Design studio i29 referenced the rich past of Amsterdam's Felix Meritis building for the overhaul of its interiors, which now feature vivid splashes of colour.
Felix Meritis is situated along the Dutch capital's Keizersgracht canal and was built back in 1788.
Although the building is now a cultural events venue, it originally served as a base for the Felix Meritis society which celebrated the ideals of the Enlightenment ? an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated Europe between the 17th and 19th centuries.

Over time, the building has gone on to serve as offices for one of Amsterdam's leading printing companies and the HQ for the Communist Party of the Netherlands. In the 1960s it also became the Shaffy theatre, a popular haunt for avant-garde music enthusiasts. This rich history became a key point of inspiration for i29, which was tasked with completely overhauling Felix Meritis' interiors.
The studio was keen for each space to boast hints of the past but also have its own "colourful character", much like when the building had been divided into distinctive music, commerce, literature, physics and drawing departments for the society members.

It marks the second time that the studio has worked with Felix Meritis ? back in 2014 it also created a pop-up design store for the venue, which featured mirrored walls and display plinths.
"The biggest challenge was to bring this old monumental building to the 'now', not only in terms of technology, inst...