Yesterday (10 July) the NEOO team visited the historic city centre of Leiden.
We kicked off the afternoon with a visit to our own project: Aalmarkt 22, the redevelopment of the monumental former V&D building. We’re transforming this iconic building into a lively, sustainable, and multifunctional space where people can work, shop, exercise, eat, and sleep. The permits for the renovation will be submitted soon.
After this inspiring start, we took a boat trip through the canals of Leiden to the Meelfabriek—a unique redevelopment project that is nearing completion after years of vision and perseverance. There, owner, developing contractor, and industrial heritage enthusiast Ab van der Wiel, along with colleague Patty Beuk and project architect Bart Akkerhuis of the Paris-based firm STUDIO AKKERHUIS | ARCHITECTS, gave us a guided tour explaining the transformation process of this fantastic and impressive industrial heritage site. Beyond the beautiful buildings, we were also impressed by the stunning inner garden designed by Piet Oudolf.
The day ended with another canal cruise and a summery dinner by the water.