Canal House K522

When the first floor (bel-etage) and the basement of landmark canal house Keizersgracht 522 were recently vacated after many decades of intensive use, both floors were in obvious need of a complete overhaul. In addition, the building’s foundation needed comprehensive repair. Mirck Architecture was commissioned to take on the reconstruction and, along with interior architect Hayo Waisfisz, to design a new interior. Additions that in the past had been built in the inner court between the front house and the back house are removed. As a result, the basement of both the front and the back house will benefit from the additional daylight. In the new configuration, the front house will offer on the connected basement and first floors about 120 m2 of floor space that can be used either as an office or as an apartment. The two floors in the backhouse (with, in addition, a sub-basement floating room – anno 1750 – that has been redesigned as a bathroom) will accommodate another apartment, with access to 35m deep garden.