125
WANDERLUST Schiphol Airport has grown to such a size that it now offers direct flights to 319 destinations and in 2014, the number of travellers it served grew to almost 55 million. Conveniently located at the airport, Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol aims to offer travellers a home-from-home experience. dpa lighting consultants developed an advanced LED lighting system that works to create a variety of atmospheres within the hotel. The new Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol hotel, with its 433 bedrooms and 1,700sqm of meeting and event space, is designed to be the airport’s leading conference hotel. Designed by acclaimed Dutch architectural practice Mecanoo, the impressive landmark with its iconic cubic mould, diamondshaped windows and large atrium and 42-metre high glazed roof aims to challenge expectations of airport hotels. With a breath-taking interior featuring quirky details, bringing contemporary design, innovation and Dutch inspiration to life, the quiet and spacious guest rooms, first-class amenities, conceptual axis lobby and cocktail bar, Bowery restaurant, and eforea spa, make the brand new Hilton Amsterdam a welcome retreat for business and leisure travellers alike. What’s more, the hotel is linked to the airport via a covered walkway, bringing travellers directly from the terminals to the meeting centre and hotel. By gradually descending to ground level at the hotel entrance, the
walkway creates a physical link between the plinth and upper level, while improving connections to new development The Base and the office park along the Evert van der Beekstraat. The diagonal pattern of the hotel exterior serves to emphasise the iconic appearance of the building - by grouping the glass and composite panels in white and grey, a large scale diamond pattern is created making the building recognisable from a substantial distance. At the same time the pattern strengthens the unity of the different building volumes, blurring clear boundaries between the individual rooms and floors. Inside, the design is as unique as the façade and building form. The thinking was to create a ‘Dutch touch’, taking recognisable Dutch design icons, history and traditions as well as the characteristics of the land and its people today, and translating them into a contemporary world-class hotel. Creating a home-from-home for travellers - furniture, lighting, fabrics and floor
coverings were carefully selected to evoke a sense of home and the narrative of lace embroidery and crochet (traditional art forms in Dutch life) threads through the design. The large and light atrium is at the heart of the hotel, from which guests and visitors experience the inspiring feel of the open space. Making use of the 42-metre high glazed roof, is the main meeting area. Mecanoo designed the atrium to have a strong identity – with the size, surrounding gardens and light horizontal lines of the balustrades and white elements that reflect daylight deep into the building, providing an air of grandeur. From the smooth winding galleries guests have a spectacular view of the atrium, while the incorporated advanced LED lighting system - developed by UK-based dpa lighting consultants allows for the creation of a variety of atmospheres. The atrium also plays a role in energy saving with outside air filtered before it is introduced into the space,