A hotel for tomorrow that reflects yesterday’s Oostenburg

During the 17^th and 18^th centuries Oostenburg was a VOC shipyard. Later it was where several major Dutch industrial companies established themselves and flourished. Now this brownstone area is undergoing a further transformational phase by becoming a mixed living and working neighbourhood in the centre of Amsterdam. The intention is for this new hotel, complete with a public restaurant and lobby, to become a  a place where both guests and locals can meet and socialise.

We decided to retell the story of the location’s rich history in the design of the hotel itself. Breaking down the programme into rooms on the one hand and facilities on the other, we created two characteristic buildings. One of these, a 52-metre high tower with concrete structure, will afford all the hotel’s rooms an excellent view of the city. The other, a 10-metre steel structure, will house its various utilities and facilities. The appearance of the inner structure is reflected in the buildings’ exterior, with details and materials all alluding to the site’s rich industrial and historic past.