The Vibe: Tiny house on a bridge.
The Area: Scattered throughout the city. Some offer peace and quiet, some are in buzzy transportation hubs.
The DNA: Dutch architecture firm Space&Matter has turned a series of redundant canal-side bridge keeper’s houses in Amsterdam into the SWEETS hotel. Each suite is decorated to reflect the architectural history of that particular bridge house. For over 100 years the bridge houses accommodated the city’s many bridge keepers who were responsible for opening the bridges for passing water traffic. Due to centralisation of bridge control, the bridge houses became redundant. The project repurposes these historical buildings, preventing them from falling into disrepair or being demolished. “These small buildings carry an extensive history,” said Space&Matter. “Visiting them in chronological order is like a journey through time: their various architectural styles reveal how the city developed and grew.” Many of the city’s bridges and bridge houses were designed by renowned Dutch architects with distinct architectural ideas.
Suite-Me-Up: Each of the 28 bridge house is different: they were built between 1673 and 2009. Interiors also reflect this. For example, at the Amstelschutsluis bridge house, the oldest one, the architects uncovered an old chimney above the ceiling which they decided to leave in place as a design feature. Meanwhile the suite’s new interior mixes the materials and colours that were typically used in 17th-century Holland with contemporary furnishings. For the interior of the Hortusbrug bridge house – a bridge house in the style of De Stijl – the architects looked to Dutch architect and designer Gerrit Rietveld for inspiration. The floor of the Nieuwe Amstelbrug bridge house was originally just a few square metres. In order to put in a bathroom, double bed, seating area and small pantry, the design team decided to take out the ceiling and dig into the ground, so that there would be enough space for three floors, connected by small staircases.
Seen: designboom, dezeen, WeHeart
✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 28 suites (12-81m2) (129-872 sq ft) • hotel opened: 2018 • architecture & interior design: Space&Matter ❌ no parking available • no pets allowed • 24-hours self check-in
