When the law firm
AKD wanted to refurbish the 29th floor of its offices in Rotterdam’s Maas
Tower, the tallest building in the Benelux region, the architects took their
inspiration from the dock yards of Rotterdam.
The building, which
sits on the banks of the River Maas, opened in 2010 and comprises two towers –
the taller being just over 164 metres high and the second tower, where AKD is
located, is 108 metres high.
The new reception
and conference centre, designed by OTH architects, features strong materials
such as leather, dark wood and blue steel. This look has been complemented by
two stunning Hunter Douglas Architectural ceilings.
For
the reception, corridors and waiting room areas, Hunter Douglas Architectural
was specified to supply 310m2 of grill wood veneer in poplar, while 105m2 of the
industrial-looking metal ceiling was also specified for the staff lounge and
bar area.
Terry Woudenberg,
of Hunter Douglas Architectural, The Netherlands, said: “The contrasting
ceilings in this part of the AKD office are interesting because the light,
natural wood contrasts with the hard, industrial look of the Multipanel BXD
ceiling. The overall refurbishment completely modernised the space and the
ceilings add a real sense of drama and complement the rest of the design
beautifully.”
Grill
wood veneer is an environmentally friendly choice. Not only does the wood come
with FSC/PEFC certification, it is also produced efficiently: thanks to modern
methods, between 800-1000m2 of veneer can be produced from just 1m3 of wood. This
style of ceiling provides designers with complete freedom when it comes to
choosing the dimensions.
For this
refurbishment project, Hunter Douglas Architectural supplied the grills in
10-40-20-45 profile with standard mismatched veneer to recreate as natural
effect as possible. All the panels were installed on a T24 system, with a
cassette size of 1200 x 600mm, and because of the demountable clips, the panels
were easy to install and can be removed quickly if access to the plenum is
required.
Hunter Douglas
Architectural worked closely with Bovero, the installation contractor with whom
it has undertaken several ceiling projects over the past few years.
Jerry van Horik,
commercial director of Bovero, said it was the first time his team had
installed a Multipanel BXD ceiling. Made out of special alloy aluminium with up
to 92% recycled content, this system is versatile and stylish and can be used
in multiple environments, including airports, educational establishments,
hotels and retail centres.
“This was a special
project for us because it was the first time we got to experience the
Multipanel BXD metal ceiling," he said. "It felt like a puzzle as
there are lots of different measurements and we worked with the Hunter Douglas
team to make sure our people understood how it should be installed.
"Preparation
is key and there’s no doubt that it’s a very good ceiling that is well made and
we’re pleased with the result and how it looks.”
The Multipanel BXD
ceiling was specified in RAL 1883 black – a dramatic architectural statement,
yet the floor-to-ceiling windows ensured that the rooms in which it was
installed maintained the feeling of space.
A versatile system,
with outstanding acoustic control qualities, the eight panels are available in
three widths – 30, 80 and 130mm – all of which can be used together to create a
beautifully engineered three-dimensional design.
For the AKD
refurbishment, Hunter Douglas Architectural was specified to supply a range of
box, deep box and extra deep box panels in lengths varying from 1213mm to
4853mm. A matt acoustic backing was also used to optimise the sound absorption
in the space.
Terry Woudenberg
added: “From Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, where it is used across the main
halls, to a smaller office environment, the Multipanel BXD ceiling never fails
to impress, thanks to its sheer versatility.”
Ferdinand van Dam,
OTH architects, said: “Our client, AKD really challenged us to come up with an
inspiring interior concept, not looking like a usual office, but more like a
club or a lounge of a restaurant.
“By creating the
concept of ‘dock yards of Rotterdam’, we gave the space a specific raw
identity, fitting both the building and location. The grill-like ceilings, in
mismatched wood and dark metal, we found in the collection of Hunter Douglas
Architectural complemented the desired look and feel of the interior really
well, while providing a great acoustical quality to the space."
