Rivierstaete

Rivierstaete is located in the Rivierenbuurt, in the south of Amsterdam. It’s a neighbourhood that is defined by the Amstel, the river that has played such a huge role in the city’s history, even giving it its name: ‘the dam on the Amstel’. Over the centuries, artists and architects from Rembrandt onwards have found inspiration in the river. We followed suit, making it our aim to connect the Rivierstaete building to the Amstel and its surroundings – even though it had been detached from them before. The Rivierstaete building dates from 1973. A Modernist colossus, it quickly became known locally as ‘the monkey house’, because of its piled-up, closed volumes. Designed by architect Hugh Maaskant, at the time it was Europe’s largest office building. Fast forward to 2013, the building was sold in a public sale. By now Rivierstaete was 60% empty and in a technically dated state. In the midst of the ongoing real-estate recession, it was a daring investment for the buyer. Aside from financial challenges, such a huge office building posed another risk, as it was uncertain whether office-space demand would pick up again – especially in the Rivierenbuurt, an atypical office location. Nevertheless the team’s anti-cyclical investment and long-term thinking saved the 1970s icon from demolition. Demolition and a new construction would have been the easiest option. Because of the special character and great potential of the building, however, the team decided to opt for renovation. As winners of the pitch, MVSA Architects wanted to embrace the original design, retaining its positive elements and making the existing construction visible. MVSA proposed transforming the large, empty monolith – the huge, blocky white box – into a building that would fit seamlessly into its surroundings and establish a lively relationship with the neighbourhood. In order for the building to better fit the context of the Amstel, it was pared back to the structure of the staggered volumes, while the pinched band of windows on the white-tiled façade was replaced by floor-to-ceiling glass frontages. The renovated Riverstaete finally opens itself to the surrounding Berlage district. This interaction with the environment creates a pleasant working environment and allows the outside world to glimpse the interior life of the building. Planted roof terraces, which have been added at different levels, soften the hard edges of the building with restful greenery, thus reinforcing the connection between inside and outside. Rivierstaete presents a green front garden to the neighbourhood, along with its roof terraces and roof gardens. These green roofs provide water buffering and retention, which means that the rainwater is easily drained and the building is ‘Amsterdam Rainproof’. On the other side of the street, the roof of the parking garage has been replaced, and a roof garden has been created for the block in consultation with the residents. In this way, the building has created a solution for buffering and draining water for local residents as well as users. The new transparent façades let in a large amount of daylight. An advanced system controls the climate ceilings that are present throughout the building, as well as the energy-efficient lighting with its daylight control and motion sensors. The carefully concealed outdoor sun protection prevents overheating in hot weather. The newest installation technology was used, including a thermal storage system for heating and cooling. This, together with the façades, with their highly insulated glass, ensures that the entire building meets BREEAM certification standards. In this case this standard is Breeam Very Good, an exceptional score for a renovation project. Rivierstaete is innovative both in terms of process and results. The aim was to revalue a deeply unpopular building, just as MVSA Architects has done before with the Ministry of Finance in The Hague. At Rivierstaete, we wanted to preserve the structure of spreading volumes of the iconic Hugh Maaskant design, while adapting the building to its surroundings and to the current standards for office spaces - an urgent necessity, in this case. The approach was also an example for the team, which displayed a productive cooperation: thinking, daring, and doing, talking to stakeholders and experts, learning to understand the soul of the building, and remaining open to all useful input. This step included the Monuments and Archeology department of the City of Amsterdam - even though the Modernist building is not officially a monument. The building was literally stripped down, step by step, so that we could get to know it. On the basis of all this information, we were able to achieve an optimal result with as few interventions as possible in the impressive concrete structure, which we have uncovered and given fresh allure. Our renovation gives the office floors maximum heights and spatial qualities. To emphasize the building’s monumental quality, we exposed its solid horizontal beams. The renovated building is extremely flexible. All floors can be compartmentalized or rearranged in many different ways, with minimal effort and waste of materials. By placing the technical installations and communal facilities in the two cores, we created extra space and open floor areas. Together with the floor-to-ceiling glass, the green roof terraces and the enormous sky lounge, we have produced an optimally flexible, sustainable and future-proof building, seamlessly connected with its beautiful context. This end result meets a broad social need. The ‘monkey house’ has become a much-loved landmark. The team saved an impressive, although thoroughly outdated, building from demolition, giving it a beautiful new lease of life. The iconic staggered block shape has been retained, only no longer with closed volumes, but with transparency and greenery, embracing the neighbourhood and the location. We have realized a healthy, sustainable and flexible building with real social significance. Appreciation has materialized in the users’ - and the neighbourhood’s - enthusiasm, while the high rate of vacancy has ended. The whole area has received a positive boost from this new icon on the Amstel.