Kraanspoor Office Building Hovers Above Repurposed Craneway in Amsterdam Harbor

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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>.