De Centrale: From Telephone Exchange to Townhouses
"Broersma has proven experience in providing critical guidance and creative support for similar urban development projects in Amsterdam. Their contribution was not limited to sales alone, but also included the critical review of related and approved plans."
A hidden gem in De Baarsjes
Hidden behind an unassuming facade on Filips van Almondestraat lies one of the most remarkable transformations in Amsterdam West. The former telephone exchange, built in 1928—where women once manually connected telephone lines—has Broersma Wonen by GPS Vastgoed, Rijnboutt Architecten, Studio Piet Boon, and Broersma Wonen into nineteen high-quality, sustainable townhouses. A quiet, green courtyard in the heart of De Baarsjes, where light, height, and tranquility come together.
From a bare-bones telephone exchange to unique residences
On his first visit, Kees Kemp, a partner at Broersma Wonen, was Immediately : “Behind the front door, we found a historic gem—spacious, full of character, and with a soul of its own. It was a unique blank canvas right in the heart of De Baarsjes, and we Immediately saw Immediately .”
“While the initial plans called for small-scale apartments, our experience with transformation projects led us to recognize the need for larger residences more light, higher ceilings, and a garden,” said Kees. This is something that is scarce in the existing housing stock in De Baarsjes. Broermsa provided advice on living quality, layout, and positioning of the project. And so, together with GPS, they opted for a residential concept featuring spacious townhouses in Location compact apartments.
A key discovery turned out to be the hidden extra height above the ceiling. This made it possible to create a full-fledged additional floor without compromising the building’s historic appearance. The result: residences , spacious outdoor areas, and a quality of living you would never guess from the outside.
“Quality in the broadest sense of the word, combined with positive energy. The hands-on approach to marketing and support for the selling agents makes Broersma a strong partner.”
Space, materials, and aesthetics – the touch of Studio Piet Boon
On Broersma’s advice, the project did not opt for a shell-only delivery but instead made a conscious choice to pursue a high-quality finish and focus on a turnkey residential product. Studio Piet Boon was closely project in the project to ensure refinement and an aesthetic finish. Rugged concrete trusses remained exposed, tall windows were accentuated, and historic elements such as the monumental staircase and original details were given a prominent place in the design. Materials were chosen for Sustainability, tactile quality, and timeless beauty.
"Real estate development is a long-term process. By the time sales begin, you’ve already gone through many iterations, and energy levels are often running low. Broersma brings fresh energy to that final phase of project development, which helps ensure a successful conclusion."
Storytelling, diversity, and the power of precision
Broersma Project was involved in the project identity and positioning from the design phase onward project was responsible for, among other things, the branding, website, videos, photography, styling, solar studies, and 3D visuals. For a year, they kept interested parties informed about the progress of construction and available residences.
Hadewych van Middelaar, Marketing Manager Broersma Wonen : “The marketing required a careful approach. The building has a T-shaped structure with residences on all sides, so it was important to give prospective buyers a clear understanding of the location and diversity of the residences. We visualized this online with a home selector and offline with floor plan magazines. Because the project was developed project , we built up a strong group of interested parties during the transformation, whom we actively engaged with updates, videos, and phased sales events. For the sales presentation, we displayed historical photos in the entrance area and added an original 1930s telephone switchboard cabinet in the lobby. This completed the presentation and reception experience.
“By organizing sales events and targeted marketing activities in phases, Broersma was able to position the project in the market project a distinctive way.”
How Broersma Wonen Project Marketing Makes a Difference
“The strength of this project in collaboration and in bringing together vision, design, market knowledge, and sales strategy at an early stage,” says Kees. “Because we were able to contribute our ideas on housing typology, layout, finish quality, and positioning even before the design phase began, De Centrale has evolved into a project strategy, design, aesthetics, marketing, and sales come together seamlessly.”
De Centrale honors the past while offering a contemporary standard of living that enriches De Baarsjes—and sets a new benchmark for historic redevelopment.