It is official: the permit under the Environment and Planning Act for Weesperzijde 190 is now irrevocable. It marks an important milestone for Vastint in the redevelopment of this striking building on the Amstel river. Following completion of the full permit procedure and the expiry of the objection period, the final go-ahead has been given. The project moves on from the planning and paperwork phase and the redevelopment can now proceed in collaboration with ZZDP Architecten.
This step makes the repositioning of the building – previously known as Leeuwenburg – concrete and visible. What for years was closed-off and accessible only to those who worked or studied there, is now preparing to take on a new role in the city.
From a closed stronghold to a place where the city comes together
Weesperzijde 190 is being radically renovated and made sustainable to create a mixed-used building with an open and inviting character. Through far-reaching but targeted interventions, the building is being given a new relationship with its surroundings.
The ground floor and the basement will open towards the city and together will form a lively, semi-public space. Functions that were previously lacking will be accommodated here, including a fine dining restaurant, a cocktail bar, a range of retail concepts, work and touchdown areas and event spaces. Facilities that encourage interactions, gatherings and exchanges and embed the building in day-to-day life along Weesperzijde.
The floors above will retain their office function but will be fully renovated and made future-proof, with high-quality, flexible office floors fitted out with modern facilities. The building will also be extended upwards to create exclusive sky offices with panoramic views across Amsterdam and the Amstel river.
Work in progress
Work has already been in progress for some time. Internal demolition work and asbestos remediation have now been completed. The irrevocable permit under the Environment and Planning Act brings the project to the start of the next, visible phase: the large-scale dismantling of the facade.
A total of around 2,500 facade elements will be removed and replaced by a new facade that reflects the original architecture of the building. The design by Zanstra, the founder of ZZDP Architecten, forms an important starting point, where the past is not being erased but used as the foundation for the future.
The brutalist character is not being concealed but accentuated and enhanced, with attention given to quality and durability.
A new name, a new identity
This phase in the development signifies more than merely a structural intervention. As the development progresses, Weesperzijde 190 will also acquire a new name and identity that is closely interwoven with the building’s distinct character and its updated position in the city.
The new name of the project will be announced at a later date. That name ushers in the next chapter for Weesperzijde 190 and underlines Vastint’s ambitions for this project.