Hello Zuidas November/December editie HZ52

HELLOZUIDAS.COM NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2020

52

‘My job is a great synthesis of hospitality, service and bricks-and-mortar real estate’

Mobility Special

DE FUTURE OF MOBILITY

Annelou de Groot

International Workplace Group (IWG)

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THE NEXT ISSUE IS SCHEDULED FOR THE 4TH OF JANUARY

NOT AT HOME, BUT IN ZUIDAS IS WHERE THE STORIES ARE...

This is the last issue of 2020, and what a

this pandemic has raised and what the

not-too-distant future? That would give us

strange year it’s been. Zuidas has been

future of the office market looks like.

all a tremendous boost.

powering through this crisis with courage

Fortunately, Annelou is anything but

and faith, however, and I’m glad to report

pessimistic about the years ahead. Though

Here’s hoping for a happy and healthy 2021

that interest in this magazine is as high

I’ve heard some friends claim they enjoy

- a year in which Zuidas booms as never

as ever. Even in times like these, I think

working from home, there’s a big group of

before and businesses can recoup their

people are thirsty for information about

people who miss the productive and social

losses. We’ll be back again next year with

our district and regard this magazine as the

life of the office. Personally, despite having

another six issues, packed with information

perfect medium for that. In any event, this

a nice workspace at home, I still prefer my

and news.

has turned out to be an extra-thick edition!

desk in the WTC. This is where I tap into my inspiration and it’s out here in Zuidas

Happy reading!

Gracing our cover is Annelou de Groot,

where all the stories are. Shouldn’t there

Romy Lange

director at International Workplace Group

be some way to create safe workspaces for

Editor-in-chief Hello Zuidas

(IWG). Annelou talked to us about issues

everyone in the district, preferably in the

r.lange@zuidaspublishers.nl

The coronavirus pandemic has changed our mobility habits. People are trying to reach Zuidas in different ways and at different times. And that’s opening up new opportunities for the future. In September, we signed a Declaration of Intent on an Employer Action Plan with partners including ABN AMRO, Loyens & Loeff and the Municipality of Amsterdam, setting out supplementary agreements and measures, aimed at securing access to Zuidas over the long term. Now, we’re calling on companies and organizations in the Amsterdam metro region to work with us to encourage a better spread of commuter travel. We’re excited to tell you more about mobility in this issue’s special feature.

Olivier Otten, managing director of Hello Zuidas

•3

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CONTENTS 06

10

Coverstory Annelou de Groot Director at International Workplace Group (IWG) Building the Future - Zuidas Acquires an 86-metre high wooden tower - Zuidasdok build work island between the trakcs - Conservatorum comes to Beatrixpark

12 Hello Zuidas Members Meeting

14 Share #Zuidas Social Media

15 Column Greg Shapiro

16 Hello You Members Boat trip

19 Topsales Amsterdam Helping your business succeed in sales

20 Got a minute How was it for you when

all the gums closed down?

22 Property Kavel 13: the plot between the EMA office and Van der Valk hotel

24 Finance Interview with Chris Buijink, president of the Dutch Banking Association

26 GoldRepublic and Nxchange Interview with Marleen Evertsz, founder of GoldRepublic and Nxchange

28 Sustainability News A greener Zuidas

30 Hello Zuidas Agenda

35 Yourgift A great business gift for a good cause

36 Mobility Special 39 Hely - the multimodal shared mobility provider for Dutch businesses 41 New at Motiv-E – Lease Plans 43 SIXT+ all-inclusive car- subscription doesn’t tie you down and gets you everywhere!

45 TCA TAXI - It’s time to join forces 46 Zuidas Mobility - What’s your name and what to do you do at the city of Amsterdam?

49 How do you look today?

With Miranda van Commenée, Stylist & Personal Shopper

50 Legal News An interview with Sandra Spek, new General Manager at Baker McKenzie’s

53 De Hypotheker Honest and transparent in the quest for your dream home

54 Striking a better balance An interview with Sharon Dijksma, chair of the Amsterdam Transport Authority, and Patrick Van Oppen, partner at Loyens & Loeff

56 Alnylam New hub for cutting-edge biotech

58 Architecture Hourglass

60 Interview An interview with Pauline BottemaSanders, chair of the Supervisory Board at Hello Zuidas

62 Facility Management Platform A green walk

64. New Members Hello Zuidas welcomes the new members

66 Memo Board

With an excellent business climate, world-renowned educational institutions within reach, and leading companies in many sectors from many countries, Zuidas has huge potential. The foundation Hello Zuidas contributes to Zuidas by realizing a well functioning area.

The goal is to promote a district that has international appeal, and high quality working and living conditions.

•5

ANNELOU DE GROOT • INTERNATIONAL WORKPLACE GROUP (IWG)

‘My job is a great synthesis of hospitality, service and bricks-and-mortar real estate’ Annelou de Groot, director at International Workplace Group (IWG) Telework from home, or go in to the office? Never before has this topic been so hot – or so relevant. The ongoing pandemic has given rise to new questions and a slew of changes in recent months. Nevertheless, Annelou de Groot, director at International Workplace Group, isn’t worried about the future of the office market. ‘These times call for flexibility, and flexibility’s part of our core business.’

What does your job involve?

