KEIZERSGRACHT | CUBE architecten

Amsterdam / Netherlands / 2014

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11 Love 2,178 Visits Published

In some projects, the process is so intertwined with the end result that the story behind it is
almost literally explained by the house itself.
The monumental canal house at the Keizersgracht had to become a real family house again. The
residents were very involved in every step of the process, but they also had different needs and
different ideas of what the new home should be like. Ideas that didn;t always seem a logical
match at first sight; modern vs classical, European vs Persian, architecture and design but also a
home and family life. Together with the family, but also with the Office for Monuments and
Archaeology, we were looking for the ideal solution in which all these interests were given a
place.
The canal house was stripped to a large extent, but the monumental parts and details were
retained or restored. Within this monumental shell the interior has a modern design. On each
floor a new element with rounded edges is added as a central core. These are all decorated in a
different material. Around these cores you will find a lot of custom made furniture, often with
Persian references.
On the ground floor the central element is made of elmwood and includes the toilet and the new
entrance to the basement. The kitchen consists of two parts, with concrete counters with rounded
corners and modern cabinets with either white concrete doors or wooden doors with a print of
Persian rugs. To get more light in the kitchen a few walkable roof lights were installed in the roof
above it. On the first floor are two rooms with antique interiors that were left unchanged.
unchanged. The second floor is entirely for the parents with an elongated element in the middle.
Around it are custom made furniture such as the bed and a wardrobe along the entire wall that
features doors in a laser cut pattern. Next to the modern freestanding bath are antique cast iron
radiators that were coated bright white. The third floor is the domain of the children with the
bathroom as a central element that they can run all around. A reading bench is incorporated in
the element and the years of birth of the children are painted on as sports icons.
In the end this is a very special and personal project. A project that will never actually finish!

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    In some projects, the process is so intertwined with the end result that the story behind it isalmost literally explained by the house itself.The monumental canal house at the Keizersgracht had to become a real family house again. Theresidents were very involved in every step of the process, but they also had different needs anddifferent ideas of what the new home should be like. Ideas that didn;t always seem a logicalmatch at first sight; modern vs classical, European vs Persian, architecture...

    Project details
    • Year 2014
    • Work finished in 2014
    • Status Completed works
    • Type Single-family residence / Interior Design / Recovery/Restoration of Historic Buildings / Building Recovery and Renewal
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