The story of Paleis van Justitie
Sold
Prinsengracht 436
On 12 December 1663, construction began on the Prinsengracht for the Aalmonezeniers Orphanage, designed by Daniël Stalpaert. The building served as an orphanage for more than 240 years until in 1825, when urban architect Jan de Greef conducted a major renovation, mainly on the interior, in order to prepare for the arrival of the judiciary. In 1829, the old facade of the Aalmonezeniers Orphanage was demolished, and the new facade was put up: The Palace of Justice had arrived. A little less than two hundred years later, and the building is undergoing yet another transformation. An extensive renovation and redecoration is currently taking place, and the prestigious Rosewoood Hotel on Prinsengracht 436 will open in 2023 with 134 ultra luxurious rooms and suites.
- Opening Year
- 2023
- Aedes' Role
- Acquisition and development until building permit
- Status
- Delivered
- Function
- Hotel
More room for justice
Although it was already a large, bulky building by 1663, regular conversions and extensions over time add even more to its waistline. The largest took place in 1783, the last in 1950 as the adjacent buildings on the Prinsengracht, Leidsegracht and Lange Leidsetwarsstraat were all purchased by the central government. However, the justice department still suffered from lack of space, and an entirely new building was built to house the lawmakers on the Parnassusweg in Amsterdam in 1984. Only the Court of Justice, the Attorney-General's Office and the Tariffs Tribunal stayed behind at the Prinsengracht location. These remaining departments of the judiciary moved to another new building at the IJdok in 2013, ending the presence of Lady Justice on the Prinsengracht after almost 180 years.
A remarkable process
This huge building (comprising more than 16,000 m2) was put up for sale by the government and several parties from the real estate and hotel world offered a bid. The highest bidder appeared to be a real estate developer whose plan did not fit in with the policies of the municipality of Amsterdam. The city officials wanted the property to be developed into a hotel in the ultra-luxury category and that seemed to be impossible for the new owner. A solution is offered by a consortium including investment company CTF of the Chinese Cheng family, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and Aedes. This consortium manages to acquire the premises and the development of the former Palace of Justice can begin.
Limited involvement
Aedes developed a plan for the realisation of a hotel that in all respects meets the requirements of the municipality of Amsterdam those of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts: a superior hotel that offers an exceptionally high level of service and comfort that serves the target audience – business travellers in the highest segment. After we requested the necessary building permits, the project was transferred to Rosewood Hotels & Resorts' real estate team which will take care of the realisation. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts currently operates 29 one-of-a-kind luxury hotels, resorts and residences in 17 countries and is working on more than twenty new projects worldwide.
Our other places with partners
We know that incredible things happen when you work together. But we don’t partner with just anyone. We look for collaborators who share our values – who understand the importance of having a positive, lasting social impact, and an eye for detail. We believe our partnerships should provide the best possible solutions for the building, the occupants, the community, and the surrounding environment.