Spaces and The Office Operators. Each one has

‘I’m one of the directors at International Workplace

its own identity, and I assess which brand best fits

Group’s Dutch office and in charge of the group’s

a given location. Besides leasing, I also work on

expansion in the Netherlands. We’re a worldwide

acquisitions and look at how we can take over or

supplier of flexible workplace solutions, with an

approach other players. Our third path to growth is

endless range of services. That last element is really

our franchise division, in which franchise partners

in my DNA. I studied at Hotelschool Maastricht and

open their own locations. We give them guidelines

also worked in retail. The customer experience and

for a brand’s look and feel and the services they’ve

hospitality really matter to me. It was through a

got to offer. We’re still growing our franchise

work placement that I wound up in real estate, and

market in the Netherlands and are aiming to roll

I never looked back. For me, this world is a great

out to smaller cities. That’s because an increasing

synthesis of hospitality and service, combined with

number of people want to work closer to home,

bricks-and-mortar real estate.’

and the pandemic has kicked this transition up a notch. Companies can rent small, flexible

IWG’s mission is sustainable growth.

office workspaces in one of our many locations

What does that look like?

throughout the country, allowing their staff work

‘In my role, the primary focus is on “growth”.

closer to home.’

Demand for flexible office space is growing globally and the pandemic has accelerated that.

How have these past

To meet that demand, I’m principally concerned

few months been for you?

with three activities. The first is leasing buildings

‘Incredibly intense, for sure! But I’m so proud of how

and adapting them to fit our product. In the

fast our organization has been able to pivot. By the

Netherlands, we work with three brands: Regus,

third day we had a COVID desk that customers all

Text Nicole Pak • Photography Michael Graste

•7

ANNELOU DE GROOT

over the world could contact whenever they had

scale up or down depending on the day. Offering

questions or problems. We also set up task forces

that flexibility is very important to us.’

to sort out everything in-house. With lessors, we looked at how to make all the spaces safe so they

Lots of research is being done on commuter

could continue to be used responsibly.’

flows at the moment. What’s your take on that?

‘We’re the only operator in the world that

8•

What’s your perspective on the future, also

believes every mid-size or even small town

based on your responsibility for growth?

should have its own working space. Wherever

‘In the short term, it is affecting us. Some of our

people live, people also want to work. That’s

centres are all meeting rooms, for instance, so

why we’re also in towns like Roermond and

little is happening there at the moment. But over

Enschede. If you’ve got your office there while

the mid and longer term, our product will grow.

headquartered in Amsterdam, you don’t have to

We’re convinced that the trends we were seeing

commute daily, and might go to the head office

pre-crisis will only be speeding up. People no

only once or twice a week. That would really

longer have to work at their head office every day

help relieve pressure on the public transport

to achieve maximum results. One or two days a

and road networks, especially since corporate

week suffices to feed social connections and a

organizations are in a position to tell their

sense of community. People may work from home

employees, “take your employee ID and check in

a couple days a week and otherwise opt for spaces

at a spot that’s convenient to you, wherever you

closer to home. Added to that, companies are in a

want to work.” We believe in a deep, widespread

state of uncertainty. For them, it’s preferable not

network that’s not limited to Amsterdam,

to be bound by lengthy contracts, and we let them

Rotterdam, Antwerp, Brussels and Paris.’

NO MEMBERSHIP costs till st january 1

OFFER VALID fROM OCTOBER 15th until November 15th

BUILDING THE FUTURE

ZUIDAS ACQUIRES AN 86-METRE HIGH WOODEN TOWER Zuidas acquires another eyecatcher. Under the authority of

seen from the Parnassusweg. A sight line that urban planners are

listed commercial property investor NSI, Dam & Partners

already feasting on, also thanks to the inclined surfaces at the top

Architecten designed an 86-metre high office building, one

and bottom of the building.

of the highest wooden office buildings in the world.

BRING TO LIFE LOCATION

The plot on which the tower will be built now consists of a

The building will be located at what will soon become a very

grass pitch and a pedestrian access to the underground car

prominent location: at the end of the new Maurice Ravellaan, for

park, meant for users of the adjacent building. ‘Together with

which the first activities have already taken off and along which

Dam & Partners we tried to give substance to this location, in

the new residential district Ravel will be built. The lane extends

line with Zuidas’, says Sten Karelse, Head of Development at

from the Gustav Mahlerlaan. Hence, soon the wooden tower can be

NSI. ‘The entire area east of the Antonio Vivaldistraat is under

10 •

BUILDING THE FUTURE

Zuidasdok builds work island between the tracks We are in the process of preparing the construction of two roof sections for the additional entrance to Amsterdam Zuid station. The work will be done development, especially with the arrival of EMA and the Van der

demand for modern, comfortable, sustainable offices, in Zuidas

Valk hotel. We are keen to help bring this area to life.’

especially, will remain. With a foreseen start of construction in

SUSTAINABLE AND HEALTHY BUILDING

between two metro tracks.

