This 130-Year-Old Dutch Church Gets a New Life as a Library

Renovations came come in all shapes and sizes. Most often, we see homes transformed. But sometimes, very unique renos happen, where a building that formerly hosted one activity becomes something entirely different. Just look at this former Dutch church that was made into a library and museum.

Have you ever traveled to a major city, like New York or Paris, and noticed beautiful 19th-century architecture? Of course, you have, many cities have kept their original architecture, but these buildings are now homes to new businesses.

The number of times I’ve seen a gorgeous building in New York with over a 100 years of history that is now a bank is off the charts.

The Dutch church, which dates back to 1884, got an extensive renovation, while still maintaining all the glory of its original design.

Architecture firm Molenaar & Bol & Van Dillen Architects took on the project of transforming this church into a library and museum. It also has a few shops and a bar.

The library has a very open concept design and it is open to the public. The 5,380-square-foot space now also has a study area and meeting rooms. With the renovation, there are now new views of the church that people were unable to access previously.

The architects wrote about their bookcase designs for Arch Daily:

The bookshelves are placed on a rail system so they can be moved to the aisles of the church. In this setting the church can be used for large events several times a year. Because of this the church floor can be used in a highly flexible way, providing room for events on all scales as well as functioning as a library.

If anyone is in the mood to dine surrounded by gorgeous 19th-century architecture, there is a restaurant in the garden pavilion with views of the south side of the church.

H/T: Arch Daily