Making space in a closed invironment

Interior renovation creates spacious public area

After a major expansion of the Ibis Amsterdam Center hotel in 2008, designed by Ruland Architecten, Accor wishes to merge the existing breakfast room on the first floor and the restaurant on the ground floor. But there is a problem: there is no room for expansion. Ruland Architecten has been asked to come up with a solution.

 

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Hotel Ibis Amsterdam Center is located on a narrow strip between the water and the railway. Possibility for expansion has always been limited. In 2008, this led to the spectacular hotel extension above the railway, designed by Ruland Architecten. At the time, the first floor of the existing part of the building was used as a breakfast room, with kitchens and storage. A restaurant function was built on the ground floor.

In practice, however, it turned out that the restaurant had a low occupancy rate. The client’s wish was therefore to redesign the ground floor as a breakfast room in the morning and a bar restaurant in the evening. The first floor could then be furnished with hotel rooms. It also appeared that the reception area with foyer and back office functions, also on the ground floor, took up too much space. In addition, the kitchen was large and outdated.

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Ruland Architecten advised extending the mezzanine above the existing kitchen zone. By moving the back office and the toilets from the ground floor to the mezzanine, it appears possible to make the desired number of seats. A new spacious staircase connects the mezzanine with the ground floor. The existing window provides light and a view of the track. By further adapting the kitchen and a new layout in the fire compartments, the ground floor has been expanded spatially. By also bringing the storey construction and installations into view, the ground floor space is also visually enlarged.

The interior design for the furnishing is by the English architectural firm Phillip Watts Design and is part of the Accor house style and furnishing concept. A new bar in the center of the space provides a soft transition between more formal seating and informal bar space. The mix of different functions (restaurant, bar, foyer), an open floor plan and the English look and feel of the design make it a pleasant space to stay.

LocationAmsterdam, the Netherlands
Floor area1950 sq m gross floor area
Yearoctober 2015 – oktober 2018
StatusCompleted
ClientAccor, Amsterdam
ArchitectRuland Architects, Amsterdam
ConstructorDEJA bouwadviseur bv, Nootdorp
Installations adviserTechniplan Adviseurs, Rotterdam
Construction cost adviserBouwkostenbureau Heijneman, Nootdorp
Construction site managementRes & Smit, Amsterdam
ContractorSKN bouw, Zoetermeer
Building installationsVan den Berg, Ede
In co-operation withPhillip Watts design, London / Nottingham
PhotographyAbaca Corporate / Annelore Van Herwijnen
ImagesRuland Architecten, Amsterdam

© Ruland Architecten 2021