The Van der Pekstraat in Amsterdam Noord has a lot of vacant housing awaiting renovation. At the same time the low rents in the area are attracting many starting creative entrepeneurs. We cooperated in designing the concept of a warehouse in which these entrepeneurs can operate under a common umbrella, while offering services such as a cafe, workspace an exhibition space as a social and economical boost for the area.
Louise Went, ‘Mama Louise’, was a filanthropist and active in the development of social housing at the end of the 19th and start of the 20th century. She was also the wife of Jan Ernst van der Pek (after whom the street and area was named) an Amsterdam architect who also played a big part in the realization of social housing. The brand ‘Mama Louise’ has the character of a neighborhood mom, with a small streetwise twist.
The first phase of the project is now in development.
