The Whale 
Baron G.A. Tindalplein 
Year of construction: 2000 

The Sporenburg Peninsula has a fascinating skyline. 'The Whale' is one of the eye-catching buildings which dominate this island. The Whale, with its prominent kink in the roof and its zinc scales, is Sporenburg's pride and enjoy. 

Sphinx
The Whale is one of the two large residential buildings on Sporenburg. The complex accommodates 194 houses and 1,100 square meters of offices. The Whale is also sometimes called 'The Sphinx'. Erik van Egeraat originally designed the building, however, he withdrew from the project. Frits van Dongen, who added his own touches, finished the complex. 

Incidence of Light
The slanting top of the building allows maximum incidence of light. The slanting ridges reflect, as it were, the position of the sun. The roof is high where the sun is high in the sky and low where the sun is low. Because of its unique design the building looks different from different aspects. The many sloping lines have resulted in a large variety of houses in this building. The courtyard, which is not open to the public, boasts four five-meter-high zinc vases. 

Sprenburg
The city of Amsterdam commissioned a high-density development of low-rise buildings on Sporenburg. Architect Adriaan Geuze opted for houses with courtyards and roof gardens. The front gardens and back gardens of the traditional Dutch houses would have taken up far too much room. The layout of the houses is quite unique and very creative. The two bridges for pedestrians and cyclists, which link Sporenburg and Borneo, are the highlights of the island. The bridges are veritable works of art with their bending and receding railings, fanciful arches and swaying lamps. The island was completed towards the end of 2000.