ING Maple
ING Maple
ING Maple
The New Way of Working within an existing office building
An “open plan office” for a new way of working
The original office building, designed by Broekbakema, consisted of an elongated volume connected to an underground car park, an apartment complex and the different levels of the Amsterdamse Poort shopping center. This building was demolished down to the main supporting structure and received a completely new façade, which had a major influence on the appearance of the entire area. In the interior, the closed cell office has made way for an open layout, in which teams can work intensively together. Across all floors, centrally in the long building, there are informal work areas, which are vertically connected by generous new staircases and voids, surrounded by meeting rooms and concentration workstations.
A geometric façade as a form of connection
Within the neighborhood, the building lies between two areas with a completely different character: with the long side of a raised main road, the Bijlmerdreef, and with the short side walls directly at the lower pedestrian zone and Amsterdamse Poort shopping center. This is also reflected in our new façade design: the façade on the Bijlmerdreef is designed as a geometric grid, with sand-coloured aluminium façade elements. By using bay windows alternately and at the same time staggering the windows, we created a faceted effect, which gives the façade a 'crystal' structure; this design not only serves as an eye-catcher, but also has a practical purpose due to its calming effect on the low sun. This strict rhythm is broken at the side walls, so that the building there is more in line with the small scale of the shopping center. At the same time, the new façade elements provide a recognisable and homogeneous image, making ING Maple stand out clearly within the context.
The transformation from a closed 'block' to an inviting building
In the plinth - both at the level of the shopping center and at the uplifted Bijlmerdreef - we opted for a flat, inviting and largely transparent façade. For example, partly due to the clear contrast with the façade elements on the floors above, it is easy to see where the entrances are located. The main entrance is at the level of the shopping center; to make this entrance clearly visible, transparency has been extended to the corner, up to the first floor. By simultaneously narrowing and lowering the 'gate' in the building - which leads from the Bijlmerdreef to the parking garage -, we were able to visually and spatially connect two separate building halves on the first floor. As a result, the building looks more like a unit from the outside, while there were opportunities inside to use the office building more flexibly.
The entrance area as a public interior
In addition to the renovation, atelier PRO was also responsible for the interior design of ING Maple - a contemporary, optimized work environment that fits into the ING work concept, with which the building simultaneously connects to the environment. The ground floor has become publicly accessible, with a reception, meeting center, workshop rooms, an espresso bar and a grand café. There are also retail spaces adjacent to Amsterdamse Poort. ING's offices are located on the higher floors, which are only accessible to employees.
An office is more than just a place to work
Previously, ING used a fixed concept for all its offices, the “Orange Work Place”. In ING Maple, one half of the building was set up as a test environment where atelier PRO could further develop this concept - a “testing ground” for the future. Indeed, ING has switched to a new way of working, with a greater role for working from home - partly due to the covid lockdowns. Nowadays, many employees come to the office less for individual work, but mainly for consultation and collaboration. In the test section, much more space has therefore been set up for landing and meeting places — something that also makes the atmosphere here more informal. With this new, flexible set-up, ING Maple offers space for more than 2000 employees, which also provides sustainability benefits. The office here is more than just a place to work: it is also a home for ING employees, who have enthusiastically embraced the new concept.
Art as a reinforcement of the sense of home
To reinforce the informal sense of home, works from ING's contemporary art collection were hung throughout the office, in various places; not formal or thematic, but loosely grouped by color and touch. In addition, the company commissioned three large, site-specific works of art: a mural by Hadassah Emerich along the staircase, with her typical colorful, organic motifs; a typographically tinted mural by Said Kinos; and a photo wall with work by Curacao-born photographer and filmmaker Kevin Ospa.
ING Maple: a place that connects people, companies and education
The redevelopment of the building is part of the wider development of the innovation district around the Bijlmerdreef, Cumulus Park. This ING initiative is now also supported by the Municipality of Amsterdam, the University of Amsterdam, the ROC MBO College Zuidoost, and with the aim of creating a place where people, companies and education come together. The new city campus is strongly intertwined with the existing urban structure; opposite Maple, ING has developed a new headquarters building - Cedar, designed by Benthem Crouwel Architects. This building, together with the surrounding renovated and newly built ING offices, forms the focus of the innovation district. ING Maple is therefore much more than just a new workplace for bank employees: it is a place that stimulates creativity, innovation and development.
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