daan Masmeijer, Architect at Powerhouse Company

Local sources
The façade is crafted from bricks made with clay drawn directly from the nearby riverbanks, rooting the building in the landscape and deepening its local identity. Its color palette harmonizes effortlessly with the neighboring structures, reinforcing the visual rhythm of the buildings across the floodplains. Yet, amid this harmony, bold accents in warm, glowing tones catch the light – subtle but striking touches that give NELSON its own unmistakable presence.

‘The building responds to the natural height differences of the dike, integrating both the raised dike and the adjacent lower terrain at the base of the retaining wall.’
– Paul Stavert, Partner Architect at Powerhouse Company