Renovation of canal house Amsterdam

Location and history
In the middle of the bustling center of Amsterdam stands this beautiful building, located on the quiet southern part of the canal. This side of the ramparts is full of monumental canal houses from the Golden Age and remnants of the many monasteries that stood here in the Middle Ages.

The building was designed by well-known architect W. Hamer (1841-1913) and built as an office building in 1892. The building falls under the so-called architectural style “Old Dutch canal house” (a neo-Renaissance style). Due to the scale of the building, the property is seen as a “blow up” canal house. The facade is characterized by the bright red strand press stone and a large and high bell gable. An extension was added to the rear of the building in the 1930s for the purpose of tobacco inspection. This ground-floor extension has an industrial saw roof construction that allows plenty of natural light into the space. In the 1970s, the building changed hands and was thoroughly converted into offices. This renovation included demolishing the original rear façade and replacing it with single-glazed steel facades. The original interior was largely lost during this time.

Architect Willem Hamer followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Willem Hamer Sr. (1773-1858) and father Pieter Johannes Hamer (1812-1887), both of whom were also architects. Together with his father, he designed the Vondelpark Pavilion which opened in 1881. He also designed the Hotel de l’Europe in Amsterdam in neo-Renaissance style. This hotel opened in 1896.

Design
The building has been completely renovated and transformed from office space to five luxury apartments. The plinth of the front facade has been modified and the entrance has been moved back to the side where it was originally located. At the rear of the building, a roof structure was built on the existing extension. The entire rear façade was replaced with a new black insulated aluminum curtain wall. This new facade provides a nice contrast between the old and new architecture. There are three balconies attached to the rear and a spacious roof terrace on the extension. The roof was completely renewed and insulated, insulated pre-walls were also installed so that the apartments have a high energy label.

A new staircase with elevator was installed in the existing stairwell. The apartment located on the first floor is the largest and has 3 bedrooms, two bathrooms and several walk-in closets. The apartments located on the first, second and third floors each have two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The penthouse has three bedrooms, one bathroom and has private elevator access. All the (built-in) cabinetry and kitchens in the project were also designed by us.

Photography: Anne van Houwelingen