Student Hall of Residence in Amsterdam
This hall of residence in Sarphatistraat is part of a line of buildings that corrects a recent intervention, reinstating the street-front situation typical of Amsterdam. The development, part of Pi de Bruyn’s master plan, contains three sections, de Bruyn himself designing the corner, VMX the central section and Claus en Kaan the longest building. Although it was an urban repair project, there is no hint of sentimentality or nostalgia about the new building. No concessions appear to have been made to the historic environment. Save perhaps for the way the architects have transposed the early-20th-century window, door and cornice decoration into a subtle, contemporary version – in the irregular arrangement of the windows. On the ground floor are shops, and above, 61 student rooms. A cross-wall construction of reinforced concrete forms the building’s frame; the walls fronting the street are a lightweight construction faced with brick. Glass and stainless steel accents on the façade inject rhythm and contrast.
