The location on the water is excellent for a grand entrance. The name of the hotel itself sparks curiosity: BOAT&CO. But first let's take a look at the surroundings and take a detour into the last century. Houthaven, the name of the secluded harbour area on the western outskirts of Amsterdam, has become a new residential quarter and destination for tourists and residents since last year.

As with any building of this size, materiality and form played an essential role in BOAT & CO. The façade corresponds to the classical division of the building into three parts: base, middle and top. At the same time, with its multitude of projections and recesses, bay windows, cornices and pillars, the façade displays the strict structure that was common to buildings of the Amsterdam School. At the same time, the conglomerate of horizontal and vertical components supports the human-scale façade.

Following the Dutch architectural style, the base storey was clad in anthracite-coloured natural stone, while the upper storeys were traditionally clad in reddish brick. The finishing touch is the curved RHEINZINK titanium zinc roof. The smooth, light-coloured surface with its unadorned textures gives the hotel its prominent appearance and at the same time holds the vast volume of the hotel together in a clear and perfectly designed manner. The special features of titanium zinc, such as resistance to corrosion, durability, low maintenance and exclusivity, fit in perfectly in the harbour area.

They decided on the RHEINZINK-CLASSIC bright-rolled version. The slender, elongated surfaces in the angled standing seam system, which correspond perfectly to the storey height, proved to be the ideal solution for the complex roof form, an arrangement of mansard roof with pointed arches. The angled standing seam roofing system enables the respective shape of the arch, such as at the ridge and the cheeks of the pointed dormers, to be finished with precision and geometric clarity.

Manufactured in the spirit of traditional craftsmanship, the angled standing seam contributes to a sophisticated rhythmic appearance of the roof due to its constant section widths. Another striking feature is the regularly spaced large pointed dormers and the small trailing dormers, which are systematically integrated into the large roof form with unobtrusive connection details. The connection between the pointed dormer and the main roof, for example, was made with highest expertise by means of folded flashings.

As far as the colour is concerned, the originally natural surface initially appears in a metallic shiny look. Over time, the titanium zinc develops a velvety, blue-grey patina. Gradually, the colour of the titanium zinc roof will match that of the natural stone base, which will also become more natural over the years and emphasise its unity with the roof.