In the historical center of the city of Maastricht is the Kruishen Hotel, the location of which was the old building of the Gothic Church. Such a decision at the junction of culture, architecture and religion in any other European country would certainly cause a flurry of discussions and storm of condemnation. However, the Netherlands is a country of historically Protestant faith, where the largest number of Europeans – atheists live, and such transformations are often welcome there. Secular organizations boldly claim unclaimed religious structures and come up with a more relevant, new application for them, as well as modernize and restore.
In this case, there was no need to seriously restore. Both the building of the monastery and the church of the 15th century, contrary to their respectable age, were perfectly preserved, as a result of which they were left practically untouched. The entrance group of the hotel was only noticeably changed.
In the former building of the church, there is now a reception zone, a conference bar, a boutique, a library and a coffee bar, which is connected using a glass elevator with the premises of the former monastery. The hotel rooms are located there at the moment. They also added a mezzanine, from where guests at dinner could enjoy bright views of monastery gardens and the old city.
Rob Browers (Rob Brouwers) led the architectural part of the project, Henk VOS- interiors design. And the world -famous Ingo Maurer designer developed unique lighting solutions for such an unusual hotel. Sculptural lamps, bright objects of modern furniture revived Gothic arches of corridors and former monastery cells. Squamied ceilings and ascetic stone decoration decorated prints, reproductions and modern photos in the entire wall.
The works of famous classes-classics: Herrit Rietveld and Le Corbusier as well as contemporaries-Piet Heyn Eekk, Roderick Vosa, Mark Newson, Philip Stark (Philippe. Starck) appear to visitors to a unique hotel. Roderick Vos (Roderick Vos), which is not highlighted, the son of one of the most famous interior designers in the Netherlands, who participated in this reconstruction.