On the banks of Amsterdam's most lively waterway, this contemporary residence is more floating villa than houseboat. Large windows and sliding doors open onto the deck, a perfect perch to watch the comings and goings of the nearby rowing clubs and the changing weather patterns reflected on the river's surface. While the living areas offer vistas of life beyond its windows, the lower level sits well below the waterline, cocooning its bedrooms and bathrooms in privacy.

Designed based on a ship’s construction, the lower portion of this vacation home for rent in Amsterdam is submerged in the city's iconic waterway, while its upper story floats on the river’s surface. The living room’s glass façade captures views across the Amstel’s banks, and the riverside-facing façade was created to resemble a photographic film frame, with its rectilinear design punched with openings for light. A full-length, automated awning extends from the home’s flat roofline on the riverside facade, allowing for the management of sun, shade, and privacy at the touch of a button. This side of the home reveals little distinction between the living room floor and outdoor terrace, with only the sliding doors and windows offering a barrier, which the architects hoped would create “a refreshing dive into the river” within the home’s otherwise downtown urban setting.

The film frame design of the house was developed intentionally to maximize the home’s living spaces in relationship to the water. From the upper level, unobstructed views open directly onto the water’s surface outside the living, dining and kitchen spaces. The floor level and color extend from indoors to out, right to the water’s edge. The quayside façade’s exterior appears like a punched hole screen by day, and illuminates with blue LED lights at night, in the form of the house number, or address.

Down a floating staircase designed as an open void to flood the area with light, the home’s two bedrooms and two bathrooms are fully submerged in the spirit of a ship. Ultra-contemporary built-in furnishings, reflective white walls and floors, and serene lighting keep the spaces bright, yet warm and cozy. There are no windows underwater, but the open stairwell with its windowed surrounding keeps the area bright and comfortable. The home’s main bathroom features a deep bathtub and walk-in shower, and one bedroom also opens into its own living area / library / lounge space.

This vacation home for rent in Amsterdam offers a truly unique experience for travelers to the famous Dutch city.

AROUND

The Amstel River has been a vital transport vein to Amsterdam since the Middle Ages, when the Dutch successfully diverted the flow of two rivers into one, creating the Amstel. Today, the river runs around the city center via the iconic canal belt. The Amstel has its namesake beer, the brewery founded on the river’s banks in 1870, and has inspired the Dutch Master painters, among them Rembrandt and Vermeer. The river is embedded in the life of modern downtown Amsterdam, with idyllic and practical bike lines coursing its shores and multiple monuments lining its banks.

As the Netherlands’ capital, Amsterdam is known for its elaborate canal system lined with historic gabled houses, each dotted with row upon row of windows. It’s a sophisticated urban center, filled with museums and shops, dining and nightlife, and buzzing with businesses, universities, and European metropolitan living. Cycling and waterways are icons of the city, and Amsterdam boasts a fairytale quality, despite its size and urban density, due to its picturesque bridges and canals, brightly colored bicycles, quaint historic homes, and tulip and bulb-flower-filled gardens.

LOCATION

Weesperzijde, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Nearest airport: Amsterdam.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Year-round. This is a great destination in winter, especially during Christmas, and every year the Amsterdam Light Festival takes place from November until mid-January, with light installations displayed on and around the canals.