Espressobar

Photograph by Jeroen Musch, Courtesy of the Architect.

Photograph by Jeroen Musch, Courtesy of the Architect.

The two conversions show the same approach. A new volume, which encloses all the main functions, is inserted into the existing space as a kind of sculptural box. The box is explicitly separated from the existing architectural fabric and differs distinctly from it in the architectural means employed. The authentic industrial architecture and its typical structural features remain entirely intact and one hundred percent visible.

In each case, a demanding programme of functions has been packed into the new volume. The Espressofabriek, for instance, has a floor area of only 52 square metres. The box encloses toilets, a bar, storage space and a staircase to the roof. The roof itself is occupied by chairs and tables. The relatively large height of the Meterhuis roof made it possible to create a second storey beneath it.

Photograph by Jeroen Musch, Courtesy of the Architect.

Visch has placed the new box lengthways the building. There is storage space behind the bar and the entrance to the toilets is located at one end. Next to the building entrance, a staircase rises to the seating area above. Tables and chairs are grouped along the length of the space as well as above the bar. The materials of the box, with its surfaces treated with blackboard paint and a refreshment bar in stainless steel, contrast with those of the original architecture. Old and new refuse to intermingle anywhere. Should the building ever be assigned a different function, the box could be extracted again without mayhem.

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