De KoffieSchenkerij
The coffee shop opened in the oude Kerk Sacristy in 2013.
Project Motivation
The Koffieschenkerij captured my attention from the very first touch. A café in the sacristy of the Oude Kerk — the oldest building in Amsterdam. A place that combines eternity and the moment. A place where modernity is seamlessly woven into history.
As I began to immerse myself in the atmosphere of the Koffieschenkerij, understanding what it embodies and consists of, and piecing together various facts into a cohesive picture, the coffee shop spoke to me in its unique eclectic visual language, and all I had to do was listen attentively.
The idea of using the main textures, patterns and materials of the interior in the branding came almost immediately. However, I was curious about the story behind them, so I went to the archives.
Short Story of the sacristy
Although the Oude Kerk has existed since 1300, the sacristy, where the coffee shop is now located, was only added to the church around 1516. However, over the centuries, it has developed its own rich history.
For some time, the sacristy existed without significant changes until the 17th and 18th centuries when it began to accumulate additional floors and extensions. With these additions, it was unlike what we see today and remained that way until the mid-20th century. In 1965, a large-scale restoration of the church began, during which
the sacristy was
recreated in its original
form based on well-preserved data from 1660 and on discovered construction traces and old prints.
During the reconstruction, all valuable components were reinstated in the interior. Everything is documented in the very detailed records in Herman Janse’s book “The Oude Kerk in Amsterdam. Building History and Restoration”.
Ceiling. interior detail facts
The ceiling painting was created
in 1628 by the 'chamber painter' Antonie Hendricks.
“The beams and the wooden ceiling were decorated with a remarkably colorful painting bearing the signature 'Anto…' and the date 1628. The painting consists mainly of brown arabesques on a blue background, with dark blue shading and highlighted in yellow. <…> The ceiling panels are bordered by a red and a yellow band along the equally painted beams. These are decorated with a series of leaf tendrils on a green background, framed by a red and a yellow band”
— Herman Janse “The Oude Kerk in Amsterdam. Building History and Restoration”, 2004
Antonie was originally from Bremen but worked in various cities in the Netherlands. He also completed other construction work at the address Westhaven 65 in Gouda (1630) and in the Agnietenkapel chapel in Amsterdam (1632). His signature was also found on the ceiling painting in a building on Vorstraat in Willemstad (New Brunswick). A similar painting, dated 1634, is located in the Alkmaar town hall.
He died in 1635 and was
buried in the Oude Kerk.
Anto…
Cabinets and tiles. interior detail facts
It is plausible that the cabinets were made when the room was furnished around 1625.
“Between the buttresses on the church side, this room contains a wall of cabinets consisting of three sections. The left door leads into a space whose walls are covered with white tiles bearing a blue design of horsemen, soldiers, and angels. <…> Below the floor level of the room, buttress is covered with tiles featuring flowers in vertical-oval medallions from the first half of the 17th century, and above that with civic-guard tiles”
— Herman Janse “The Oude Kerk in Amsterdam. Building History and Restoration”, 2004
This antique Dutch Delft tiles, dating from around 1630, depicts military figures from the early 17th century. The each scene is captured within an accolade-shaped border and surrounded by iconic Wanli-inspired corner motifs, designs derived from Chinese porcelain that were highly popular on early Delft tiles.
The floor and the curtains are also here, but I haven’t found any specific facts about them.
