| Architect |
de Architekten
Cie |
| Date
Built |
Completed
2008 |
| Location |
Westerdokseiland
in Amsterdam |
| Description |
|
|
The irony about this unusual restaurant,
called "Open", is that when I photographed
it in March of 2015 it appeared to be closed
and its website doesn't appear to have been
updated since 2011. I believe however, that
the name doesn't refer to its operational
status but to the fact that the swing bridge
it sits on top of is now permanently in the
"Open" position. The bridge was once a
link between Amsterdam Central Station and a
shunting yard in the Westerdok area.
The building's design was the result of a
competition in 2005. It is described
on the "Architecturalist" website as, "...
a pure, transparent, glass volume that
fits precisely onto the existing bridge.
It is composed of a floor, a roof and a
glazed façade that is formed entirely of
pivotal windows, all of which can be
opened. .... A staircase
and a lift attached to the disused brick
pillar on the quayside, provide access
to an outdoor serving area on top of it,
from which visitors can reach OPEN via a
footbridge across the water." |
|
|
Restaurant
Open, Amsterdam, Holland
 |
