NL Architects

NS Stations

NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg

NS Stations

Nl Architects

ARCHITECTS
Nl Architects

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Pieter Bannenberg, Walter Van Dijk, Kamiel Klaasse

DESIGN TEAM
Kirsten Hüsig, Babara Luns, Sarah Möller, Gen Yamamoto With Lea Olssen, Giulia Pastore, Ana Gavilanes Vallecillo

TEAM
Babara Luns, Kirsten Hüsig, Bobby De Graaf, Sarah Möller With Mindaugas Glodenis, Else Ferf Jentings, Milda Naujalyte, Aude Robert

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Arcadis

INSTALLATIONS
Cofely

ACOUSTICS AND FIRE SAFETY
Dgmr

MANUFACTURERS
Hunter Douglas Architectural (Europe), Donkersloot, Hunter Douglas

CONTRACTOR
Groenendijk Pgn Bouw

FIRE SAFETY
Dgmr

ACOUSTICS
Dgmr

AREA
700 M²

YEAR
2013

LOCATION
The Netherlands

CATEGORY
Offices Interiors

Text description provided by architect.

The Katreinetoren in Utrecht is the home base of NS Stations, the department of the Dutch Railway (NS) that develops and services railway stations in the Netherlands.

NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg

The 15 stories 55m high tower is built right on top of Utrecht Centraal, the biggest railway station in the Netherlands. The entrance is positioned conveniently in the Central Hall!

The width of the building is based on the dimensions of the railway tracks below.

NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg

The interior is dominated by this concrete structure: the elevator core and structural beams remain in sight.

A reconstruction took place in 1999 when the Brutalist mid-seventies building was wrapped in a glass skin.

NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg

The current floor plan consists of typical cellular offices along the facade and an oversized hallway in the center.

The basic idea is to introduce a series of perpendicular walls that will organize the space.

NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg

By ‘inflating’ these partitioning walls they can become storage spaces.

The shelves can absorb most of the clutter that normally spreads trough the office, such as wardrobes, bookshelves, flip boards, archive, bulletin boards. And sometimes even the stairs. The Thick Walls™ will clean up the space.

NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg

The Thick Walls™ can take different shapes to introduce specific functionalities and atmospheres.

The open plan with the Thick Walls™ divides the space in several clusters of different sizes.As opposed to a regular layout with cells linked to a corridor, a continuous, flowing space is created.Traffic space is eliminated: gross becomes net!

NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg

The main asset of this system is increased connectivity; instead of a workforce relatively isolated in cells, here interaction will come natural.

The perpendicular Wall Unit explores the spatial potential of the building; an extensive ‘field’ condition is created while keeping a sense of compactness and intimacy.

NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg

In the near future NS Stations plans to introduce the so-called flex-work system which means no more fixed workstations but a range of specific working environments to choose from.

The proposed layout will be able to accommodate this intricate workflow, but for the time being most of the clusters will be organized as fixed working stations.

NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg

A working station consists of an ergonomic office chair and a table that is individually adjustable in height.

With this unit an endless number of configurations is possible. The dividing Wall Units can be placed in different ‘densities’ to create fitting floor plans for the various departments.

NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg

A series of workshops with the future users will be organized to find a specific disposition for each floor.

The 9 levels of 700me each will be arranged according to the same principle but all will be configured slightly different.

NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg

Each floor will be introduced by a ‘special’: a singular piece of furniture located at the elevator core that represents the different departments.

This ‘conversation piece’ is a kind of welcoming gesture: perhaps a logo-shaped bench, a swinging multifunctional lounge chair, a 2 story high candy machine, a sculptural reading table spelling NS, a Happy Hour clock maybe.

NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg


NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg


NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg
NS Stations
© Marcel van der Burg


NS Stations
Section


NS Stations
Floor Plan
NS Stations
Floor Plan


NS Stations
Diagram
NS Stations
Diagram
NS Stations
Diagram
NS Stations
Diagram
NS Stations
Diagram
NS Stations
Diagram
NS Stations
Diagram
NS Stations
Diagram
NS Stations
Diagram
NS Stations
Model


NS Stations
Floor Plan Study

NL Architects
T +31 20 6207323 F +31 20 6386192
NL Architects
Van Hallstraat 294, 1051 HM Amsterdam, Netherlands