Amsterdam Zuidas Information Centre Central Hall, WTC +31 (0)800 5065 contact@zuidas.nl www.zuidas.nl zuidas @zuidasamsterdam

2022, we have time to evaluate in what way the economy, the

From the location of the work, it’s

sand and become the work site where

as possible to the final location. For

offices market, and the user demand evolve in the time to come.’

difficult to imagine that there will soon

we’ll build the second roof section.’ This

the two roof sections that we’re now

be two sheets of concrete 70 m long, 6 m

second section will be beneath railway

building between the metro tracks, the

In all aspects, this will be a sustainable building. The building technique is sustainable, the materials are sustainable and

PUBLIC AREAS

wide and 2 m thick. In order to be able to

track 4. So, when both are completed,

advantage is that they don’t need to be

optimally reusable. The ambition is, therefore, to obtain the

The wooden building will have a gross floor surface of 22,000

build two roof sections simultaneously

we’ll push them southwards.

taken across the A10 to be inserted. Of

highest sustainability certificate BREEAM-NL Outstanding. It

square metres – by default, the floors will have a gross floor

on the work island, the ZuidPlus

should also become a healthy building for the people who work

surface of approximately 1,100 square metres, but the ground

construction consortium, which is

BUILDING IN THE

space. But that applies to nearly all

there. ‘We pay ample attention to the indoor climate – which

floor will be smaller. Between 500 and 3,200 square metres of

carrying out the work, had to come up

FINAL LOCATION

aspects of the Zuidasdok project.

was not a priority in many offices. For the interior we do not use

the floor surface will consist of publicly accessible areas. ‘The

with an ingenious idea. This is because

In early November 2019, we inserted

materials that give rise to toxicity. This comfortable work climate

bottom layers will have public facilities and flexible workplaces.

there is no room for two work sites next

the first roof section of the additional

AUGUST 2021

contributes to the wellbeing of the users. The top of the building

The idea behind the design is that the public space outdoors

to each other. The solution: the first

passenger tunnel, the Brittenpassage,

If everything runs smoothly, there will be

will have a roof terrace with trees and other greenery. The natural

and the public areas indoors complement each other. That is

sheet of concrete will soon become the

into position. This work was done from

one roof section of the Brittenpassage

and inspiring environment combined with our services ensures

why we reduced the footprint a bit more compared to the floors

work site for the second sheet. Vergouw:

Arnold Schönberglaan. The roof had

beneath railway track 4 and one beneath

that they can work as productively as possible. This is in keeping

above it. An identically inclined surface can be found at the top

‘In October 2020, we will start work on

to be lifted diagonally across the A10

metro track 1 by the morning of Monday,

with the changing need of users, which centres on space-as-a-

of the building, with which we give it its specific character.’ The

the roof section that will be beneath

and the railway tracks. The roof of the

23 August 2021. By then, three sections

service. We are well aware of the challenges on the market in the

definitive design is expected to become available in the second

metro track 1. When that is completed,

Brittenpassage will consist of a total of

of the roof of the Brittenpassage will be

short term. However, we still believe that in the long term the

quarter of 2021.

it will be covered by a protective layer of

seven sections. We’re building as close

in position, with another four to go.

Text Jos Moerkamp • Photography Marcel Steinbach • Artist Impression Dam & Partners Architects

• 11

course, the disadvantage is the limited

BUILDING THE FUTURE

CONSERVATORIUM COMES TO BEATRIXPARK

The Conservatorium van Amsterdam music academy is set to open an annex

Chapel & Convict buildings. Marleen

in Beatrixpark in Zuidas, in the Kapel & Convict (Chapel & Convict) buildings.

Munniksma, Chair of the Munisami

The City of Amsterdam and Amsterdam School of the Arts have signed a

Association of Friends of Beatrixpark:

contract to this effect.

‘The Association of Friends of

Continuing focus on further reinforcing ties with Zuidas

Beatrixpark board members were able

On 28 September the Hello Zuidas team met with its members to discuss the

RESIDENTIAL DESIGN

On 7 October 2019 the two parties

terraces with views overlooking the

to contribute ideas for the development

impact of COVID-19 on Zuidas. Recent months saw many organizations busy

ALSO CHANGING

signed a letter of intent. The

park. The operator is not yet known.

of a design. We believe it’s important for

with plans and protocols to align their business operations with the measures.

That search for new ways to organize

the atmosphere and experience of the

What has this period been like for them? And what’s their outlook on the future?

space inside buildings is familiar to Ton

Kapel & Convict buildings because it

WHAT LOCAL RESIDENTS WANT

park, as it is now, to be maintained and

With contributions from RAI Amsterdam, ABN AMRO, VU Amsterdam, Maarsen

Boon, development director at Maarsen

has outgrown its current location at

The provisional design takes account

enhanced.’

Groep and the Municipality of Amsterdam.

Groep (involved in the development of

Oosterdok. The teaching will take place

of the wishes of local residents and

in Convict, where there will also be

stakeholders as well as the historic

OPENING IN 2022

FLEXIBILITY IN

employees working from home. ‘This

House and others). ‘There’s a chance

practice rooms. Kapel will have a small

value of the Kapel & Convict buildings

In the months ahead, we will be working

OFFICE BUILDINGS

major change in capacity needs is giving

the coronavirus crisis will effect a lasting

concert hall, where classical and other

and use of the park. A feasibility study

on the definitive design, in order to

ABN AMRO was one of the pioneers

us a lot to think about’, said Petran van

change on residential design, for example

public concerts will be held throughout

was conducted in 2019, followed

ensure that construction can begin

in what is now Zuidas. Before the

Heel, Construction and Real Estate Sector

making spaces for work and study a

the year. The catering facilities, to

by intensive collaboration between

in the summer of 2021, if everything

coronavirus outbreak, more than 6,000

banker at ABN AMRO. ‘Offices in Zuidas

standard part of home floor plans.’ The

be based in Kapel, will be public and

the Conservatorium, Zuidas, the

goes to plan. The Conservatorium is

people worked at its headquarters

aren’t expected to shrink, but many office

trend to convert office buildings into

accessible to students, visitors and

Association of Friends of Beatrixpark

then scheduled to move in a year later,

on Gustav Mahlerplein. The situation

tenants are now having to rethink their

apartments won’t affect Zuidas any time

local residents. There will also be two

and people living close to the existing

during the summer of 2022.

