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Architects: Office Winhov
- Area: 4130 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Stefan Müller, Max Hart Nibbrig
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Manufacturers: Arco, Apra Fenix , Desso, Forbo, Mat comfort, Skylift, Vescom
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Lead Architects: Uri Gilad, Rick Bruggink
Text description provided by the architects. The former insurance bank building on the Amsterdam square Frederiksplein was constructed in 1967 and designed by Arthur Staal (1907-1993). It was a unique project for this fierce modernist who had a challenge in forming a relationship in the façades between two historical adjacent buildings. The result is a singular office building that is modern while still referencing the past – albeit abstractly.
After years of neglect and ad hoc renovations, the building needed to be restored and made more sustainable. With respect to Staal's design, Office Winhov’s transformation strengthens and reveals the building’s original character. While the façade had to be replaced to fulfill today’s sustainability requirements, the original’s sense of plasticity, rhythm and less-is-more attitude was retained – along with Staal’s signature roof endings.
The building itself served as a source of inspiration for Office Winhov’s new interior design. With already low ceilings, a vertical structure of shafts was chosen to enhance a sense of space. This also lent itself to a simple layout with a transparent central core and a surrounding open network of meeting rooms. The top floor of the building, where Staal opted for an expressive roof finish, houses an office restaurant.
In short, the overall result of this project is an integral transformation in which the usability is restored, and the quality of the existing building is made visible again. The building is now ready to provide a comfortable and inspiring workplace for decades to come.
