KLM huis nr. 95

This house was built in 1913 to replace the old Heineken brewery on Stadhouderskade in Amsterdam. Heineken had been at that address since the 1860’s and its beer had already become world famous. Nevertheless, the start of the twentieth century heralded another spate of modernization and in 1910, Heineken’s Board of Directors decided it was time for a new brewhouse. Arie Heederik, an architect of Royal Haskoning DHV, was appointed to draw the plans. The result was a robust yet elegant building with a facade that appeared to be crowned by two square towers. Its stained glass windows were some of the decorative features designed in contemporary art nouveau style. A large, prominently-placed, tiled plaque with the name of the brewery decorated the facade. Inside, copper kettles replaced the old wooden ones. Today, the aroma of malt and hops has disappeared. The last bottles came off the bottling line of the brewery on Stadhouderskade in 1988. By the time the Amsterdam brewery closed, about 90,000 people were visiting Heineken annually. Because Heineken wanted to continue this tradition, the buildings on Stadhouderskade were converted into visitors centre. Nowadays, the 1913 brewhouse is at the heart of the Heineken Experience. Heineken, Stadhouderskade 79, 1072 AE, Amsterdam