{"id":109558,"date":"2026-06-17T00:09:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T00:09:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/109558\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T00:09:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T00:09:22","slug":"a-house-made-of-boxes-the-unusual-light-house-in-amsterdam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/109558\/","title":{"rendered":"A house made of boxes. The unusual Light House in Amsterdam"},"content":{"rendered":"

Light House in Amsterdam is a home that redefines the way we experience space. Designed by architects from the Studioninedots studio, it was created in response to a request from a couple with two children who dreamed of a place that fostered closeness \u2013 both within the family and in relation to the surroundings. The architects were given almost complete creative freedom, and the result is a building that functions as a vertical landscape of light, air and shifting perspectives.<\/p>\n

The house stands on Centrumeiland \u2013 a new district of Amsterdam, where individual building and a sustainable approach to architecture are integral to the local character. Light House stands out for its composition, reminiscent of an arrangement of seemingly randomly placed boxes. Each one accommodates a different activity: cooking, spending time together, resting, working or meeting friends. Instead of concentrating family life on the ground floor, the architects spread it across multiple levels, creating a structure that can be lived in not only inside, but also on its surfaces and in between them.<\/p>\n

Architecture built from boxes<\/p>\n

As they move through the house, the residents experience the changing relationships between spaces. There are cosy alcoves ideal for work or rest, as well as tall, light-filled voids that enhance contact with the surroundings. Just above the kitchen (the heart of the home) hovers a secluded volume suspended within the structure. This is a private relaxation zone, designed for reading, yoga, watching films or simply a moment of solitude.<\/p>\n

New ways of using the home<\/p>\n

The lower part of the building is screened by a wall of square glass blocks. These allow diffused light to pass through whilst blurring the sharpness of the view from outside. As a result, the lives of the household are visible from the street only as abstract outlines, striking a balance between openness and a sense of privacy. The square motif also recurs in the steel elements on the garden fa\u00e7ade, giving the building a cohesive, distinctive character.<\/p>\n

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On the top floor, the architects have created a space described as a \u2018holiday home\u2019 \u2013 a high-ceilinged room with arched windows reaching to the ceiling, opening onto a terrace overlooking Lake IJmeer. It is a place for gatherings, celebrations and shared relaxation. The entire structure has been designed to evolve with the family: the individual \u2018boxes\u2019 can be reinterpreted, transformed and used in new ways.<\/p>\n

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A house that grows with the family<\/p>\n

Light House is built using a lightweight steel frame filled with prefabricated timber elements. This modular system promotes flexibility, easy dismantling and long-term sustainable use. The house manages water on its own plot, aligning with the island\u2019s ecological ambitions.<\/p>\n

The result is architecture that inspires us to rediscover space. Light House combines moments of intensity and tranquillity, openness and shelter, creating a home that is both surprising and deeply attuned to its inhabitants. It is a place that constantly invites interaction \u2013 with loved ones, with the surroundings and with the space itself. In this way, a house has been built that we most often associate with the landscape of Japanese cities.<\/p>\n

design: Studioninedots<\/a><\/p>\n

photography: Sebastian van Damme<\/p>\n

Read also: Netherlands<\/a> | Amsterdam<\/a> | Detached house<\/a> | Modernism<\/a> | Recommended<\/a> | whiteMAD on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

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