In 2015, when I took these images, the Batavia Building was home to the Batavia Cafe´.  The building was erected just after World War One for the NV Batavia Arrack Society.  Batavia Arrack is an alcoholic drink originating from the Island of Java.  It is distilled from sugarcane and fermented red rice, using Chinese pot stills and characteristic teak vats.  Paul Clark writing on the "seriouseats.com" website said that, "Batavia arrack is rum's funky ancestor. Made from sugarcane and fermented red rice ..., this smoky, aromatic spirit was a mariner's favorite for years, and was an essential ingredient in punch until well into the 19th-century. Eventually supplanted by rum, Batavia arrack faded from the back bar and the liquor store; in recent years it was primarily found close to its Asian roots, as well as in parts of Northern Europe, where it appeared in chocolates, desserts and sweetened, flavored punches."

The building was both office and warehouse designed in the Amsterdam School style.  The rear of the building faces onto the Oudezijds Kolk, a narrow canal in the center of Amsterdam that runs through the Seawall to Open Harvenfront.