Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo has completed the renovation of the headquarters of De Nederlandsche Bank in Amsterdam. The building, dating from 1968 and described by some as the ugliest building in the country, has under the leadership of Francine Houben been transformed into an open place intended to draw the city closer to the central bank. The project is nominated for the Dezeen Awards 2026.
The original building was designed by Marius Frans Duintjer and was strongly influenced by modernism and the style of Mies van der Rohe. The design stood in stark contrast to Amsterdam's canal houses: a concrete structure of floor slabs that did not seek harmony with the old city centre. Because of high security requirements, the building acquired a fortress-like character over time, with fencing, boulders and armed police on the grounds. Later extensions added an extra storey and a fourteen-storey cylindrical tower, making the complex look even more closed and heavy.
The most important turning point was the relocation of the gold reserves and banknote activities to Zeist. This move made it possible to make the building more transparent and open, because the most sensitive functions no longer had to be housed in the centre of Amsterdam. The cylindrical tower was removed, creating a new public garden. The released concrete rubble was reused for a quay and for social housing elsewhere in the city, so the material did not end up as waste. The old brown facade stones were also not thrown away: they were ground into pigment for the new red tiles.
The entrance has been moved to Frederiksplein. From there an inner street leads to the former 61-metre gold vault, which now serves as an exhibition gallery. The exhibition covers gold, money, the economy and the bank's work, and makes visible what happens behind the closed doors of a central bank. Retained structures are clad in red ceramic brick, so that old and new come together in one material language. A five-storey-high atrium connects the various parts of the building, and a meeting venue and a restaurant on the Singelgracht have been added.
Energy performance has improved considerably. Kastenfenster double glazing has been applied, reducing energy consumption by an estimated eighty percent. The interior finishes use blue, red and orange tones inspired by the old guilder banknotes, so that the history of the Dutch currency also returns within the spaces themselves. The wooden ceilings are made of locally felled poplar. The former double-height cash hall is now a meeting room. Secured work zones for staff are located in the inner courtyard and in the tower, so the bank maintains its operational security while the public part becomes accessible.
The client was De Nederlandsche Bank, and the main contractor was SPIE. The project shows how a building that once symbolised seclusion can take on a public function without losing sight of banking activities. For Amsterdam, it means that one of the country's largest financial institutions is now presenting itself more openly to the city that houses it.