OMA has released their design for the Apollolaan 171 high-end office building in Amsterdam. The scheme will be built on the site of a demolished JP Morgan bank built in the 1980s, whose foundations will be retained and reused for the new five-story building. In contrast to the former bank’s opaque façade, the new building will feature a terracing blend of glass and brick.
Addressing a corner site along a prominent green avenue, Apollolaan 171 features two prominent façades, each addressing different conditions. The façade facing the prominent avenue features interlocking glass volumes resembling a jigsaw puzzle, proportioned to match the scale of nearby buildings. The main entrance is placed on the corner linking the glass and brick façades, emphasized by both a gradual reduction in the building volumes and a ground floor setback, creating a public space along the avenue.
Meanwhile, the building’s terraced brick façade faces a residential area. The brickwork’s scale, color, and tactility reflect the area’s vernacular housing, arranged to create a woven effect across the façade. In addition to fragmenting the building’s form, the terraces offer possibilities for collecting rainwater and installing solar panels, while a roof garden facing the main avenue creates additional social space for building occupants.
“Apollolaan 171 is a design of a dual character,” said OMA Partner David Gianotten. “Its transparent face along Apollolaan lends an open and inviting quality to the building. Its face defined by finely crafted brickwork marks it a delicate and modest addition to the neighborhood rich in history. The welcoming design improves the experience of entering this unique area in Amsterdam South. Our close collaboration with our client, Kroonenberg Groep, and the local government has helped us realize this modern design that connects the past and the future, one that is relevant to the city of Amsterdam.”
Internally, the building’s lobby and circulation cores are finished in green marble to reflect the abundant vegetation along the main avenue. In addition, a flamingo-pink neon installation by Tracey Emin, which reads “The more of you the more I love you,” has been retrieved from the demolished bank building and will remain visible to visitors and the public through the glass façade.
Demolition of the old bank building is underway, with construction of the new office building expected to start in Fall 2021. Construction is due to be completed in mid-2023.
News of the scheme comes a week after OMA unveiled their smallest ever project: a new Amex Centurion card in collaboration with American Express. Last month saw a series of construction milestones for the firm, with their steel-frame Albright-Knox museum expansion topping out in Buffalo, New York, and the AMO-designed flagship store for Virgil Abloh’s Off-White opening in Paris.
7 Comments
damn, are they even trying anymore? this looks like a prison.
Doesn't seem like Koolhaas is actively involved in these projects anymore. OMA has turned into a parody of itself, with all the skilled principals having left to start their own practices. They're competing with the likes of BIG and other acronyms with Gensler level work - with all due respect to Gensler.
I like the play of volumes at the entrance, but those vertical fins not so much, could’ve eliminated half of them.
The green marble at the entrance is much better than Gensler. Gensler would have done their standard blinding white marble. Overall, I can't tell if today's OMA is attempting ironic parodies of corporate bland design or is it just corporate bland design?
I agree - Looks like a Mies kit of parts without any real conceit. Could have been an interesting narrative.
i hope they're not going the ironic route- i can't imagine a more grotesque, wasteful and idiotic use of people and resources. if so, the "elite" of this profession are in a sadder state than i thought.
Its just bland, safe design for a commercial cliente. de Graaf is the brains behind the company but he is not the only partner in charge - the ones who are good at business development now run the show and unfortunately, they are no Koolhaas or even Scheeren.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.