XML designed the Institute for Night Culture (INC), VDNDP was involved from an early stage in the design process as architectural architect. A fantastic challenge: the institute is fitted into an originally 17th-century building block in the heart of the city and consists of a café, a small hall and a large hall with a total capacity of 650 visitors.
XML was commissioned for the project in 2014. Due to the complex construction logistics in downtown Amsterdam, the project will be implemented in phases. The cafe is scheduled to open in late 2025 and the entire complex will be completed in 2027.
The institute is an incubator at the intersection of contemporary art and nightlife. INC is the first cultural institution in the world dedicated entirely to night culture. The mission of this new cultural institution is to program, produce and document progressive night culture.
The Institute for NightCulture is an initiative of the INC Foundation and is supported by the City of Amsterdam. The project is being developed by Michiel Kleiss who has a long history in Amsterdam nightlife as a DJ, and former director of club RoXY, Paradiso and the Lowlands Festival.
The location of the new building on the Amstel River, adjacent to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, presents unique challenges. XML's architectural concept stems from achieving perfect sound insulation and absorption and careful incorporation into the existing city. The INC's main entrance is located in a café on the first floor of a 17th-century building to be restored. From here a staircase leads visitors to a new building hidden in the courtyard behind.
The location of the new building on the Amstel River, adjacent to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, presents unique challenges. XML's architectural concept stems from achieving perfect sound insulation and absorption and careful incorporation into the existing city. The INC's main entrance is located in a café on the first floor of a 17th-century building to be restored. From here a staircase leads visitors to a new building hidden in the courtyard behind. The two building sections are connected by an underground "forum" that functions as a "service floor. Here there are restrooms, checkrooms and multi-purpose rooms. From this underground space under the entire venue, visitors can take stairs to the large hall on the first floor (capacity of 450) or descend another level to a small hall (capacity of 100) on the second basement level, 7.5 meters below ground level. A garden, designed by landscape architects Inside Outside, will be built on top of the volume of the soundproof large auditorium. This secret garden will contain a new home with panoramic views of downtown Amsterdam. To make the construction site accessible for work, a 19th-century building along the Amstel River will be demolished, which will be reconstructed in the courtyard after the work is completed. Part of this reconstruction is a newly added cantilevered rear house with an expanded metal facade. In the design, great care was taken to blend into the existing urban fabric. As a result, the new building with a total height of almost 26 meters remains completely invisible from the public space. The 17th-century building block is thus given a new contemporary heart, hidden behind the historic facades.
XML
Rappange & Partners
Construction consulting firm Strackee
Event Acoustics
CRUX
M3E Group
Office of Architecture
Inside Outside
MBS Cellar Construction
