Renovating a listed building
For Gouda locals, it is familiar. The barracks building in the vernacular. For another generation, the old arcade cinema. Everyone has a memory of it. For instance, we can still remember that you were even allowed to smoke in that cinema and that you could press a button and someone would come and bring you a drink. It's hard to imagine. But anyway, that's not what this is about.
In the city centre
For the Gouda Cheese Experience, we wanted premises in Gouda's beautiful city centre, easily accessible and preferably with character. After looking at a few possibilities in and around Gouda's Market Square, we came across this property.........and it was already cheese yellow!!!
National monument with character
A national monument with character and a long history in and for Gouda. Now it's up to us to add a piece of history to it!
So a suitable premises found, at least we thought so. For anyone who has ever dealt with renovating a listed building probably knows what we are talking about. It is not easy, indeed it is almost always disappointing. And although everyone does their best, the building supervisor, the contractor, the municipality, the installation company, etc., quite a few surprises emerged.
Surprises during the renovation
For example, a monumental wall emerged that no one knew existed.
But levelling the floor of an old cinema can also be seen as a challenge.
Now the monumental wall has become an added value to the experience, and we walk straight again.
Meanwhile, the Gouda Cheese Experience has been open since 1 June 2020.
