Platform on new construction, renovation, restoration and transformation
New doors, yet a familiar streetscape. On Amsterdam’s Marnixstraat, Berg Deuren replaced the 35 porch doors and windows and restored them to their original condition. This was achieved not by reusing old elements one-to-one, but by translating the historical details into doors that meet today’s technical requirements. The centuries-old window frames were preserved in the process.
As a long-standing partner of Nijhuis Bouw, Berg Deuren took on the project of the porch doors. “At first, the question was whether we could reuse the existing doors,” says Theo van den Berg, director of Berg Deuren. “Technically, that turned out not to be feasible. The approach therefore shifted to preserving the centuries-old window frames and redesigning the doors and windows to match their original appearance.”
That called for precise measurements. “After all, the existing door frames serve as the starting point for the new doors,” says Van den Berg. “The dimensions and connections were digitally recorded, after which we manufactured the doors to exact specifications in our factory. The rebates and details were tailored to the existing door frame without unnecessarily modifying the original frame.” Another key consideration was the goal of preserving the original appearance of the double porch doors. “The current doorway must be at least 930 millimeters wide and has actually been made slightly wider here. Visually, however, the entrance had to continue to appear as two narrower doors of roughly 830 millimeters, as in the original design. The mail slot panel has therefore become part of the detailing. This creates a modern, wide passageway with today’s dimensions and the look of the past.”
Berg Deuren applied the same approach to the window at the top of the stairwell. There, too, the existing window frame was preserved, and the original detailing was recreated as accurately as possible. New frame rebates and dimensions were adapted to the existing situation. The doors and windows were factory-manufactured, painted, and glazed by Berg Deuren, and then installed on site. “At the request of the Monuments Committee, they were painted a second time on site so that the authentic brushstrokes would be visible again.”
