Providing 160 guest rooms, a swimming pool, wellness centre, turkish baths and a restaurant-bar, the design is conceived both figuratively and literally as a 'home from home' with almost 70 individual houses stacked within the main body of the structure reaching almost 40 m and 11 floors high.
"It is a design that could be realised only in Zaandam," said a spokesperson for the architect, "...but at the same timetranscends and reinvigorates local tradition. It was, moreover, specifically tailored to thissite. The Blue House, inspired by the work Claude Monet painted at Zaandam in 1871,is the ultimate attention-grabber."
"...architecture naturally makes a direct appeal to theemotions as well," adds Van Winden. "An acquaintance recently commented, 'When Idrive into Zaandam and see the building standing there a smile inevitably spreads acrossmy face.' You could hardly ask for a more wonderful compliment."
The town centre and station area of Zaandam, in North Holland, are currently being radically restructured. The ‘Inverdan’ urban redevelopment scheme was devised by Soeters Van Eldonk architecten, a plan that reinstates the historical street layout, reopens a canal and restores an atmosphere of congeniality to Zaandam’s heart. Completion of the Inntel is due in Autumn 2010.
