Railwayhouse

Project Description

The project involves the transformation and expansion of a railway cottage next to the Santpoort-Noord station. The railway house is bordered on one side by the railway line between Amsterdam and Ijmuiden and on the other side by the South Kennemerland National Park. The contrast between the straight metal rails and the softness of the dunes is the basic idea for the metamorphosis of this railway house, with the hardness of steel, concrete and glass across waving grass, shells and wood.
The picturesque railway house is almost brutally pierced by a large Corten steel volume.
Extensions have been added on two sides, with hard lines and large glass surfaces, drawing attention to the surrounding greenery. The small railway house literally breaks through its ancient walls to the outside and provides new insights into the landscape. The old railway cottage is almost unchanged on the inside.
The traces of numerous alterations have been removed, leaving a pure and characteristic brick cottage. This old section provides security and at the same time connects all the contiguous open spaces of the house. From the middle of the house you can experience long visual axes and a waterfall staircase connecting the various floors.
On the east side, a volume has been added to the entrance and the living room. The basement of this volume houses the sleeping area with a bathroom. By making the extension narrow and elongated, an intimate patio is created on the south side, covered with shells. On the west side, on the other hand, the expansion is wide. This dining room is linked to the kitchen in the old railway house.
Exciting reversals between inside and outside have arisen in the railway house. The outside of the railway house is the interior of the dining room and the patio looks mostly like an interior space. Old elements and new additions alternate surprisingly. Hard materials meet the gentle atmosphere of the old house. This juxtaposition continues in the interior. Design classics are combined with found objects, a Persian carpet lies on hard untreated concrete, there is a surfboard next to the dining table and a series of remarkable plants features throughout the railway house.