Smederij, Amsterdam [NL]

EeStairs + Ditt Officemakers | Amsterdam

This staircase by Ditt Officemakers occupies the heart of De Smederij, a sensitively redeveloped industrial monument at the NDSM-werf in Amsterdam. Once a site of heavy machinery and steel forging, the space now balances the raw presence of preserved gantry beams with a refined insertion of warm, tactile materials, most notably the new staircase and integrated planting designed and made by EeStairs.

The stair rises in three elegant straight flights, accompanied by integrated timber-clad planters. The treads and risers were fabricated using engineered multiplex with a 4mm oak veneer, oiled to accentuate the grain. A technical challenge emerged in achieving consistent alignment across the varying stair sections and the multiple platforms, particularly given the integration of LED lighting beneath each riser and the interaction with corten steel wall panels treated with beeswax. The solution required exceptional precision in CNC-milling and a seamless coordination between timber, steel, and lighting teams.

A particularly compelling element is the mid-line handrail: a continuous oak grip set atop minimalist T-section steel uprights, powder-coated and fixed invisibly to the stair structure. This feature, placed between raw steel columns and lush greenery, crystallises the stair’s poetic duality, engineered clarity embedded in a living, post-industrial narrative.