Magna Plaza

Magna Plaza is a shopping centre occupying the former Amsterdam Main Post Office at Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 182 in the historic centre of Amsterdam, Netherlands. The property combines a retail destination with a nationally significant monument and is known for its highly ornamented neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance architecture. Designed by architect Cornelis Hendrik Peters, the original post-office building was constructed between 1895 and 1899 to replace an earlier Royal Post Office. Its exterior uses polychromatic brickwork and dressed stone, while the roofline is marked by numerous dormers and towers topped with distinctive pear-shaped crowns. This feature gave the building the informal nickname “Perenburg,” or “pear burg.” The building originally accommodated the Dutch national postal, telegraph and telephone administration, commonly associated with the PTT. Public access was concentrated on the ground floor; the upper areas were primarily used by personnel and for administrative functions. The property became a Dutch national monument, or rijksmonument, on 9 July 1974 and is also included in the Top 100 Dutch heritage sites. Its protected status has strongly shaped the building’s later commercial identity, since redevelopment had to preserve important architectural and structural elements. The PTT announced in 1987 that it planned to leave the building. In 1988, the property was sold to Larmag, a Swedish real-estate developer, for 7.5 million Dutch guilders, reported in the source material as approximately 3.2 million euros. Larmag’s objective was to convert the former public building into a luxury shopping centre while retaining and making effective use of its monumental fabric. Redevelopment began in February 1991 under architect H.J.M. Ruijssenaars. Exterior work focused mainly on cleaning, repairing and restoring the façades, while the interior was comprehensively reorganised for retail use. The conversion encountered substantial technical difficulties. The foundation had to be replaced, and some beams were discovered to be hollow. New escalators and lifts were introduced to link the retail levels, while historic staircases were retained, including two used as emergency routes and one serving as a public staircase. Office accommodation was created in the attic. The resulting shopping centre opened to the public on 17 August 1992. Its name came from Larmag chief executive Lars-Erik Magnusson, combining the developer’s name with a shortened form of his surname. Magna Plaza’s commercial proposition is therefore based less on a proprietary product range than on destination retail in an architecturally distinctive setting. Its central Amsterdam location, proximity to Dam Square and the Royal Palace, and monumental interior make the property particularly relevant to visitors seeking fashion, lifestyle, specialty retail and food-and-beverage experiences. The centre has approximately 5,589 square metres of gross leasable retail space and a further 1,420 square metres of office space. In 2016, DPM Group sold the property to institutional investors from Europe and Israel; the reported purchase price was approximately 63.5 million euros, although the source characterises that figure as rumoured. Magna Plaza remains identified with Amsterdam heritage-led retail and the adaptive reuse of a major civic building.

The building now known as Magna Plaza began as Amsterdam’s Main Post Office. It was commissioned to replace the Royal Post Office of 1854, which had been designed by Frederik Willem Conrad and Cornelis Outshoorn. The replacement was designed by Cornelis Hendrik Peters and built from 1895 to 1899. Its style combined neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance influences, expressed through richly patterned brickwork, stone detailing, arcades, towers and a complex roofline. The tower crowns resemble pears, giving rise to the informal name “Perenburg.” For much of its original life, the property served the Dutch PTT, the national organisation responsible for postal, telegraph and telephone services. The public-facing functions were concentrated on the ground floor, while the upper floors and other areas were used by staff. The main interior arrangement included a central hall, galleries on two upper floors, surrounding arcades and a rooflight. The building’s architectural and civic importance was formally recognised when it became a rijksmonument on 9 July 1974. It was subsequently included in the Top 100 Dutch heritage sites. The property’s transition from post office to shopping centre began when the PTT announced in 1987 that it intended to vacate the building. In 1988, Larmag, a Swedish real-estate developer, acquired it for 7.5 million Dutch guilders. The development brief called for a luxury shopping centre that would retain the monument’s essential character. Work began in February 1991, with H.J.M. Ruijssenaars responsible for the renovation. The façades were chiefly cleaned, repaired and restored. Internally, the building was substantially rebuilt around the retained load-bearing structures and decorative features. The conversion proved technically complex. Engineers had to replace the foundation, and several beams were found to be hollow. Modern retail circulation was introduced through escalators and lifts, while historic staircases were preserved. Two of the retained staircases became emergency routes and another remained available for public use. The attic was adapted for offices. After the renovation, Magna Plaza opened to shoppers on 17 August 1992. The name referred to Larmag’s chief executive Lars-Erik Magnusson. As a commercial property, Magna Plaza operates as a multi-tenant shopping centre rather than as a conventional single-product consumer brand. Its identity comes from the combination of central Amsterdam access, destination retail and a highly recognisable monument. The centre contains approximately 5,589 square metres of gross leasable retail area and approximately 1,420 square metres of office space. In 2016, DPM Group sold it to institutional investors from Europe and Israel. The source material reports a rumoured transaction value of approximately 63.5 million euros. Magna Plaza’s significance consequently lies both in its retail role and in its example of adaptive reuse: a nineteenth-century communications building transformed into a contemporary commercial venue without eliminating its principal historic features.

