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Die Brückenhäuser/Hotelzimmer erstrecken sich entlang der drei Hauptwasserstraßen von Amsterdam. Typische Brückenhäuser aus der ersten (links) und der zweiten (rechts) Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts

A msterdam has 1,281 bridges and 413 hotels, but only one bridge hotel! It was offi- unusual properties, Oxenaar and Nan have been operating the Lloyd Hotel since
cially opened in March - even though only eleven of the 26 planned rooms have
2004, designed by MVRDV and one of the hippest hostels in the city, and since their
been completed so far. The others will follow in the coming months. However, the De Ceuvel project was completed in 2012 at the latest, the architects themselves have
first guests do not have to be worried about construction noise in the neighbouring been regarded as clever practitioners of urban intervention. At that time, they hoisted
rooms, as the suites of the Sweets Hotel are located at a reasonable distance from a dozen disused barges onto the contaminated grounds of a former shipyard in
each other - distributed over 26 different bridge keeper's houses throughout the city northern Amsterdam, built artist studios, start-up offices, and a restaurant and plan-
centre. These so-called "Brugwachtershuisjes" were built in the course of the last cen- ted a jungle of soil-cleaning plants around them. The result was not only an ecological
tury along the Amstel, the Noordhollandsch Kanaal and the Kostverlorenvaart. The showcase project, but also a hotspot of the city' s creative scene.
three rivers respectively canals are - besides the Ij, which connects Amsterdam with
the sea - the city's most important water axes. For centuries, they have connected When the first ship passes by, the house becomes a minor matter
Amsterdam with the surrounding area. In the past, they were extended to be suitable
for ships - with bascule bridges at all crossings. Until few years ago, the accompany- Last year, the architects of Space & Matter also set about converting the bridge houses
ing bridge keeper's houses were still staffed around the clock; only since recently, all with the same sense of contemporary and yet practical solutions. There is a lot of
movable bridges in the city are centrally monitored and operated. work behind it, because no two buildings are alike. A good third date from the first
half of the 20th century. Its architects were well-known representatives of the so-
No two of the 26 bridge keeper's houses are alike called Amsterdam School, such as Hendrik Petrus Berlage (1856-1934) or Pieter
Lodewijk Kramer (1881-1961). Most of the houses are located at the bridgehead and
Shortly after decommissioning, the architectural office Space & Matter dedicated an form a pretty street decoration with their elaborate brick facades. A particular
exhibition to the vacant bridge houses - at that time there were 27 - in the Amsterdam challenge, however, are their confined floor plans. For example, in order to install a
Architecture Centre as well as a small, fine publication with the shower and a toilet in the house at the Nieuwe Amstelbrug, the architects had to
architectural-historical backgrounds of their creation and detailed drawings of all move to the foundation and build a small staircase leading down. By contrast, steps
houses. ("Sweets. A guide to Amsterdam´s bridge control buildings"). Through this lead up to the bed. The newer houses were mainly built in the 1960s and 1970s. They
initiative, the architects succeeded in attracting a great deal of attention and persua- were designed by Aldo van Eyck (1918-1999) and Dirk Sterenberg (1921-1996), among
ding those responsible to reuse the buildings. Space & Matter almost came too late others, and are clearly committed to a functionalist architectural vocabulary. Most of
because the demolition of the first house was already approved when them are directly connected to the bridge or, like the house at the Wiegbrug, are
the exhibition started! But what would become of the bridge houses? Together with placed on a high concrete base directly in the water. Their larger footprints facilitate
project developer Grayfield and the two hoteliers Suzanne Oxenaar and Otto Nan, the the installation of showers and toilets. However, the equipment and comfort of the
architects developed the concept for a decentralised hotel. One could hardly have bridge keeper's cottages quickly become a minor issue when the first ship passes the
imagined a better team for this: The young project developer Grayfield specialises in window and the friendly captain waves at the hotel guests.

178 • AIT 6.2018