In the Heritage of the Week section of the Municipality of Amsterdam, a special archaeological find, site, object, monumental building, or historical place in the city is highlighted each week. Heritage experts from the Monuments and Archaeology Office share the city's heritage with Amsterdammers and other interested parties. This article is written by Annette ten Doeschate.
Monuments often catch the eye. Sometimes they stand out with their gable and gutter above the rest. For the sustainable heritage, you need to look a bit harder. Insulation or energy-generating measures are often not visible to the naked eye. For example, at Gunters & Meuser, in the Jordaan on the Egelantiersgracht. The sustainability of this well-known national monument shows how you can preserve a monument and prepare it for the future.
Jordaan family business
The history of Gunters & Meuser begins with a family business rooted in the Jordaan. The Gunters family had a shop in the front house of their home at Prinsengracht 46, but sold their goods throughout the neighborhood. Johannes senior planted the first seed for the iron trade by selling English shoe heel fittings. When his son took over the business in 1866, the name Gunters was already established.
On the left the building of Gunters & Meuser on Egelantiersgracht 2, on the right the entrance at Prinsengracht 108. | Photos: Eat2Gather.
In the meantime, they had moved a bit further to Egelantiersgracht 2. And after Johannes Gunters junior introduced his partner Meuser, and the founding of Gunters & Meuser in 1875 was official, they bought the relevant building together. A few flourishing years later, the adjacent Prinsengracht 108 was also purchased. This building was demolished and rebuilt in French style – but with a distinctive kink in the facade. Now the owner of 2 entire buildings, the firm Gunters & Meuser continued to grow, especially thanks to construction activities in Amsterdam. An extension on the Egelantiersgracht for extra storage proved insufficient: a completely new company building was needed.
In 1917/1918, the new building of Gunters & Meuser was built in Amsterdam School style. | Photo: Eat2Gather.
Wrought iron and brick splendor
And so it happened. Gunters & Meuser, the next generation already, commissioned architects Pieter (P.) Vorkink (1878-1960) and Jacobus (J. Ph.) Wormser (1878-1935) to design a new company building. The new building could be 3 plots wide, because in addition to Egelantiersgracht 2, which they already owned, numbers 4 and 6 were purchased. In 1917 and 1918, one of the most striking buildings in the Jordaan, executed in Amsterdam School style, was built there. Above the door of this very eye-catching building, then a combination of shop, warehouse, and office spaces, the decorative letters Trade in Hardware still adorn it. And between the natural stone cornice and the row of 11 windows, across the entire width of the central bay: Gunters & Meuser. Many Amsterdammers, and tourists, have this image in their minds. In 2001, the building became a national monument.
The facade has a lot of variation due to the decorative Amsterdam school brickwork, the different window frames, and the applied wrought iron. In addition to that very special brick and wrought iron, there is also stained glass and alternating windows with bars and natural stone sills.
The facade has a lot of variation due to the decorative Amsterdam school brickwork, the different window frames, and the applied wrought iron. | Photos: Bureau Monumenten en Archeologie.
(Not) eye-catching adjustments
Due to the architecture and many details, but of course also due to the location, the building is a true eye-catcher. However, a few noteworthy things remain hidden. The national monument has been internally renovated and has a new function. But most importantly to know: it has been significantly made more sustainable!
In 2019 and 2020, the entire building, including the still connected Prinsengracht 108, was made energy-efficient and gas-free. To achieve this, significant insulation was required, and heat pumps and solar panels had to be installed. Because the building had a relatively simple layout and no high monumental interior values, plus a very load-bearing structure, the layout could be reasonably easily adapted. The basement was renewed, former storage spaces converted into offices On the roof are solar panels, and outdoor units of heat pumps, which are not visible from the street. | Photo: ndp.vision10.nland on the upper floors, there is now a modern cooking studio and atmospheric meeting rooms.
On the roof are solar panels, and outdoor units of heat pumps, which are not visible from the street. | Photo: ndp.vision10.nl
Other interventions that only affected the interior did not or hardly conflicted with the monument. Insulating on the inside was therefore feasible. This made significant sustainability steps possible. But for other sustainability measures such as heat pumps, solar panels, and also window insulation, greater care was required. And it called for the creativity of the architect, contractor, and owner. The air heat pumps could be placed in a special space at the back with a bit of fitting and measuring. And with dozens of solar panels on the roof – not visible from the street – there is sustainable electricity.
Different generations in the store. | Photos: Eat2Gather.
For the next generations
The Gunters & Meuser building today reflects the lively (family) history of the Jordaan and the national monument itself. The company still exists, and a third family name 'Olthof' has been added to the story since André Olthof started working there and took over the business in 1955 after Mr. Meuser's death. After sons Hans and Erik continued the business, brother Peter joined as a director in 2002. Karien Olthof, daughter of Hans, also works in and on the building today. On the ground floor, there is still the hardware store, and above the customers coming in and out, meetings and consultations take place. From the windows of the floor above, the scents of freshly (learned and) prepared dishes waft. And all this takes place behind the monumental doors and windows of that corner building where hundreds of Amsterdammers pass by, cycle, and drive every day. It is cared for so that future generations, from in and far outside the Jordaan, can enjoy it for a long time to come.
The original article: https://www.amsterdam.nl/nieuws/erfgoed-week/gunters-meuser/
