With Ypsilon Park, we elevate adaptive reuse into a holistic architectural system where ecology, structure, aesthetics and spatial quality align.
Ypsilon Park is a residential transformation set within the stately green surroundings of Benoordenhout, The Hague. A Y-shaped former office building from the 1970s -connected to J.J.P. Oud’s listed former Shell headquarters – has been reimagined as a nature-driven living environment. By reusing the existing structure and introducing biobased wooden housing units, the project aligns ecology, architecture and comfort. Designed from the inside out, Ypsilon Park offers diverse homes where light, air and outdoor space are integral to daily life – living with nature, shaped by transformation.
Designing with Nature
In our ongoing pursuit of Paris‑Proof building, we once again design with the forces of nature rather than relying on technology and installations. At Ypsilon Park, we are preserving what is still in good condition, introducing new features made from bio-based materials, and significantly reducing both energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. The re-design gives the urban block a strong, location‑specific character and encourages interaction – between residents as well as with nature.
Living outside in the city
Ypsilon Park offers outdoor living close to the city centre. ‘Living with nature’, the guiding principle, may not be the first thing that springs to mind when transforming a massive office block, but its location in a park – on an estate, in fact – inspired an innovative design characterised by natural simplicity.
The housing types and their organisation are designed to ensure all residents experience natural conditions, even at height. Inside and outside merge seamlessly, allowing light and air to become an integral part of everyday life.
The result is a mix of duplex, corridor and open-plan apartments on every level, built with a consistent use of timber and biobased materials, energy‑efficient and with minimal installations. A ‘bespoke suit’ with a healthy indoor climate – our definition of luxury.
A building in the park
Ypsilon Park is surrounded by the Oostduin–Arendsdorp estate. Where paving, added structures and parking areas once occupied the space between the ‘legs’ of the Y, trees, plants and shrubs now extend directly to the maisonettes. This green setting reinforces the building’s symmetrical layout: not a building next to the park, but a building within the park. Cars are parked beneath the building in a semi‑sunken garage, naturally ventilated, with a full soil layer above forming a raised garden. The park level is reserved exclusively for pedestrians. Entrances and vertical circulation are located within the wings and at their intersection, while a passage at ground level creates an uninterrupted walking loop through Ypsilon Park.
Reuse as a spatial system
Ypsilon Park is designed from the inside out. Instead of demolition and new construction, the existing office structure is entirely reused. The concrete floors and column grid are robust and rigid – qualities that paradoxically enable spatial flexibility and a wide range of housing types. Our solution consists of lightweight timber housing units, placed between the columns, with space above and below for services. Units can be combined into various configurations and freely laid out, making every floor different. Floor slabs extend well beyond the original façade to create generous outdoor spaces. Floor‑to‑ceiling windows and fully openable glass fronts allow interior living and the surrounding landscape to flow together. Timber façades sit in between. The continuous terraces with rounded corners act as overhangs, providing shade in summer while allowing solar gain in other seasons. Ventilation is entirely natural, keeping energy use low. A seemingly simple concept in which ecology, structure and technology coincide, expressed in a restrained architectural gesture.
In dialogue with J.J.P. Oud
A shared love of detail connects Ypsilon Park to the monumental office building by J.J.P. Oud. Originally built as Shell’s headquarters in 1938–39, the elongated, symmetrical building is clearly organised, combining functionality with beauty. Characteristic features include glazed stairwells, rounded corners, slender steel frames and refined ornamentation referencing the Shell logo. The Y‑shaped office extension from the 1970s – now transformed into Ypsilon Park -replaced Oud’s original circular canteen on the garden side. The project draws directly from Oud’s architectural language: soft curves in the balconies, a strong horizontal and vertical rhythm, and a continuous dialogue with the surrounding landscape. The former physical connection between the two buildings, where Ypsilon Park was built over the monument at roof level, is replaced by a stepped configuration with setbacks, ensuring distance, light and views.
PROJECT DATA
Client:
Molsbergen Development BV
Focus on Impact
Program:
79 apartments and penthouses,
ranging from 75 m2 up to 280 m
Status:
Design 2025
In collaboration with:
Deltavormgroep
Team:
Jamie Bakkes, John Bosch,
Süreyya Dogan, Valentino Gigante,
Stefano Giudici, Enrique Ibáñez De Pablo,
Sander Kleijn, Gijs de Kok, Mark Lodder,
Oresti Sarafopoulos
