Hotel Streamlined

Introduction
When one rides the train between Voorlem and Beurs, through the smoke of the city and the ash of the train, there is a towering figure high above. It's red tile roof, and bright white paint beaming through the smoke, the Hotel Streamlined is noticeable. Every person who lives in the city knows about it; a building of lavish prestige and refined taste. Where even celebrities and the wealthy gawk at it's high class. It is about time we tell the story.

Beginnings
The city of Voorlem needed something to put them on the map. For years they had existed solely as a big city, but they never had a landmark. This changed in 1895 when designer Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of the 1893 World’s Fair pavilions was contacted by the city to design a grand building for their city.

Construction began in June of 1896 and construction lasted until 1898 due to new constraints arising such as housing being built for the railway (and subsequently torn down) on the site of the hotel. However, railway housing continued to be built around the hotel and even directly at the backside. When finished, it’s bright white paint coat stood out against the dark, dingy brown and red brick homes. It was named the Wilhelmina after the current reigning queen. However due to its location in what was considered a slum, it didn’t turn a profit until 1905 after the railway housing was demolished in exchange for some higher class housing and stores to incentivize people.

Complaints & Upgrades
The hotel existed peacefully until the 1920s when the railway started to encroach on the hotel, going so far as to build a new bridge right behind the hotel and some houses. Their complaints were futile and they had to deal with this. It wasn’t until 1935 that every hotel room had it’s own bathroom because of new laws being enforced.

That same year the Art Deco movement started springing up and people were interested in everything streamlined and sleek with little to no sharp edges. They took 2 years to update the hotel to the new Art Deco look and reopened the hotel in 1937 under the name Streamlined Hotel. The outside remained unchanged but the inside was decorated fully with expensive and elaborate designs.

In 1939 when the war broke out the hotel remained largely unaffected until the Axis decided to take the Netherlands.

New Management
When the Axis invaded the Netherlands, the Streamlined Hotel was one of the 1st buildings they took. There were many reasons for this including taking over the city's prized possession, it's proximity to the railway, it's size, and the highest priority of all was to turn it into their center of command. The hotel guests and management were run out of town but the workers remained to tend to the Axis unwillingly.

The Dutch Flags on the hotel were replaced with Axis flags and many other banners were placed on the building to instill fear into the people. The Axis would regularly hold large parties and trash the place, expecting the workers to clean up after them. In 1943, when the Day of Bloodshed occurred, the hotel was firebombed by the resistance in order to cripple the Axis. Much of the original hotel was destroyed since the Axis let the entirety of the interior burn out instead of putting out the fire.

They abandoned the hotel soon after and searched for a new base of command. The charred remains of the hotel served as a holding place for resistance members after the uprising was suppressed. The hotel was completely abandoned by the Axis soon after and became a place where the homeless gathered. In Winter of 1943 the Axis came back to the hotel unsuccessful in finding a new base of operations and rebuilt the hotel into an office-like space.

In 1945 with the allies pushing back again the Axis decided to torch the place and set fire to the top story. Due to the high winds the flames went out and they instead resorted to bombing the hotel interior. When the war was over and the owners returned, the entire interior was collapsed and charred.

Conclusion
After the war, the owners came back to see the hotel was trashed and gutted by the Axis and with no money to buy new things, cheap items were purchased for the new hotel.

It was no longer a grand 1st class hotel, it was just a regular old hotel in the city. When you pass by it, and see it's deteriorating paint-work, and crumbling bricks, remember that it is a bastion of history, and once a pillar of hope and prosperity.