is rather different now, with most

setup both internally and externally.’

soon – there’s still so much building land

Conservatorium wants to move to the

Text Jos Moerkamp • Photography Jan Vonk

the Hourglass, Gershwin Brothers, Noma

12 •

Photography Marcel Steinbach

up for grabs. Zuidas has added quite a

even further with the arrival of a new

KEEPING EVERYONE ENGAGED

lot of residential stock recently and

theatre, cinema and Sapiens. All these

Municipalities, which are used to thinking

that trend is set to continue. Right now,

things will help draw local residents to this

in the long term, are practically trained

the main opportunities are in building

important knowledge institution in their

to look beyond a crisis. Nevertheless,

affordable housing.’

city district.’

the immediate impact of this crisis on people’s lives is tremendous. ‘Aside from

2021: STRONGER LINK VU

DIVERSITY AND

the economic impact, there’s also a

AMSTERDAM WITH CITY DISTRICT

VIBRANCY OF ZUIDAS

societal impact. People who live alone

Education providers all over the country

More active involvement with both

are having an incredibly tough time right

have also been called upon to be more

Amsterdam and Zuidas are an ambition

now’, noted David van Traa, director of

flexible in recent months, VU Amsterdam

for RAI Amsterdam, as well. Pauline

the Zuidas Amsterdam Development

in Zuidas among them. Josja van

Bottema-Sanders, general counsel at RAI

Office. ‘While young people often live

der Veer, director of VU Amsterdam’s

Amsterdam and newly appointed chair of

in groups, elderly people living alone

Facilities Campus Organization and

the Hello Zuidas Foundation’s Supervisory

are more likely to become isolated by

Supervisory Board chair for the Hello

Board, highlighted the huge impact that

the instructions to stay at home. The

Zuidas Foundation, has seen how big

business generated by RAI has on the

municipality is doing everything possible

the impact of mandatory measures has

city as a whole. ‘Whenever there was

to keep engaging these people.’

been on university students and staff.

a big international event at RAI, hotels

‘Alongside the switch to digital teaching,

would be booked solid all the way down

That’s precisely why injecting more life

VU Amsterdam is focused on the wellbeing

to Den Bosch. Impact on that scale is a

into the district and creating appealing

of these groups. The campus is a place

powerhouse for employment, especially for

public spaces are objectives that are more

where people congregate and everyone is

hotel and restaurant bookings.’

urgent now than ever. The area’s ongoing

missing that togetherness. On-site teaching

shift from high-end to more accessible is

will continue, but for the moment most

How else could RAI leverage its knowledge

a welcome change. Also sure to help are

students will stay at home.’

and capacities for Amsterdam, and

plans for the city’s music conservatory to

particularly Zuidas, in the future? ‘The

move to Beatrixpark.

The VU Campus is continuing to develop,

answer lies in opportunities for its

with a new research and lab centre set to

commercial spaces, offices around the

open soon. ‘This is fundamental to shaping

complex and logistics. These are areas

Want to join Hello Zuidas? Contact us

Zuidas as an Innovation District. In 2021,

where RAI can continue to contribute to

at servicepoint@hellozuidas.com to

the link between VU Amsterdam and

the future diversity of district users and the

find out about membership options!

Zuidas as a district will be strengthened

vibrancy of Zuidas.’

• 13

SOCIAL MEDIA

SHARE #ZUIDAS

YOU CAN FIND ON THESE ONLINE PLATFORMS

www.hellozuidas.com

hellozuidas

@HelloZuidas

@hellozuidas

For employees of

companies who are member of Hello Zuidas, it is possible to join our LinkedIn group or link as a contact.

Download the Hello Zuidas City App Hello Zuidas has an app that allows you to flip through all the Zuidas news!

14 •

COLUMN

For Greg’s final column in Hello Zuidas, he wrote an entire new book. The following is an excerpt from Shapiro’s third book THE AMERICAN NETHERLANDER: 25 Years of Expat Tales, available from 11 November.

Have a happy SINTERKLAAS SEASON… ‘Don’t tell me what to do!’

Dutch culture is famous for its pragmatic solutions to thorny social

I realize there are still Dutch people who find this topic to be

problems. …And then there’s Zwarte Piet. The Black Pete debate

upsetting. As Zwarte Piet fans continue to point out, the original

has created something like a ‘Dutch culture war.’ As for me, I must

Sinterklaas was not even Dutch. Saint Nicholas came from Myra in

say I respect the historical significance of Zwarte Piet. It’s part of

Turkey. And if Sinterklaas’ boat is supposed to come from Spain,

a historical through-line known as ‘Don’t tell me what to do!’ The

then the dark-skinned Spaniards aboard are Moors, as in ‘from

‘Don’t tell me what to do’ mentality goes all the way back to the

Morocco.’ So – however you feel about Zwarte Piet – don’t forget

Spanish Revolution. (And it’s still on display by wait staff in many

that the biggest holiday of the Dutch calendar is actually being run

Dutch restaurants.)

by a Turkish guy and a bunch of Moroccans.

