Pakhuis de Wereld is the new name for two buildings in the historic city center of Deventer, where six apartments have now been realized. Studio Groen+Schild designed the repurposing project on behalf of NV Bergkwartier.

The buildings have a rich history of transformations. In 1858, Hendrik Gerhard van Otterbeek Bastiaans, a merchant in colonial goods, built two warehouses. Groceries were stored on the ground floor, while coffee, tea, seeds, and beans were kept on the upper floors. Two facade stones commemorate that time. In the upper left corner, there is a globe with the Indonesian archipelago, and on the right, an image of loading and unloading with two hands and a barrel. Both warehouses remained in the family's hands until 1924.

In 1949, Sallandse Houthandel became the new owner. After their departure, the buildings fell into disrepair. In 1987, the gables collapsed, leaving behind a ruin. Around 1990, NV Bergkwartier decided to rebuild the buildings. For a long time, the buildings were used as offices for the municipality of Deventer. Later, they were used as a pop-up location for Museum EICAS.

Now they are inhabited. The warehouses proved to be very suitable for conversion into apartments. In the heart of the two buildings is a staircase that provides access to all apartments. The six homes, two per floor, have space from the front facade to the rear facade, making them pleasantly light. The top apartments even offer views of the IJssel River.

This project beautifully illustrates how the reuse of existing buildings can contribute to the growing demand for housing. Robust architecture lasts a long time and can be transformed multiple times, in this case even for the fifth time.

Photography: Mike Bink

Projectteam Studio Groen+Schild:
Ellen Schild, Marcel van der Kroef