Restoration of a Monumental Seventeenth-Century Canal House in the Center of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Abstract

The historic city center of Amsterdam is full of monumental buildings, most of which are dwellings up to 400 years old. Many lives have been lived there, and consequently many alterations have been made. Restoring a canal house is therefore an exercise in reading the past while simultaneously considering the present. Each aspect can require a different approach: conservation, restoration, reconstruction, and even addition. For while the first two involve a static approach to tradition in which heritage is kept accessible to future generations, this is not at odds with the tradition of altering a home to suit current and future needs.