In 2013, the UN’s Verene Shepherd referred to the tradition of Zwarte Piet as ‘colonial.’ She demanded that the Netherlands drop the entire Sinterklaas tradition in favor of Christmas – a demand which is by definition ‘colonial.’ The Dutch backlash to Shepherd’s statement was intense! It was a perfect example of Dutch ‘Don’t tell me what to do!’ She may as well have said, “From now on, you all have to be Catholic.”

But then in 2020, Prime Minister Rutte told parliament: “I have met many people with dark skin, who said they feel discriminated against because Zwarte Piet is Black. And that is the last thing that we want during the Sinterklaas celebrations.” Apparently, #BlackLivesMatter protests really do work. Before 2020, Mark Rutte’s attitude was: “I thought we exported all our racism to America when we sold them the slaves.”

Gregory Shapiro (b.1968) is the author of How to be Dutch: The Quiz and the voice of Trump on ‘Zondag Met Lubach.’ In 2020 he celebrates 25 years as corporate speaker and host. And his mini-show ‘How NOT to Zoom’ is now available for a 5-minute guest appearance in your next videoconference. www.gregshapiro.nl

Photography Jaiwey Nuij

• 15

PUBLIC SPACE

GOT A

MINUTE? Working out and playing sports is a daily activity for many, and an active lifestyle helps people feel fitter and more comfortable in their skin. Physical exercise also has a proven ability to relax us and even reduce stress. So it was a rude awakening for many people when all the sports clubs and gyms shut their doors in mid-March. Exercising at home or outdoors were the only options left. We asked a few sporty types what recent months have been like for them.

MARY VAN DER ZEE (51) Manager at Evi Operations Likes to work out at Clubsportive ‘It was a nightmare for me when the gyms closed, because I work out five times a week. It was a tough adjustment. I have a personal trainer and we arranged to work out outdoors twice a week. With the lovely spring weather, it was great to train in Beatrixpark and around Zuidas. I found out that with creativity, natural obstacles like stairs and low walls, a pair of boxing gloves and a yoga matt, you can get a complete workout being outdoors. I started going back to the gym in the meantime, also because it motivates me to work out with other people around. But I’m still doing workouts outdoors, too, because I really enjoyed it.’

SHOROMBO MOOIJ (36) Life & health coach Likes to work out outdoors ‘I work out a lot, but when everything closed I didn’t mind it too much. I adapt easily and pretty soon had a new routine. In fact, I decided I’ve come out of this crisis stronger and fitter than ever. I ran with resistance bands and sometimes with boxing gloves in my rucksack. I used to do obstacle runs, so the whole city is a race course for me. Also, Boogieland hung up bags all over the city, so I planned my runs to be able to box a few rounds along the way. Now I’m attending favourite gyms again and feel totally safe there. I’ve been investing in my health for years, my immune system’s in peak form, and I’m strong and fit, so I don’t belong to a high-risk group.’

16 •

PUBLIC SPACE

MEREDITH OVERMAN (30) Promovenda at Maastricht University & Amsterdam UMC, locatie VUmc Likes to work out at Rocycle ‘Through Onefit I had a couple of favourite spots I went at least twice a week. It was strange at first when everything closed, but I shifted gears quickly and began working out outside a lot. I’d go to a green patch with a family member or friend, taking along kettlebells and dynabands. I also went walking with my boyfriend during the lockdown, and the great thing is we’re still doing that.

I’m back at my favourite fitness clubs again now, and with the measures they’ve taken I feel absolutely safe!’

JOEY SINGELS (32) Online entrepreneur, owner of VoetbalPrimeur.nl Likes to work out at AFC ‘When everything shut down, it wiped out a huge chunk of my daily

padel. You might say the sports routine has gotten even busier. At AFC

routine. Ever since I was five, I spent at least four days a week at the

I actually feel safer than in lots of other places. On arriving, you’ve

AFC pitches, so I lost both the intensity and the relaxation of sports

got to scan a QR code to leave your details and there’s also someone

in one fell swoop. During the pandemic, a group of us got hooked on

in the clubhouse to make sure everyone’s behaving themselves.

padel, a big hype that’s a cross between tennis and squash. Now we’re

Otherwise, we have to wait till everything’s allowed again, because

back to playing football again, thankfully, but we’re also still playing

the whole big social and teambuilding element is gone.’

• 17

PROPERTY

Property

#UPDATE

It may sound unlikely, but on the plot between the EMA office and Van der Valk hotel, just south of the A10 motorway, there is room for an office building with a gross floor area of 30,000 square metres. ‘It will be a while yet, but preparations are already underway’, says Jaap Brouwer, senior urban planning designer for the City of Amsterdam.

