Staggered Volumes

Rivierstaete is located in the neighbourhood of Rivierenbuurt, in the south of Amsterdam.

- Kees Stoffels

It’s an area that is defined by the Amstel, the river that has played such a pivotal role in the city’s history, even giving it its name—‘the dam on the Amstel’.

Over the centuries, artists and architects from Rembrandt onwards have found inspiration in the river. We followed suit, making it our aim to connect the Rivierstaete building to the Amstel and its surroundings—even though it had been detached from them before.

1970s landmark

The Rivierstaete building dates back to 1973. A Modernist colossus, it quickly became locally known as ‘the monkey house’ (de apenrots), because of its piled-up, closed volumes. Designed by architect Hugh Maaskant, it was Europe’s largest office building at the time. Demolition and new construction would have been the easiest option. However, because of the special character and great potential of the building, the renovation was chosen as the way forward.

Opening up