• 2016

  Property sold to institutional investors

  [1]Magna Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  DPM Group sold Magna Plaza to institutional investors from Europe and Israel. The source reports a rumoured price of approximately 63.5 million euros.

• 1992

  Magna Plaza opens to the public

  [1]Magna Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The converted shopping centre opened on 17 August 1992, introducing retail use while retaining major historic structures and decorative elements.

• 1991

  Adaptive-reuse renovation begins

  [1]Magna Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Renovation started in February under architect H.J.M. Ruijssenaars. The project included façade restoration, structural work and the creation of modern retail circulation.

• 1988

  Larmag acquires the property

  [1]Magna Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Swedish real-estate developer Larmag bought the building and planned to convert it into a luxury shopping centre while preserving its monumental character.

• 1987

  PTT announces plans to vacate the building

  [1]Magna Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The Dutch PTT announced that it intended to leave the former post-office premises, creating the conditions for a major adaptive-reuse project.

• 1974

  Building designated a Dutch national monument

  [1]Magna Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The property received rijksmonument status on 9 July 1974, formally recognising its national architectural and historical importance.

• 1899

  The Main Post Office is completed

  [1]Magna Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  The monumental post-office building at Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal was completed after four years of construction.

• 1895

  Construction of the Amsterdam Main Post Office begins

  [1]Magna Plazaen.wikipedia.org

  Construction began on the replacement for Amsterdam’s earlier Royal Post Office. The project was designed by Cornelis Hendrik Peters in a neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance style.

A heritage-led urban shopping destination that combines central Amsterdam retail with the atmosphere and architectural distinctiveness of a protected national monument.

• Shopping centre · 1992

  Magna Plaza shopping centre

  The core offering is a multi-tenant shopping centre in the former Amsterdam Main Post Office. It provides retail premises for fashion, accessories, lifestyle, specialty and visitor-oriented businesses, together with food-and-beverage and related commercial uses. The shopping experience is differentiated by the building’s preserved central hall, arcades, galleries, restored façades and historic circulation elements.

• Office accommodation · 1992

  Magna Plaza office space

  The adaptive-reuse project created office accommodation in the attic and other parts of the property. The office component sits alongside the retail centre and contributes to the building’s mixed commercial use. The source material identifies approximately 1,420 square metres of office space in addition to the retail area.

• 2016

  Sale of Magna Plaza to institutional investorsM&A

  Background

  DPM Group disposed of the shopping-centre property as part of an ownership transaction involving investors from Europe and Israel.

  Action taken

  The property was sold to institutional investors. The reported purchase price was approximately 63.5 million euros, but the source describes this amount as rumoured.

  Aftermath

  The transaction changed the ownership group while Magna Plaza continued its role as a central Amsterdam shopping centre.

  Reported purchase price. Approximately 63.5 million euros (2016)

  Source

• 1988

  Convert the former post office into a heritage shopping centreStrategy

  Background

  The PTT’s planned departure left a major historic building without its original institutional function. Larmag acquired the property with the intention of creating a luxury shopping centre while respecting its protected architectural character.

  Action taken

  The redevelopment retained significant structural and decorative elements, restored the façades, inserted escalators and lifts, preserved historic staircases, and introduced retail and attic-office uses.

  Aftermath

  The project culminated in the opening of Magna Plaza in August 1992 and established the building as a heritage-led retail destination.

  Acquisition price. 7.5 million Dutch guilders (1988)

  Source

1. 1Magna Plazaen.wikipedia.org