Amsterdam, The Netherlands
ZJA in collaboration with Heyliger’s design + projects together with Braaksma & Roos Architectenbureau has renovated the Diamond Exchange, Capital C Amsterdam in the Netherlands regaining the buildings’ original architectural allure by Gerrit van Arkel in 1911.
Diamond Exchange, Capital C Amsterdam was awarded a 2022 International Architecture Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
As a building and as an institution the Diamond Exchange crowned the heyday that counted as a second Golden Age for the city of Amsterdam and the economic boom following the 1880s that restored the city as a metropolis for industry and trade after a century-long slump.
Until the mid-20th century, the Diamond Exchange was the lively center of the international diamond trade.
The exchange hall of the Diamond Exchange was a meeting place for people and markets, goods, and ideas.
The building housed meeting rooms, offices, a restaurant, a safe, and even a barbershop.
The building’s central function was lost, but as Capital C, the building again presents itself as a meeting place for the city with different kinds of new public spaces.
The Diamond Exchange is no longer a closed office building, but a city-oriented center and again an essential part of Amsterdam.
The new owners Zadelhoff B.V. and Sijthoff Media envision a role for the Diamond Exchange in what is considered a new heyday for Amsterdam, now as an international hub for the creative industry and information technology.
In Capital C, an old monument is given new life, especially by enriching it with a unique mix of contemporary functions.
In ZJA’s design for the Diamond Exchange as Capital C, the starting point was that it would be a building where collaboration, meeting, and exchange would be the central theme.
This function of meeting place brings together a wide range of disciplines: advertising, design, media, digital design, photography, and art.
That is why there are not only different types of offices and meeting rooms but also a pop-up gallery in the monumental hall, a café, and a restaurant.
Moreover, the building had to be optimally designed for the presence of art and design.
Not only did this require exhibition spaces, but it is mainly about twenty commissions to artists and designers that are an integral part of the design.
Not only did this require exhibition spaces, but it is mainly about twenty commissions to artists and designers that are an integral part of the design.
On the roof two striking towers, the original roof edge, and the tympana from the original design by Van Arkel have been reinstated.
The authentic tile panelings of the entrance were recreated based on old photos and drawings.
To make it viable as a contemporary office building, all floors have been completely stripped, provided with new installations, and have been functionally reorganized.
This is where the offices, event spaces, meeting rooms and flexible workplaces are located now.
The largest addition consists of the event space and the terrace on the seventh floor, under an oblong dome.
The construction on the roof is based on the grid shell principle, in which the constructive force is absorbed by the double curvature in the roof’s surface.
That allows for enormous freedom in shapes and a large span without columns. The dome’s structure, covered with glass panels is transparent, light, and open.
The addition stands free from the bell tower and is built well inside the original facade. Seen from the street the relationship between old and new are evident: the Diamond Exchange takes the spotlight and the dome is a supporting addition.
The new public space makes a transparent and inviting gesture, reflecting light and sky in all directions.
The faceted diamond-like form of the dome is reminiscent of the monument’s history as a center of the diamond trade.
The new dome echoes the dome of the bell tower, but its multifaceted glitter also refers to the past of the building. The bell tower remains the landmark. At its foot, along the Weesperstraat, an inviting entrance is planned, surrounded by green zones.
Project: Diamond Exchange, Capital C Amsterdam
Architects: ZJA in collaboration with Heyligers design + project
Restoration Architects: Braaksma & Roos Architectenbureau
Interior Designers: Müller & van Tol
Design Engineers: Pieters Bouwtechniek
Original Architects: Gerrit van Arkel (1911)
General Contractor: DCV Bouw
Engineer and Contractor Roof Structure: Octatube
Final Phase Contractor: NewKantoor
Project Management: Peak Development
Clients: Zadelhoff B.V. and Sijthoff Media
Photographers: Jan Willem Kaldenbach, ZJA, Bvlgari
