Ferdinand Bolstraat Shops / DAMAST Architects
Ferdinand Bolstraat Shops / DAMAST Architects
Text description provided by the architects. On the corner of the ground floor on Ferdinand Bolstraat and Eerste Jan van der Heijdenstraat, owner Kroonenberg Groep has radically redeveloped, merged, and expanded several 19th-century shop premises and a small warehouse. One large retail space was created on the corner of the shopping street over 3 plots. The warehouse on Eerste Jan van der Heijdenstraat was transformed into a smaller retail space. The new stores have a cellar and inviting facades.
After many renovations in the past hundred years, the original shop facades had completely disappeared. “We have subtly restored the characteristic facade rhythm and design language of the 19th-century facades,” explains architect Daniël Peters. “During an archive study, we discovered a geometric pattern in the original stained glass skylights. We have incorporated this pattern in the steel facade cassettes and even implemented it down to the smallest detail of the door handles. By digging up hidden stories, we make the experience of the city more versatile and interesting.”
High ambitions require pushing the boundaries of what can be made. To make the facade as transparent as possible with large shop windows, a steel portal construction has been installed over the full length of the facades. The structural engineer has designed special, temporary steel struts for the project. In this way, as much height as possible could be made without being a burden to the residents of the upstairs apartments. The result is a modern, attractive retail space with a high ceiling.
The shop plinth extends as a sleek, horizontal element over several buildings. Deep porches accentuate the 19th-century rhythm of storefronts and entrances to the shops and the upstairs apartments. The shadow effects of the facade cassettes create a rich and refined pattern with refined lines. The shop windows are set in custom-made frames with a thickness of only two centimeters.
DAMAST architect’s contemporary facade design is based on an analysis of historical characteristics. As a result, the new intervention fit naturally into the context of the 19th-century city district. With attractive retail spaces that match the current retail market and a state-of-the-art facade, a sustainable quality has been added to the shopping street.
