hotel _ benthem crouwel architects _ archdaily
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Fletcher Hotel / BenthemCrouwel Architects
© Jannes Linders
Architects: Benthem Crouwel ArchitectsLocation: Amsterdam, The NetherlandsProject Team: Jan Benthem, Peter Kropp, Okkevan den Broek, Pieter Rijpstra, Volker KrenzProject Management: M. Caransa b.vArea: 7000.0 sqmYear: 2013Photographs: Jannes Linders, Rene van Dongen
© Jannes Linders
Structural Engineering: Van Rossum RaadgevendeIngenieurs, AmsterdamBuilding Services Engineering: Wichers & Dreef,BadhoevedorpInterior Design: Robert Kolenik, AmsterdamDouble Skin Façade: OctatubeBuilding Physics: moBius consult, Driebergen
In development area of Amstel III, situated onAmsterdam’s southeast side, Meibergdreef lane iscurrently being redeveloped into an urban axis. This redevelopment constituted the catalyst for the construction
© Jannes Linders
of a fourstar hotel, just across a present foodstrip.The hotel is located as closely as possible to theflanking highway A2. On approach from the south, thevolume recognisably marks the entrance to Amsterdam.
The 60 meter high hotel has a compact floor plan with adiameter of merely 24 meters, resulting in acharacteristic slim silhouette alongside the highway. Theobjective to create an omnidirectional structure, with anexpressive façade and a compact footprint, has resultedin a circular plan with a central core for elevators, stairsand service shafts. The limited space is used asefficiently as possible. The technical stem is girded bythe main functions on every floor. Service areas andtechnical spaces are situated in the basement, in thepedestal or on the roof. The lobby and coffee shop aresituated on ground floor. 120 rooms encircle thestaircase and lifts in the heart of the hotel. On floorsixteen, five board rooms have been arrange in a mannerthat allows them to be linked together. The socalled
© Rene van Dongen
© Jannes Linders
‘Skyrestaurant Pi’, on the top and eighteenth floor, justas well as ‘Skylounge Pi’ on the floor below, offer guestsimpressive 360° panoramic views over Amsterdam.
Parking spaces at ground level are integrated in thelandscape under a vegetation covered roof, well blendingin with the surroundings. Additional underground parkingfor 60 cars is offered. The hotel will soon receive thehighest hallmark for sustainability and corporateresponsibility for organisations in the recreation sector,the Green Key Gold. Among others, buildingrelatedaspects as the application of a subterranean thermalstorage system and top level façade insulation have ledto this distinction.
The fully glazed façade with its bend screens and roundwindows yields a distinctive, autonomous and yetrestrained transparent appearance of the building, in itssurroundings. The architecture of the neighbouring food
© Rene van Dongen
strip is reflected in the circular motif in the hotel’s façadepattern. Blue colourings and shaded frittings provide aprominent outer shell to the building. Concurrently, byusing this colour palette, the façade interacts powerfullywith the sky.
The outer shell of printed glass screens is mountedapproximately 90cm off a solid lightweight inner façadewith integrated fixed windows. The transparent shell hasa noise reduction function. The cavity between thefaçades is used for accent lighting. The circular motif isapplied on both shells of the building. The blue tintedpatterns reappear as frittings on the laminated glass,and create depth in the façade. On the façade of thepedestal, where the entrance and coffee shop aresituated, curved clear glass is mounted. The building isilluminated at night by the hotel room’s windows and bylight fixtures applied between the façade shells. Hence,the Fletcher Hotel is distinctly visible and identifiable inits surroundings, even after sunset.
The main structure of the hotel is a combination of insituconcrete and a steel construction. The concrete coreprovides the stability. To this, the steel construction ishung, at the location of the partition walls ofthehotel rooms and on all floor levels linked with theintermediate precast concrete floors. The roof of the topfloor, a technical room, is made out of steel. Thesupporting structure of the car park consists of concreteretaining walls and steel columns; the roof of hollow corefloor slabs.
© Rene van Dongen
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