Amsterdam may soon get a floating cathedral made out of plastic waste

The ‘Cathedrall’ will be a grand cathedral-esque structure in Amsterdam but with a few funky twists.

First and foremost, it will be entirely made out of recycled waste materials — hence the ‘all’ in the project’s name, which represents the shared responsibility for the environment. 

Not only that, but the whole structure will be floating on the waters of the capital city, Het Parool reports.

From plastic trash to useful treasures

Smit started the organisation, Plastic Whale, 12 years ago. Ever since, it has been keeping the Dutch canals clean by removing plastic waste (canal swimmers say thank you). 

You might be wondering, and then what? Well, they turn the plastic into boats (woah) and designer office furniture! But even after all that, Smit says that he still has containers filled to the brim with fished-out plastic (please stop littering). 

READ MORE | The Green Cathedral: a Dutch gem made entirely out of living trees

Together with the design studio D/DOCK and the impact innovation agency Max-G, Smit wants to give the continuously arriving plastic waste a new life in a beautiful 15-metre-high cathedral.

A building made out of recycled materials

You might see this project pop up in Amsterdam sooner than you think, with construction set to start at the end of 2023 and finish by 2025. 

Smit wants to stay true to the impressive layout of traditional cathedrals. As a result,  the ‘Cathedrall’ will have a big open space in the middle for exhibitions, events, and lectures with smaller side aisles.

He hopes that it can become a space for companies and governments to come together and move forward on the Netherlands’ path to a more sustainable and circular economy.