´Het Plantsoen´ is the oldest public city park in the centre of Leiden, dating back to the 19th century. With its stately townhouses, English landscape-style design, and water features that echo the city’s old fortifications, the area is steeped in history. Two monumental buildings at the head of the park, which served for many years as a care home, have now been carefully restored and repurposed into six luxury apartments. These restored historic elements now form the backdrop to a contemporary residential complex. Metadecor enhanced the buildings with modern aluminium cladding, featuring a striking MD Formatura leaf motif.

The building before and after restoration.

New life for a historic landmark

The building, complete with a distinctive rounded annex, marks a prominent entrance to Leiden’s city centre. Restoration contractor Burgy undertook the careful restoration of the 1875 villa. VVKH architects found inspiration for the design in the work of William Morris, the influential 19th-century British designer and utopian thinker. Metadecor was brought in to deliver the façade cladding. The façade of the intermediate building was replaced and redesigned in harmony with the neighbouring historic structures. The rounded annex was clad in bronze-coloured aluminium panels – a delicate 'veil' with an MD Formatura leaf pattern.

A continuous leaf motif

The distinctive leaf motif draws from the 19th-century decorative elements still visible throughout the Plantsoen. This theme continues into the interior design, appearing in the oak front doors of the apartments, etched glass panels, and in the handrails of steel staircases with natural stone steps. The motif is a subtle reference to the leafy green park just outside the front doors, visible from every apartment.
The leaf structure is anodised, increasing its corrosion resistance and helping preserve its appearance over time.

Tailor-made façade

With MD Formatura, the leaf-shaped elements on the façade are carefully arranged to create a shadow effect, giving the building a dynamic look that changes with the light throughout the day. The motif panels are layered, resulting in a multi-dimensional, overlapping façade. Each panel has a unique outline – the further outward, the larger the circle becomes. The leaf pattern is fully adapted to this geometry: each leaf is sized differently to ensure a clean, cohesive appearance without awkward gaps or cut-offs.

The aluminium panels were screwed onto a supporting structure, which was mounted onto the existing framework. Metadecor also supplied the glass balustrade with supporting framework and associated metalwork. All elements were measured on site to allow for a perfectly fitted and precisely designed façade.