Wijttenbachstraat | Menno Trautwein Architecten

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Four in a row

roof extensions Wijttenbachstraat

On top of a five-storey apartment building designed by Bart Duvekot Architecten in the 1990s, we designed four interconnected rooftop extensions for the families living in the maisonettes below.
The zoning plan required the front façade to step back along the sightline from street level. We turned this constraint into a defining architectural gesture: diagonal privacy walls separating the glazed staircases from the roof terraces. Together, these elements create a strong and cohesive rooftop volume.
The four extensions were fully prefabricated as eight separate modules—four front and four rear elements. Due to the overhead tram wires, they could not be lifted into place from the main street. Instead, an oversized crane positioned on the street behind the building hoisted the modules onto the roof.
The result is four light-filled penthouses, each with its own staircase configuration and some incorporating a compact bathroom. Generous roof terraces and expansive glazing open the new spaces to sunlight and panoramic views across the city.