Kraanspoor

Kraanspoor is a threestorey lightweight office building superimposed on a concrete crane way built in 1952 on the grounds of the former NDSM shipyard, a relic of Amsterdam's shipping industry. The design challenge was to realise a maximum surface area without making radical adjustments to the 270metrelong structure, utilising its maximum allowable loadcarrying capacity. Fully respecting its foundation, the new construction follows the entire length and width of the crane way, and supported by threemeterhigh slender steel columns, it appears to float above.

While the transparent double-skin climate facade permits natural ventilation and acts as a thermal buffer, water from the IJ River is pumped up and used for hydrothermal heating as well as cooling. The four double portal frames function once again as stairwells and a separate prefabricated steel structure, specifically developed for this project, includes new stairs and a panoramic lift. The original concrete structure houses the archive/storage space as well as the building services.