MAASSLUIS – An old cafeteria was given a new home in the style of American diners, with a Dutch twist. Cafeteria van Ruyven’s fresh design lights up the industrial area where it is located, in Maassluis, Netherlands. According to Dutch studio derksen|windt architecten, ‘the design is based on a contemporary fusion of American 50's diners and the style of the Amsterdam School.’
While the brick walls with rounded corners and mullioned windows hint at the distinguished Amsterdam School architecture, the stainless steel bands that surround the flat roof, the long, narrow shape of the building and its interior instantly bring the archetypal American diner to mind.
The architects raised part of the ceiling in order to ease the transition between building and sky as well as to create a feeling of spaciousness in the interior. Moreover, two large windows open up the diner décor and life to passersby, exciting them into the prospect of going in and participating.
These elements complement each other and make this ‘stopping site’ a welcome addition to the scenario in a busy connecting road which draws a line between Maassluis’s old centre and its business park. In part thanks to the courage of the owners to invest in a new look despite the economy, Cafeteria van Ruyven was elected the town’s entrepreneur of 2012 in January this year, a reminder of the importance of good design.
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