Architectural forms

of the building will be set off slightly from the A10, creating space for

We can look forward to another eye-catcher off the motorway. A

a low-rise section (18 metres high). ‘How exactly that will be fleshed

building of which the architecture is fundamentally different from

out depends on market demand and the creativity of parties that

everything that’s already here, says Brouwer. ‘We’re aiming for a

submit bids to develop this plot’, Brouwer adds.

nice diversity of architectural forms – something that’s distinct from the Cross Towers where EY has its offices, from the EMA

City vista

headquarters and from the beautiful tour-de-force at Van der Valk.’

Although it will be some time before it’s completed, a good

Planned to rise a towering 85 metres, the new building is actually

deal of thought has already gone into the development of this

most striking for its width, with an elongated shape. The taller part

plot, also known as ‘Kavel 13’. The tower section will have an

18 •

PROPERTY

unimpeded view towards the city, though without blocking that

the zoning plan is to allow an additional 20,000 square metres GFA

of EMA staff. Logistics will be routed via the road parallel to the

for offices over and above what had earlier been provided for. This

motorway (Spoorslag), similar to EY’s Cross Towers. The entry to

proposed change has been published, so members of the public

a slated two-level underground car park will also be accessible

can submit their input now. If all goes to schedule, the zoning plan is

from this road. ‘A little inside fact is that parking spaces have

ready to be presented to the municipal council for a vote by March

already been set aside here for the EMA. Because of the rush to

2021. After that, the preparatory work will continue, but actual

build the EMA office, there was no time to dig a parking garage

construction won’t start until 2024 at the earliest.’

there as well’, Brouwer explains.

Green rooftops and solar panels Public amenities

The amended zoning plan for Kavel 13 will also incorporate rules

The new building is meant to bring more life to Domenico

on sustainability, says Van Buuren. ‘These sustainability obligations

Scarlattilaan. The arrival of the EMA and Van der Valk have already

will be laid down in a document, setting out the extended scope of

started the ball rolling. ‘We’ve made sizeable investments in public

the zoning plan. For instance, there’ll be a ruling that the building

space around the EMA office’, Brouwer continues, ‘and the new

has to achieve a sustainability rating of BREEAM Excellent at the

building will tie in nicely with that. In addition, the building’s ground

very least, as well as requirements for things like waste collection

floor won’t be allocated to offices, but to public amenities such as

inside the building, green roofing and solar panels.’

small retailers and food outlets. So the upper floors will be oriented towards the city, the lower part towards the street level’, is how

Further developments

Brouwer sums up the philosophy.

Brouwer expects the Vivaldi subdistrict to become much more closely intertwined with Zuidas than it is now. ‘So many things

Zoning plan changes

are poised to happen. The wooden office tower, which you can

Amanda van Buuren is the project’s legal expert and says Kavel 13

see when you look up Gustav Mahlerlaan from Parnassusweg,

is unusual in this respect, as well. The zoning plan for this Vivaldi

and the child-friendly Ravel neighbourhood extending off the end

subdistrict was first drawn up in 2016 and has to be amended for this

of Mahlerlaan. These developments will really change the whole

project. According to Van Buuren, ‘One important change relative to

character of this part of Zuidas.’

Photography Marcel Steinbach & Yourcaptain

• 19

FINANCE

Finance News

#INTERVIEW From the outset of the coronavirus outbreak, banks have been ready to help clients

euros. That’s in addition to the government

through these uncertain times. The Dutch Banking Association, or NVB, was set

assistance packages. Regular credit to

up to promote the interests of the banks in the Netherlands. Measures being taken

businesses will continue as well, which is

now to combat the pandemic are having a sweeping economic impact. Hello Zuidas

rather unusual in times of crisis. And we’ve

caught up with Chris Buijink, president of the Dutch Banking Association, to talk

been rigging all this up from home. It may

about the coronavirus crisis and its effects.

be quiet in Zuidas, but it’s buzzing on the digital superhighway!’

What role may the NVB play

discussions with the Dutch administration

during the coronavirus crisis?

on adapting existing programmes, like the

The NVB has been issuing

‘Back in March, banks had already decided

Credit guarantee for SMEs and Corporate

coronavirus monitors. What are they

to support businesses whose operations

financing guarantee to the coronavirus

exactly, and who are they for?

were hit by the outbreak. Banks offered six

crisis. This led to the adoption of our

‘We wanted to show the extent to which

months’ deferment on outstanding loan

proposal to create a Small credit guarantee

banks are giving businesses some slack to

repayments. The NVB was also involved in

for SMEs, providing loans up to 50,000

weather the crisis. The 2 October monitor

20 •

FINANCE

shows banks have financed approximately 25 billion euros so far. The monitor is also something of a gauge of how companies are doing. You can see, for example, that use of the government guarantee schemes has been limited up to now, signalling that government measures like the continued payment of wages under the NOW programme (Temporary Emergency Measure for the Preservation of Jobs) and tax deferments are having the intended effect. But we also realize this may still change in the time to come.

Banks are ready for stormy weather.’

The pandemic is raising pressure on banks because of the additional loans they’re giving out and the loans business owners won’t be able to repay. Is deferred repayment giving businesses some financial oxygen?

‘Banks are doing everything possible in this crisis to support customers, businesses and consumers alike. That’s a lot, but they can’t rescue everybody. The assistance is meant for businesses that are fundamentally healthy and can be expected to recover

CHRIS BUIJINK

after the crisis. Additional loans are approved only where justifiable and if the bank expects the business can repay in time.’

