Header: The Ascott Limited, Fusion Interiors Group (FIG)
Citadines Canal Amsterdam sits inside what used to be 17th-century weavers’ housing in the city’s canal district, now reworked into a small-scale boutique aparthotel. The new project was designed by The Ascott Limited’s design team, with Hilary Lancaster as lead designer, in collaboration with Fusion Interiors Group (FIG). For its whimsical, inviting design, Citadines Canal Amsterdam recently won the Interior Design Renovation category at the LIV Hospitality Design Awards.
The design
The old building’s long history couldn’t be forgotten, so the designers made sure that the interiors took cues from its origins. The design team worked especially with the idea of weaving, not just in a visual sense but also in how materials and spaces relate to one another. There’s an emphasis on texture, with original timber beams and brickwork left exposed and integrated into the interior design instead of being covered up.
Alongside the restoration, the project includes several sustainability upgrades: electric car charging, energy-efficient systems, and gym equipment designed to be used without electricity. The existence of these elements isn’t shared with the public as part of the Citadines Canal Amsterdam’s image; rather, they are seen as the obvious additions of a project adherent to low-impact city tourism’s goals.
