KLM crown lounge | concrete

Firm： concrete

Type： Hospitality + Sport › Restaurant Wellness/Spa Transport + Infrastructure › Airport

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2019

SIZE： 25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft

BUDGET： Undisclosed

The complete new KLM non-schepgen crown lounge at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is appealing non-typical design, with the ambition to be the most attractive airport lounge in the world.

The new lounge is a home for global travellers, a destination on itself, a collection of characteristic spaces inspired by KLM and its Dutch background and local heritage. Quirky design meets with the latest technologies and high-end service requirements. The new lounge design concept perfectly fits the brand's strategy and growth potential, as the new lounge caters almost double the size - 6800m2 - and seats - now up to 1500.

The House of KLM marks the entrance of the new lounge: a two-storey high, Dutch house with stunning views over the runway. It contains a marble welcome desk that, together with four light globe pendants and light sculpture in the shape of the crown, which form a giant abstraction of the KLM logo. The house is reached by two escalators, surrounded by walls made of a spectacular collection of more than 5,000 famous KLM Delft blue houses (collectables).

concrete designed the two-storey high lounge divided into 5 different areas, inspired by the Dutch landscape. All the spaces are connected by a sunset light wall sky: a 110 metres long LED back-wall mimicking the colours of the ever-changing sky during one day.

The five different areas all cater to different customer wishes and needs:

Polder – lounge area, to work and relax. A spacious seating area based on a typical Dutch landscape with straight lines kept in natural colours of polder green. Large seating islands, polder benches with integrated real green. A gigantic light wall forms the back wall of the Polder, simulating the ever-changing Dutch sky.

Dutch Mountain - to be inspired and entertained; co-working area, TV room, DJ booth which exhibits a journey through Dutch design. A giant wooden, liveable staircase which connects the Polder on the first with the Sky on the second.

City – the dynamic heart to eat and drink with a coffee bar, kitchens with live cooking, a Heineken Bar plus a Dutch art exhibit - every niche is represented by a Dutch museum.

Sea - to refresh and recharge with (paid) sleep cabins, showers and sensory reality cabins. The Sea is the most remote, relaxed and quiet part of the lounge. The floor consists of a custom made carpet, celebrating the Dutch sea in all shades of blue.

Sky - for fine dining and drinking, including a high-end paid restaurant and bar 'Blue', where customers can enjoy a signature menu composed by Joris Bijdendijk of RIJKS®, Rijksmuseum's Michelin star awarded restaurant.

Dutch culture, design, humour and traditions play a lead role and can be found in little details throughout the lounge; a Dutch Mountain, decorative sheep made from KLM uniforms, a disco-ball, dj-booth, a large outdoor terrace, vintage-style suitcases as a note to the airlines heritage, display cabinets along the window showcasing vintage KLM items from the archives, curiosities and Dutch designers all find their place.

Credits:

- concrete - Zana Josipovic

- Hemlock + Gielissen - specialist joinery

- concrete - Lisa Hassanzadeh

- concrete - Sofie Ruytenberg

- concrete - Rob Wagemans

- concrete - Pim Houben

- concrete - Natalia Kozyra

- Wouter van der Sar - photography

- Benthem Crouwel NACO Architects - architect building

- Wilkins Studio - photography

- Deerns - lighting consultant

- Big Brands - loose furniture supplier

- concrete - Cathelijne Vreugdenhil

- concrete - Erik van Dillen

- Ballast Nedam - contractor