De Centrale

The transformation of a former telephone exchange to micro apartments

Residential

Our vision

Back in 2001, the KPN Centrale was the first building to be constructed on Amsterdam’s new IJburg development and it served as the central hub to meet the ever-increasing communication needs of the IJburg development. Technological advancements since, however, mean that what then occupied some 3,000m² now only needs 18 m²! We identified an opportunity to transform the building’s empty shell into serviced apartments that target the expat market. We were aiming for an urban look and feel, more along the lines of a boutique hotel, rather than run-of-the-mill apartments served by a standard corridor.

Approach

The individual apartments are each centred around a utility hub, comprising a pantry, bathroom, technical installations and storage area. While modestly sized, the apartments will be flooded with daylight and on sunny days their sliding windows will make the living area seem more like an outdoor gallery. A communal atrium and roof terraces will give guests extra space to work in or meet up. By transforming the stoned pavement in front of De Centrale into a small but sunny pocket park, the building has been cleverly assimilated with its surroundings. Maisonette apartments on the ground floor can be accessed directly from the pocket park.