What’s your outlook on the future of the economy?

‘The future of the economy is closely tied to how this virus

The banks have remained stable in this crisis.

progresses and the development of a vaccine. From an economic

But are their buffers large enough if it lasts a long time?

vantage point, we need to do all we can to avoid a second

‘It’s a blessing that banks were strong early on in this crisis. Buffers

lockdown, which would have many negative effects on businesses

have been substantially enlarged in recent years, and we’ve worked

and so also on employees. In parallel with that, we have to keep

with public and regulatory authorities to forge a robust financial

working on the tremendous challenge to green our economy.

system, so banks that run into trouble won’t have to be propped up

As I see it, the new cabinet will play a major role in formulating

with taxpayer money. EU Banking Union measures have ensured

clear transition paths for sectors. The cabinet’s investment plan

banks can keep themselves afloat. That’s not to say banks won’t

also presents opportunities to get large-scale infrastructure and

also incur losses in this crisis. There is a big credit risk – the risk that

sustainability projects off the ground, especially now. All in all, the

businesses can’t repay their debt. Banks can cope, but a prolonged

future’s very uncertain, and it’s not going to be easy. It will test in

crisis will impact on all aspects of our economy; that’s unavoidable.’

how far companies and individuals, all of us, can adjust our course.’

• 21

HELLO YOU

Oliver Otten, Danielle Weeling & Calvin Choi

StrandZuid

Pamela Peetoom, Berend Bouwman, Jan van den Brosch & Rik Hoogendoorn

Marie- Christine Lodewijk & Secile Smits van Oyen

Stefan Titus, Sanne Stoeltie-Koort & Marc Beers

Ingrid Buis & Saja van Hoogwaarden

Tom van Wijngaarden & Wendy Leenes

Rosanne Kloosterman & Myra Koperdraat

Marius Drissen, Fouad Benaya, Oliver Otten, Lydia van den Wildenberg & Angela Ham

Sabine Hofwijks & Maurice van der Kroft

Bart Dignum & Laurens Visser

Marianne van Dort & Zoe Swensson

Patrick Brinkhof & Madhuwe Changoer

Kjeld Oostera & Angelo Verhoeven

Paul van Maarschalkerwaart

22 •

HELLO YOU

Diederik Vermeulen & Felice van der dussen

Ieke Tromp & Jacco Boekel

Abdessamed Azarfane

Bas te Loo, Daan Ruitenbeek, Olivier Otten, Peter Leupold & Nicolette Bosgieter

Kevin van Grondelle

Annemiek Groot

MEMBERS BOAT TRIP THURSDAY 10 SEPTEMBER Once a year Hello Zuidas sets up a boat trip for its members. Food and Lotte Holander

drinks were served, and shoulders

Darios Agianniotakis & Maurits Nyst

were rubbed - proverbially, of course.

This year, our Hello Zuidas members were divided over three boats to ensure that everyone had enough space to observe social distancing.

Ain’t no party like a safe party!

Michael Schut & Ferry Schouten

Fokke Faber

Photography Michael Graste

Jane Goorden & Anniek Spekking

Jan van den Bosch

Stefan Vernooij

• 23

H Y D E P A R K

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT NOW H Y D E PA R K I S H E R E . C O M

“Your house is your home” Apartments from € 359.500,-

TOPSALES AMSTERDAM:

helping your business succeed in sales Topsales Amsterdam is a sales consultancy and training company that helps clients improve their sales. By providing strategic advice, training and coaching, owner Lotte Lobé helps B2B businesses and their sales teams succeed in sales.

LOTTE LOBÉ

ABOUT TOPSALES AMSTERDAM

successful in sales your interest should be in

related data and services to financial

Clients come to Topsales Amsterdam

helping your client succeed. This goes much

institutions such as ABN AMRO and Deutsche

with sales-related challenges or goals. For

further than providing them your products

bank. Eventually, Lotte took the plunge and

example: ‘How can we attract new clients?

and services.’

started Topsales Amsterdam. Lotte is also a

Can you help us set up sales processes and

sales keynote speaker and shares daily sales

strategies? Can you help us train and coach

ABOUT LOTTE

tips on social media. In June 2020, Lotte

our sales team?’ Topsales Amsterdam can

With a proactive approach to life from a

was named a ‘top 10 female sales coach’ by

assist with all aspects surrounding B2B sales-

young age, Lotte Lobé began her sales

Yahoo Finance.

related processes. Topsales Amsterdam’s

journey at 17, selling lottery tickets through

training and processes dive a lot deeper

cold calling. She progressed through

into selling than ‘features and benefits’ in a

university and the corporate world in

TOPSALES AMSTERDAM

sales script. Lotte explains: ‘In order to be

London, where she sold fixed-income-

+31 (0)6 55 77 30 11

Salestips from Lotte

info@topsalesamsterdam.com www.topsalesamsterdam.com Follow Lotte from Topsales on

1. Hunting and farming

2. A Topsales mindset

3. Smile and dial

Don’t forget your existing client

Is it worth it to invest in your people’s

Sending messages online to target new

base while on the hunt for new

mindset? We think so! Sales professionals

clients is easy, but those messages are also

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with a strong mindset generate 37% more

way too easy to ignore. A phone call is still

in business at all.

sales and ensure long-term performance.

one of the most effective ways to create a first connection and transfer your enthusiasm!

