Lloyd Hotel
Encyclopedia
Lloyd Hotel and Cultural Embassy is a historic building in the Eastern Docklands
of Amsterdam
, commissioned by the Royal Holland Lloyd (KHL). It became a building to temporarily house immigrants, a prison and later was a collective building of artists' studios, but is now serving as a hotel since 2004 It is an official national monument of the Netherlands.
From 1921 to 1936 the building was used as temporary accommodation for immigrants, mostly poor Eastern European Jews. In
1936, the KHL went bankrupt and the building was purchased by the City of Amsterdam. Subsequently, from 1938 it was used as a shelter for Jewish refugees from Germany and during World War II
, the building was used as prison. After the war it continued to function as an adult prison, but became a juvenile detention center in 1963. The name "Lloyd Hotel" is named after this centre 'T Nieuwe Lloyd'.
By 1989 the detention center building had fallen into neglect. It was then served as studio space for artists from the former Yugoslavia
. In 1996, a competition was held to decide what the building would best be used for. The designer Suzanne Oxenaar and historian Otto Nan presented a design for a hotel, a "cultural embassy" of culture in Amsterdam. Their plan was developed in sketches by the architect firm MVRDV
and after an extensive restoration, the building has served as a hotel since 2004, placed on the monument list in 2001. The hotel has 117 rooms.
Eastern Docklands
The Eastern Docklands is a neighborhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands, located between the IJ and the Amsterdam–Rhine Canal. The harbor area was constructed in the late nineteenth century to allow for increasing trade with the Dutch East Indies; a new location was necessitated by the construction of...
of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, commissioned by the Royal Holland Lloyd (KHL). It became a building to temporarily house immigrants, a prison and later was a collective building of artists' studios, but is now serving as a hotel since 2004 It is an official national monument of the Netherlands.
History
The building was began construction in 1918 in the eclectic style, designed by architect Evert Breman, commissioned by the Royal Holland Lloyd (KHL). The KHL did use the hotel as advertising, to recruit clients for passengers heading to South America. When it was completed on June 1, 1921, it had cost eight times more than originally estimated, contributing to the subsequent bankruptcy of the KHL.From 1921 to 1936 the building was used as temporary accommodation for immigrants, mostly poor Eastern European Jews. In
1936, the KHL went bankrupt and the building was purchased by the City of Amsterdam. Subsequently, from 1938 it was used as a shelter for Jewish refugees from Germany and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the building was used as prison. After the war it continued to function as an adult prison, but became a juvenile detention center in 1963. The name "Lloyd Hotel" is named after this centre 'T Nieuwe Lloyd'.
By 1989 the detention center building had fallen into neglect. It was then served as studio space for artists from the former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. In 1996, a competition was held to decide what the building would best be used for. The designer Suzanne Oxenaar and historian Otto Nan presented a design for a hotel, a "cultural embassy" of culture in Amsterdam. Their plan was developed in sketches by the architect firm MVRDV
MVRDV
MVRDV is a Rotterdam, Netherlands-based architecture and urban design practice founded in 1991. The name is an acronym for the founding members: Winy Maas , Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries...
and after an extensive restoration, the building has served as a hotel since 2004, placed on the monument list in 2001. The hotel has 117 rooms.