Travellers could marvel at this majestic eye-catcher in Lounge 1 for almost two decades. However, after 19 years of loyal service, we recently said farewell to Grand Café Het Paleis. It was a huge task, but we are getting something very nice in return.
First of all, a fun fact. Did you know that the designers of Het Paleis (The Palace) drew inspiration from the Paleis voor Volksvlijt? This building was an iconic exhibition hall in Amsterdam that was destroyed by a large fire in 1929. A fate that fortunately never befell our own Paleis.
In fact, the story of Het Paleis is not over yet. In the interest of sustainability and circularity, it's getting a new lease of life. The structure is heading to Maarssen in the province of Utrecht where it will serve for many years to come as a company canteen. The steel construction has already been professionally disassembled and, in the nighttime hours, brought from airside to outside via the construction site at Cockpitplein. A major undertaking, as can be seen in the timelapse film below.
So, we will have to do without this iconic building in Lounge 1 from now on. The good news is that we are getting something very nice in its place. On the same spot, we're going to construct the brand-new All Day Café where travellers can enjoy typical Dutch delights and a splendid view of all the arrivals and departures at the airport.