The City of Amsterdam has a serious space shortage and is looking for business locations that can be redeveloped into housing. One such is the location on Spaklerweg in Amsterdam Amstel, where Liander has been housed for more than 100 years.

After a joint search, the city and network operator have found a suitable plot for a new building in the Sloterdijk 3 port area. Liander Westpoort, as the location will be called, will offer space for offices, training facilities, workshops, storage and test areas.

De Zwarte Hond has translated the functional requirements and aspirations for the new location into an extremely resilient design, which takes account of Liander’s possibly changing future needs.

The design consists of a rhythmic alternation of buildings with spaces in between, which are positioned on the plot like a barcode. At the top, the office forms a height accent and is therefore visible from the A5 motorway. Its wooden construction helps to create a healthy working environment.

Liander Westpoort also stands out for its equal attention to all parts of the programme. Workshops and storage areas have been designed with the same care as the office building and are welded together into a robust and impressive whole. The plan thus evokes memories of the heyday of industrial architecture, but with an underlying sustainability ambition that is entirely focused on the future. At the same time, the building is cost-efficient, by building compactly, limiting the façade surface and focusing on the reuse of materials.