Costes - Zaandam

Koppes Bouwkunde has designed a striking new facade on the Gedempte Gracht in the center of Zaandam. This former V&D corner building is being converted for another shop from a closed concrete block to a playful building with aluminum MD Expanded Metal, anodized in AluBronze. The vertical lines of the original facade served as inspiration for the new design, which is accentuated with striking lighting effects in the evening.

Playing with panels and light
The robust appearance of the original concrete building is retained and with the new facade it has a layered shell. The front of the building, on the side of the canal, is fully clad with panels of MD Expanded Metal. The further away from the canal, the fewer metal panels are attached to the building, so that the dark surfaces seem to gradually disappear into the concrete. Shop window fronts have been placed in the concrete facade, partly behind the new skin of the building. Even after sunset, the shop windows remain illuminated. That makes this building, in combination with linear lighting behind the MD expanded metal panels, a striking lantern in the city center at night.