ARCHITECTUURGIDS.NL / ARCHITECTUREGUIDE.NL

KRAANSPOOR

ONTWERPGROEP TRUDE HOOYKAAS, 1997-2007, Kraanspoor, Amsterdam

PROJECT ARCHITECT:
Trude Hooykaas

ARCHITECT(URAL OFFICE):
OTH (Ontwerpgroep Trude Hooykaas)

PROJECT ARCHITECT:
Julian Wolse
Gerald Lindner

ORIGINAL DESIGN:
Jan Postma

BUILDING TYPE:
Office buildings
Reuse

STATE:
J.D. Postma (oorspr. ontw. 1952)

An elongated concrete structure out in the water, a former crane runway, would probably have been demolished if architect Trude Hooijkaas had not been inspired by it. Now it is one of the most intriguing buildings in Amsterdam. An all-glass volume 270 metres long and three storeys high stands on thin steel stilts atop the concrete structure. Its double facade has an outer skin of operable printed glass slats. The warm or cold load on the inner facade can be moderated by having air admitted into or excluded from the intervening space. There are also visual consequences as the slats on any one side are not always at the same angle.