Architect：BDG architecture + design

Location：Amsterdam, Netherlands; | ;

Project Year：2018

Category：Offices

In the largest agency move in Dutch advertising history, WPP brings 1,500 creatives together in a world-class working environment to facilitate collaboration and give their clients simpler access to all WPP talent. Located along the banks of the Amstel river stands the 19,000 sq m building, now named Amsteldok, which dates from 1973. Designed by architect Hugh Maaskant, at the time is was Europe’s largest office building. Nicknamed the ‘monkey mountain’ for its largestaggered blocks of concrete. Amsteldok, named for its location on the banks of the Amstel river and the Dutch metaphor for progressive thinking, connecting and creating, “dok”,is innovative both in terms of process and results of the space.

The aim of the renovation was to revalue a deeply unpopular building and re-introduce it to the surrounding community. Preserving the concrete structure rather than demolishing the vacant and outdated building has allowed the character of the building to remain as well as taken the environmental impact into consideration. The concrete structure and the foundations of a building cover half of the environmental costs. The entire building meets BREEAM certification standards. In this case this standard is Breeam Very Good, an exceptional score for a renovation project. As well as rainwater buffering and retention, green roofs, advanced daylight system control, advanced climate system control, energy efficient daylight control, thermal storage system and energy rating class A.

The careful renovation of this building gives office floors maximum heights, with large open floorplates allowing for creative flexibility now and in the years to come. The floor to ceiling glass façade allows natural light to illuminate the inside of this building, green roof terraces (at various heights) encourage creativity and the flexibility of the space allows collaboration where teams can be seamlessly connected.The landscape of WPP and its operating companies is ever changing, the working environment should be adaptable to change also so flexibility has been inherently built into the design to allow for growth, shrinkage, mergers etc.

The new sculptural staircase takes clients immediately from reception up to the shared business hub on level 1. Other shared facilities include cafes, restaurants and bars designed into the project to increase staff wellbeing as well as encouraging movement through the building and creating opportunities for chance encounters.Located on the ninth floor stands a 352sqm roof terrace offering incredible views over the Amstel river and the city. Aimed to inject a lease of life into the building, a roof terrace bar will add further energy into the space.The surrounding neighbourhood, predominantly a residential area has been reinvigorated by the occupation of this large building -there is a new buzz to the locale.Cycle parking and electric parking bays are planned for the building. Social groups will be formed to establish a programme of activities such as yoga, running clubs, movie nights, etc to help all groups come together.  

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