Between city and silence: Waterpost

The Entrepotdok was constructed in 1827 as part of the Royal Entrepot, a storage and transshipment area where goods from colonies were stored and preserved, often with tax advantages. This made Amsterdam an important hub for international trade. The term entrepot comes from French and means 'storage place'. The former police and customs station is a modest brick building that subtly distinguishes itself from the adjacent building without contrasting strongly with it. The design, characteristic of the 1920s Public Works Department, bears unmistakable traces of the Amsterdam School style, although these are less prominent on the street side. Nevertheless, details such as the wide window frames, the rounded brick 'bulge' on the corner, and the gently sloping quay wall already hint at this style. On the water side, the influence of the Amsterdam School is clearly evident. The rounded outer wall is an elegant and refined solution to the bend in the quay wall. On the east side, the facade continues higher, while the lower part curves forward plastically above the double window, a subtle but characteristic stylistic indication. The windows also attract attention here: two diamond-shaped windows and a striking pointed frame add a playful element to the design.

For us, this house is special in every way. The shape, the location, the view—everything about it is unique. There is no other like it in the city. We live here in the heart of Amsterdam, but every day we experience the tranquility of a sheltered spot by the water. From the house, we look out over the Nieuwe Herengracht. In the morning, we hear the soft rustling of Artis Zoo in the distance, while the sun rises above the elongated Entrepotdok. The square is bathed in morning light, and people sit on the benches in front of the door enjoying the first rays of sunshine. Inside the house, the light follows the position of the sun: every moment of the day, a different glow falls in somewhere. In the kitchen, the reflections of the water dance on the ceiling—a play of light that never gets boring. The basement is an oasis of tranquility, a place to retreat to for a moment. Upstairs, the view opens up on all sides—onto the square, the Entrepotdok, and the canal. At the front, by the round window, we sit in the sun early in the spring. Boats sail by here all day long. During the week, large commercial vessels, and on weekends, a lively stream of pleasure boats. We live in the center, but without the hustle and bustle that often comes with it. No crowds of tourists, no endless stream of wheeled suitcases. Instead, we have the luxury of cafés, museums, and restaurants within walking distance, and at the same time the freedom to quickly drive in and out of the city. With the car at the door and the water literally at our feet. Artis feels like our Rear garden from the jetty we can step right into our own boat. The Marineterrein is just a stone's throw away.
We have our regular spots in the neighborhood. From the living room, we can see Café de Druif. On Sunday mornings, we walk to the bakery at the Marineterrein—Kometen Brood—for delicious croissants. Other favorites are Restaurant Entrepot, Gebroeders Hartering, Scheepskameel, and Pension Homeland—all within walking distance.
What also makes this house so special is everything we have experienced here. The arrival of Sinterklaas, when we stood at the window with friends and family waving as his steamboat sailed by. The holidays and long summer evenings, with dinners and drinks on the square—our own oasis in the city. The first laps our son learned to ride his bike here. The mornings on the bench by the front door in the sun. Together on the jetty, watching the boats go by and friends spontaneously mooring for a glass of wine.
The charm of the house is in every detail: the curved lines of the facade, the window sills, the baseboards, the door frames, our characterful front door. In this place, we felt freedom, light, and space. A house full of life. A house that felt like a work of art—to live in, celebrate, and cherish.