Kranspoor Office Building by OTH, window | Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building

Kraanspoor Office Building Hovers Above Repurposed Craneway in Amsterdam Harbor

05/20/2011

Kranspoor Office Building by OTH

We love it when architects repurpose abandoned structures, and <a href="http://www.oth.nl/" target="_blank">Ontwerpgroep Trude Hooykaas</a>’s Kraanspoor office building in <a href="http://inhabitat.com/incredible-rooftop-treehouse-in-amsterdam-made-from-fruit-veggie-crates/" target="_blank">Amsterdam</a> is a shining example. Literally meaning “Crane Track,” Kranspoor was an <a href="http://inhabitat.com/paradise-lost-but-found-again-at-abandoned-taiwanese-factory-turned-greenery-filled-oasis/" target="_blank">abandoned</a> crane gantry from the 1950s, left to decay in one of Amsterdam’s former shipyards. Now, a stylish three storey office building has been built atop the original concrete craneway.

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Kranspoor Office Building by OTH

The solid gantry stretches 885 feet across the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/worlds-first-hydrogen-hybrid-ferry-coming-to-nyc/" target="_blank">shipyard</a>. OTH utilized the elevated base as a foundation for Kraanspoor, having the building span its entire length.

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Kranspoor Office Building by OTH, facade

The office building “hovers” strikingly above the concrete <a href="http://inhabitat.com/crane-arts-building-solar-array/" target="_blank">craneway</a> by three meters, on a steel frame. One side of the building cantilevers over the waterway of the River Ij, just as a revolving crane had in the past.

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Kranspoor Office Building by OTH, window

OTH created a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/olafur-eliassons-crystal-inspired-concert-hall-opens-in-reykjavik/" target="_blank">dazzling double-glass façade</a> for Kraanspoor, with a motorized moveable outer layer of delicate lacey glass. The inner layer features functional floor-to-ceiling hinged windows, which allow natural ventilation.

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Kranspoor Office Building by OTH, concrete interior

The timber lined windows also block heat in the summer, and the winter cold. An internal pump also utilizes the water from the Ij to aid in climate control in the building.

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Kranspoor Office Building by OTH, double glass

OTH repurposed as much of the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/barcelona-industrial-loft-is-reclaimed-modern-chic/" target="_blank">original structure </a>as possible. The original stairwells remain and now house elevators and new emergency stairs. Catwalks that were used by crane operators have been updated to become Kraanspoor’s fire escape. The <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tassafaronga-village-repurposes-a-defunct-pasta-factory-into-green-affordable-housing/" target="_blank">original space</a> below the gantry has been repurposed as a massive storage facility.

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Kranspoor Office Building by OTH

At night, the illuminated Kraanspoor appears as a celestial body <a href="http://inhabitat.com/sustainable-hover-house-3-maximizes-outdoor-living-by-hovering-over-the-yard/" target="_blank">floating</a> above the water. A fusion of old and new architecture, Kraanspoor brings new life to the wharf, while preserving its original <a href="http://inhabitat.com/staxxons-collapsible-containers-could-revolutionize-global-shipping-industry/" target="_blank">shipping history</a>.

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Kranspoor Office Building by OTH

We love it when architects repurpose abandoned structures, and Ontwerpgroep Trude Hooykaas’s Kraanspoor office building in Amsterdam is a shining example. Literally meaning “Crane Track,” Kranspoor was an abandoned crane gantry from the 1950s, left to decay in one of Amsterdam’s former shipyards. Now, a stylish three storey office building has been built atop the original concrete craneway.

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Kranspoor Office Building by OTH