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Architects: MVRDV
- Area: 3700 m²
- Year: 2018
- Photographs: Ossip van Duivenbode
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Manufacturers: Acosorb
Text description provided by the architects. Small and mid-size companies often have trouble finding suitable office space in Amsterdam. The creative industry has seemingly unrealistic demands when it comes to office locations: an incubator of ideas, which is spacious and inspiring, with a unique design at a great location with car access. Salt is a response to these needs, providing small, high quality offices, each with a unique identity. The building forms part of Amsterdam’s port redevelopment Minervahaven, contributing to its ambition to become a new creative hub.
Salt is five levels high and a 30m x 30m x 20m cube-shaped building with distinct concrete frames stacked on top of each other. The concrete frames house a variety of different windows permeating the façade to keep the individuality of each 5m x 4m unit. Windows are arranged in a random order so that the buildings' distinct glass and concrete façade offers a different view depending on what side it is approached from. The interior of the building follows the demands of creative companies for large, roughly finished, loft-like spaces: no hung ceilings, exposed materials such as concrete, aluminium and steel, and flexible floorplans. A solar roof means that the building will generate some of its energy, whilst parking is located inside the plinth.
All of the building’s flexible loft-style working spaces are offered as rental spaces that can either consist of a whole floor or dived into smaller units. A private roof garden introduces a social gathering space at the south facade of the building while the full height lobby space with its grand cascading stairs connects the various levels vertically.
