Seven projects showcasing the best of creative Amsterdam

Random Studio’s Amsterdam home creates a dialogue between people and place

Experience design practice Random Studio works towards the mission of creating things that inspire others and make them feel something new, so unsurprisingly craved a space which nurtured its visual artists, strategists and engineers to meet that common goal. When creating its new base in Amsterdam, the studio asked the question – how do we invite people to reconnect to their physical surroundings without losing our rich digital culture?

Designed by X+L, the space marked a completely blank slate – an opportunity to explore Random Studio’s vision of Interactive Space in its own home, while paying special attention to sustainability in the design. Everything was designed for the studio using a muted colour palette and wood, concrete and metal, each detail made to age well and evolve over time. Rather than trying to isolate the ‘perfect’ conditions for workplace efficiency, the studio exhibits a conceptual interpretation of biophilic design. Its in-built technical infrastructure – self-named a Tech Theatre – acts as a living entity in which temperature, spatial sound, art works and other environmental elements can be adjusted to the needs of its inhabitants.

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MVRDV crafts a workspace to be dismantled at Matrix ONE

Dutch architectural and design practice MVRDV has completed the construction and design of Matrix ONE, a laboratory and office building in the heart of Amsterdam Science Park.

Serving as the main hub of the Matrix Innovation Center, the six-storey, 13,000 sqm building pushes the envelope in sustainable design: from demountable construction, “social stairs” and solar energy generation, to smart lighting and generous amounts of bicycle parking.

A key element of MVRDV’s design is the large social staircase adjacent to the main entrance, conceptualised as a continuation of the zig-zagging paths found throughout the campus. With tribune-style seating for presentations and tables for informal meetings, Matrix ONE’s staircase brings workers together from different industries, allowing them to mingle and share ideas.

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D/DOCK redefines the working landscape at DB55

Once a timber warehouse in an industrial estate, DB55 is now a holistic and fluid ‘blended venue’ that supports nature and people. The concept by D/DOCK operates predominantly as a workspace but also caters as a facility for leisure, events and sport for people of all ages.

Found north of Amsterdam in Houthaven, the design team at DB55 curated the space from the inside-out. Façade openings were added to unexpected parts of the structure to expose interiors to viewpoints and natural daylight, while the building’s lightweight roof allows users to acknowledge changing seasons. Internally, biophilic elements feature in abundance, from the use of ecological materials, natural shapes and tones to the plotting of greenery, all of which strengthen DB55’s ties with the earth and support mental wellbeing.

Open 24/7, DB55 exists as a community hub and home to the likes of sustainable furniture renovators Furnify, who also worked on the project. Every square meter has been packed with purpose, four times more than the average space, and for maximum flexibility D/DOCK kept the height of the building largely intact.

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M Moser Associates makes room for growth at Miro’s new workplace

Now at home within a historic building in Amsterdam’s Stadhouderskade neighbourhood, the rapidly expanding Miro didn’t want to be too prescriptive about what its in-office culture should look like, and M Moser crafted a spatial framework that will allow the team to develop it organically.

In 2020, Amsterdam implemented a circular economy strategy to significantly reduce the use of new raw materials, aiming to become a fully circular city by 2050. As such, sustainability was a key driver throughout the Miro project. M Moser retained existing spatial partitioning and repurposed existing materials. Flooring was restored, and the existing bar was refreshed with new joinery and lighting. Where the practice needed to use new materials it chose sustainable options, such as a mycelium-based floor in the bar area. To allow Miro to constantly evolve and grow, furniture is leased.

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Double Dutch: The Hoxton opens its second spot in Amsterdam

Breathing new life into a century-old neighbourhood landmark that was originally built by the Royal Dutch Lloyd Shipping Company, The Hoxton has opened in Amsterdam’s Eastern Docklands neighbourhood. Ennismore’s AIME Studios has once again teamed up with local firm Nicemakers for the interior design, honouring the building’s Art Deco roots with the hip and playful aesthetics of Amsterdam’s coolest new spots – with original features such as stained-glass windows and panelling contrast with bold tones and geometric patterns. The bold design concept is continued throughout the interiors of the 136 bedrooms where a warm palette of corals, reds and ochres meet cool blues and greys – a playful nod to Lloyd’s shipping connections.

Neighbouring gallery Bisou has installed the hotel’s all-Dutch artwork collection, featuring emerging talent as well as established and rediscovered artists, while a ‘Hox Gallery’ will be curated in partnership with local creative collective Stitching Kunstwerk Loods6. Even the hotel’s exterior provides a platform for artistic expression, with dedicated space for large-scale murals that will be created by some of the city’s leading street and graffiti artists. 

Studio Linse designs the serene Pillows Maurits hotel within a former university building

Away from Amsterdam’s city centre, the Dutch capital’s cultural east end, Amsterdam-Oost, enjoys a growing reputation as one of the city’s most happening areas. This is the appealing setting for the end-of-2022-opened, five-star Pillow Maurits at the Park hotel, which sits on the edge of the neighbourhood’s tree-filled Oosterpark – alongside one of the city’s largest cultural sites, Tropenmuseum. This is the sixth and newest hotel for the Pillows Hotels brand, which is growing its presence across the Netherlands and Belgium.

The 1908 former university building has been reimagined by Office Winhov, with interior design practice Studio Linse undertaking the design of each storied space inside. Restoration of this building distinguished by its original brickwork and exterior gables, interior tiling, high ceilings and tall windows also saw the creation of a sensitively designed new wing. Within both the new and old sections of the site, the interiors have been designed to strengthen the building’s connection to Oosterpark, with Studio Linse bringing softness, warmth and serenity into a space now encompassing 88 guest rooms, a lounge, restaurants, a bar and urban spa.

Read more in Mix Interiors issue 225

Studio Modijefsky marries casual and refined at Amsterdam’s Gitane restaurant

Studio Modijefsky has created a new home for Amsterdam’s creative crowd at Gitane, a restaurant and bar headed up by chef Angelo Kremmydas. Aiming to embody Kremmydas’ signature cooking style – refined food served without fuss – the space is casual but elegant, with a warm material palette and welcoming atmosphere.

A bespoke ‘showstopper’ bar is crafted from a unique terrazzo mix of grey and pink, sculpted in a zigzag shape that echoes the geometry of the exterior brick façade outside. The bar ceiling is supported by a column, finished in rich textured lava tiles and giving it small accent lights – turning a humble structural piece into a statement design feature that visually connects all three areas of the restaurant.

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