Neutelings Riedijk Architects appointed to transform the historic heart of Amsterdam’s newest urban district

Following an international architect selection attracting more than 500 applications, Neutelings Riedijk Architects has been appointed by AM and Amvest to design the transformation of the historic C-Lab, the only building to be preserved within the redevelopment of the former Draka industrial site in Amsterdam-Noord.

From industrial powerhouse to urban catalyst. For over a century, the Draka factory helped power the Netherlands. Today, its historic C-Lab will connect this remarkable industrial legacy with the future of Amsterdam’s newest mixed-use neighbourhood.

As the historic heart of the future neighbourhood, the former laboratory occupies a unique position within one of Amsterdam’s largest contemporary urban regeneration projects. Rather than preserving the building as an isolated monument, the design transforms it into the cultural, spatial and social anchor of a new mixed-use district comprising approximately 1,500 homes, workplaces, public amenities and generous public space.

*The current DRAKA site is being transformed into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood while preserving the C-Lab building that defines its identity. (illustration: Courtesy of AM / AMVEST)*

For more than a century, the Draka factory played an important role in the Netherlands’ industrial and technological development. Its name—derived from the Dutch words DRAad (wire) and KAbelfabriek (cable factory)—became synonymous with innovation in wire and cable production. Today, the historic C-Lab will once again become a place of innovation, connecting this remarkable industrial legacy with the future identity of Amsterdam’s newest urban neighbourhood.

In the post-war years, the C-Lab served as the research and development centre of one of the Netherlands’ leading wire and cable manufacturers. More than seventy years later, it will once again become a place of innovation—this time as the cultural heart of a new mixed-use neighbourhood. (Photo: Stadsarchief Amsterdam)

The design embraces the architectural qualities already embedded within the existing structure. Its robust concrete frame, generous spatial organisation and industrial character provide the foundation for a contemporary programme that celebrates adaptive reuse rather than replacement. By carefully transforming the existing building, the project demonstrates how industrial heritage can become the catalyst for creating resilient, sustainable and distinctive urban environments.

The commission continues Neutelings Riedijk Architects’ longstanding commitment to heritage-led urban transformation. Across Europe, the office explores how existing buildings can become drivers of contemporary city-making through adaptive reuse, circular design and architecture rooted in the identity of place.

The adaptive reuse of Gare Maritime in Brussels (left), Cité des Imaginaires in Nantes (middle), and the Thyssen-Krupp Areal in Cologne-Ehrenfeld (right), demonstrate how industrial heritage can become the foundation for vibrant new urban destinations.

Recent projects include the transformation of Gare Maritime in Brussels, one of Europe’s largest former railway freight halls; Cité des Imaginaires in Nantes, where former industrial buildings are reimagined as the cultural heart of a new destination and the redevelopment of the Thyssen-Krupp Areal in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, where industrial heritage forms the framework for a new creative urban quarter.

The transformation of the C-Lab continues this ongoing exploration of how historic structures can shape the identity of future cities.

Neutelings Riedijk Architects looks forward to collaborating with AM, Amvest, the Municipality of Amsterdam, and the wider design team—including Arons en Gelauff Architecten, FABRICations, Studio Nauta, MONADnock, Atelier Kempe Thill, VLOT and ATTRA—to realise a resilient, productive and inclusive urban district where architecture, public space and industrial heritage reinforce one another.

More information at pr.nra@neutelings-riedijk.com

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