The renewal and extension of the World Trade Center establishes Amsterdam's Southern District as a leading European business quarter. The area, initially developed to H.P. Berlage's master plan in the first half of the twentieth century, addresses a number of major issues affecting the contemporary European city.
The WTC building complex, located at the heart of the Zuidas (South Axis), was once typical of the post-war development: four office slabs connected by lower structures and open courtyards, dark and seldom used. The site was disassociated from the wider life of the city, with highways extending along its northern and eastern edges, and elevated railway tracks enclosing it to the south.
Identifying the Zuidas as a potential area of future growth, the City of Amsterdam chose the redevelopment of the WTC as the anchor project for the overall scheme. Fully integrated into public transportation strategies, the WTC/ZUID station will become the second busiest transfer point in the region.
A sweeping 300-meter curved glass roof forms a bright, naturally ventilated and useful space housing shops, restaurants, offices, and a conference center. The roof is essentially freestanding, formed of structural blades spanning up to twenty-one meters and integrating weather protection, solar control, lighting, and fire protection. As part of a larger glass enclosure for the internal components, the roof structure permits future flexibility and change without compromise to the building envelope.
Part of the renovation includes a new sixteen-story tower looking over the busy A10 motorway. The structure houses highly serviced office space and a double height dealing room. Timber screens and coloured panels, set behind a glazed skin, add a rich texture and warm appearance to the façade.
A new twenty-seven-story tower provides an extension to the Center, facing the existing buildings across a new public square. This square, the Zuidplein, provides parking for 2000 bicycles and sits adjacent to the nearby railway station.
The preservation and enhancement of environmental resources was a primary concern in the Center's renovation.
Indoor spaces are naturally ventilated and energy efficient, utilizing passive solar gain in winter and bore hole cooling in the summer. The new roof creates a temperate, low-energy environment that allows for solar control, various degrees of light penetration, and acoustic intervention.
While others had suggested the complete demolition of the existing builiding, KPF proposed the more sustainable alternative of alteration and reuse resulting in a development that used approximately fifty percent of the energy normally required for a project of this size.
MIPIM Awards 2003
Winner, Refurbished Office Buildings Category
RIBA Award for Architecture 2003
Finalist – ULI Awards for Excellence 2003
CLIENT
City of Amsterdam / ING Vastgoed / KfN Management
FACILITY
Mixed-Use (Offices, Retail, Services) – Renovation & New Build
SIZE
New Buildings: .....45,000 sq. m
Total: ...................135,000 sq. m
STATUS
Renovation - Completed 2002
Extension - Completed 2004
CREDITS
Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox
Co-Architects: van den Oever, Zaaijer, Roodbeen & Partners
Development Manager: Trimp & van Tartwijk
Structural Engineers: Ingenieurs Van Rossum, RFR Partnership
M&E Engineers: Battle McCarthy - Peutz
Technical Management: Royal Haskoning
Cost Consultant: Basalt Bouwadvics
Overview
SUSTAINABILITY / ENVIRONMENT
AWARDS
Project Description