The Amsterdam Amstel Station is a functionalist monument that needed to be returned to its original intent and all-round former glory. First opening in 1939, the station was the result of the dual effort of rail architect H.G.J. Schelling and city architect J. Leupen – with a design that had to align with the ambitious city planning of Cor van Eesteren. Long considered the crown jewel of Schelling who did much to define 20th century Dutch station architecture, it became a listed monument in 2004.
As such, its renewal required a deeply collaborative balancing act between respecting the past while addressing the needs of the modern traveller. Happily, the station’s original intent remained valid as ultimate goal: to be “an optimised transit machine”. The project also connected with a very important question for Office Winhov: What’s the best way to take care of the buildings we already have?
