Rosewood Amsterdam is housed in the city’s historic former Palace of Justice – a building with a layered past. Originally constructed in the 17th century as an orphanage, it underwent a dramatic transformation in the 1820s and served as Amsterdam’s criminal courts for the next 200 years. dpa joined the project a year into its decade-long renovation, a process made more complex by the building’s classification as a national monument. This status demanded a careful balance between restoration and modernisation, ensuring the integrity of the original structure was respected. Collaborating with Kentie Architecten (Lead Architect), Studio Piet Boon, and Sagrada, the team worked to transform the austere, institutional architecture into a warm and inviting Rosewood hotel.

In the subterranean spa, designed by Studio Piet Boon, dpa used tuneable white LED lighting to complement limited natural light from a repurposed street-level lightwell, simulating daylight where needed and shifting to a rich amber glow for calming evening settings and treatment rooms.

Owner / Developer: CTF Amsterdam B.V.
Operator: Rosewood Hotel Group
Project Manager: C&R Hospitality Services
Lead Architect:  Kentie Architecten
Architect of Record: Archer Humphryes Architects
Interior Designer: Studio Piet Boon
Photography: Courtesy of Rosewood Hotel Group
Asaya Spa: © Danielle Siobhan