Architecture News Plus (ANP) – Architecture and Design Magazine

Restaurant Stork

This is a project by CUBE architecten + SOLUZ and it is located at Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was submitted to Architecture News Plus (ANP) by CUBE architecten. Project's program: Conversion of an old industrial warehouse into a café and fish restaurant. There are nine images for Restaurant Stork.

: © CUBE architecten

Project details

Project name: Restaurant Stork
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Program: Conversion of an old industrial warehouse into a café and fish restaurant
Area: Project Area: 1,100 m2
Year: Completion: 2011
Client: Restaurant Stork
Project by: CUBE architecten + SOLUZ
Team: Design Team: Pieter van der Pot, Marloes van Heteren
Others: Interior Designer: Interior Shock (Erik Dijkstra)

Project images

Designer's statement

An old industrial warehouse of 1100 m2, at one of the most beautiful spots along the Amsterdam waterfronts, was transformed by CUBE architecten and SOLUZ architecten to an attractive café and the biggest fish restaurant of Europe.

Stork Restaurant is one of the pioneers in project “De Overkant” where an old industrial complex of several buildings is transformed to lively area for creative companies, restaurants, events, culture etc. It’s on the north side of the IJ — the big canal that splits Amsterdam in two parts. The north side used to be less known to the public but the last couple of years this area has been suddenly discovered. This location has the potential to become a unique and high quality mixed-use area in the near future. CUBE architecten and SOLUZ to were commissioned redevelop the 30 000 m2 of industrial spaces for at-least the next 15 years. They also delivered the architectural design for Stork Restaurant. Interior design and execution was delivered by Interior Shock.

The original facades only had windows high up, so the first intervention was creating large openings with glass folding doors that can open up large parts of the facade. The old small windows, witch were placed too high to actually see the other side of the river, were extended downwards. These two interventions brought a lot of light into the old factory, created an impressive view of the harbor, and provided an easy access to the waterside terrace in summertime.

All facilities are placed behind one long continuous wall that doesn’t reach the facades or the roof of the building. The large open industrial space is thus left intact; the new elements are treated as furniture-like additions. This wall contains several openings of which one of them is the open kitchen where all the cooking and preparation by the chefs is shown.

For a lot of the styling re-used items were chosen by Interior Shock, like huge (unused) concrete sewerage segments, huge old cable reels of neighboring company Draka and wooden pallets. This way it was possible to create the feeling of a restaurant in the impressing big warehouse, with a minimal input of new material.

The large central bar is placed between the cafe part and the more formal restaurant area. This way the huge open space is divided in different areas and atmospheres.