De Wallen Hostel Amsterdam

Authors’ Comment

Beursplein Amsterdam is a square told unfinished, but it has an atmosphere, that makes you feel in Amsterdam. The perception of the existing square with its energy leads to a solution that has to conserve the existing energy of the place.
The historical building Beurs van Berlage, one of the .most important Dutch UNESCO monuments, dominates the place, being today an important cultural center. In a place with such history we intend to introduce architecture that would not kill the way this place functioned before. The hostel was conceived to be an urban catalyst.
The hostel has two buildings in Zig Zag, letting the center part open. At fourth floor the gap between the two building lines is covered with a transparent floor creating a space that can be open from time to time to the public for meetings, disco, concerts. You can see from above down, but .not from the square up.
The hostel rooms have the minimum space to be used specifically for night. These should work almost independently, being a smart building.
At the mezanin we proposed two urban gardens, one can be accessed by a ramp from the square. These may be a place to hold the events, used to be hold in the square.

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