From diamond-cutting factory to cultural centre

In 1845, a diamond-cutting factory was built on Roeterseiland, an island on the eastern side of the city centre. Following the decline of Amsterdam’s diamond industry, due to the persecution of the Jews, the factory complex housed the University of Amsterdam’s science department. In 2012, it was completely renovated, with the retention of the original façade, to house CREA, the university’s student cultural centre. The complex is the first component to be completed in the large-scale redevelopment of Roeterseiland.

The new CREA building contains a café, studios, workshops and project spaces, music studios, an auditorium and offices. The preservation of the characteristic old façade was part of the brief given to Joost Glissenaar / Van Mourik architects. Inside, a full height central atrium binds all of the components together. The auditorium, course rooms, offices and the café converge here in a communal circulation space with a large, inviting staircase.

Because the atrium and the balustrades are of glass, the space receives abundant daylight, as did the original factory spaces. The pipes of the climate control system, which have been left exposed to view throughout the building, allude to the building’s industrial past and lend the spaces a rough-and-ready character. (ARCAM/ TB/ MS)