Photography Lotte de Graaf

• 25

NEXT GENERATION CAPITAL MARKETS Interview with Marleen Evertsz, founder of GoldRepublic and Nxchange

A nerd – that’s how Marleen Evertsz would describe herself. ‘I love to spend all day on developing innovative fintech applications. That’s what gives me the greatest satisfaction. There is such amazing technology available and development is going so fast. Combining that with our existing regulatory framework creates endless solutions.’

MARLEEN EVERTSZ

SAFE INVESTMENTS

helped GoldRepublic to become the first ever

That’s what Evertsz did in 2010 with GoldRepublic.

provider of precious metals to be licensed by the

She made it possible for anyone to invest in physical

Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets, in 2010.

gold. ‘Of course, you can go to any bank to buy, and

26 •

invest in gold, but 99% of the banks can’t allocate

ACCESSIBILITY

a bar number to you. This means that you are not

After the launch and success of GoldRepublic,

the owner of a physical bar, but that you are owner

Evertsz kept thinking about how she could

of a pool of gold that is on the balance sheet of a

develop financial products more accessible to

third party.’, says Evertsz.‘ ‘This has a whole different

the broader public. That’s when Evertsz decided

risk level and is not transparent. My main reason for

to establish the fully regulated digital exchange

starting GoldRepublic was what we all learned after

named Nxchange. Nxchange is based on the same

2008: that safe investments aren’t that safe after

principle as GoldRepublic, but with a wide array

all. I wanted to buy and own the physical asset – in

of products in which people can invest. Evertsz

this case gold – and store it in a vault somewhere,

explains: ‘We are constantly working on how we

outside of the financial system. After all, you buy

can finance products and projects in such a way

gold for when things go wrong.’ This philosophy

that it fits within the investment mandate of the

institutional investors, and at the same time offer

Investments in sustainability often concerns new

the investment opportunity to the broader public.’

technology or new companies. It is precisely by using our platforms, permits and creativity that we

An example is the issuance of two green bonds

can come up with something to finance difficult,

on Nxchange, whereby fourteen solar parks are

but necessary projects in sustainability. Then offer

financed. The total issue amount is Eur 22 mln.

these new financing structures to investors and

GOLDREPUBLIC

The largest part of this issuance will be financed

make them as accessible as possible. Arranging

+31 (0)20 794 60 21

by an institutional investor and a small amount

everything down to the last detail. That’s what I

www.goldrepublic.nl

will be offered to retail investors, which, according

love,” says Evertsz with an enthusiastic smile.

NXCHANGE

to Evertsz, is a typical Nxchange investment opportunity.

‘Of course, I’m pleased and it’s great when it’s all

www.nxchange.com

up and running. But it’s the way to that point that

+31 (0)20 240 43 60

FUTURE PLANS

interests me the most. By the time we pop the

Sustainability is paramount at Nxchange. I think

champagne, and celebrate with our team when we

Herengracht 450

we’re able to make a very interesting contribution

have reached our goals, I can’t help but being with

1017 CA Amsterdam

in the future of financing sustainable projects.’

my head in the next upcoming challenge.’

Text Eefje van den Akker • Photography Jaiwey Huij

• 27

SUSTAINABILITY

SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

A greener Zuidas

It’s no secret anymore that green spaces are vital to the quality of urban living. Plants help purify the air, soak up rainwater, keep the city cool and offer homes for birds and insects. And that’s to say nothing of the effects plants have on people! In urban environments like Amsterdam’s Zuidas, there’s less room for planting, so it’s important to green other parts of the district too.

GREEN ROOFS One place with tonnes of potential space is Zuidas’ rooftops – offering as much as 180,000m2! Green Business Club Zuidas, Waternet and the Zuidas Amsterdam Development Office have a shared ambition to install 25,000m2 in water-retaining green rooftops in the district. With about 30% covered so far, there are still quite a few square metres left to go. That’s why GBC Zuidas, Loyens & Loeff, Waternet, the Zuidas Amsterdam Development Office and DGBC last year organized a dinner for property owners, developers and managers to tell them about the benefits of green roofing. Interested in joining the Green Roof Diner of 2021?

Please let us know: zuidas@greenbusinessclub.nl.

The City of Amsterdam and Waternet have also agreed on incorporating water-retaining green roofs in area development plans, in the form of water-neutral and wildlife-inclusive building envelopes. This has already led to the inclusion of green rooftops on many buildings, including VU Amsterdam’s new research building, the EMA building and The George.

28 •

SUSTAINABILITY

VERTICAL GARDENS A new trend is vertical gardening. Buildings’ exterior façades offer a vast amount of space for greenery, and there are lots of indoor options, too. The circular pavilion at ABN AMRO is a prime example. Part of the façade has a vertical garden, creating an attractive biotope for butterflies, bees and birds.

This vertical garden was built from a Cradle to Cradle façade system consisting of modules that can easily be taken apart and reused.

The new EMA building also boasts a green wall, in the lobby.

This spectacular feature is 21 metres wide and 60 metres high and made up of 52,000 plants. They filter the air, improve air humidity and that translates to more creative and less stressed staff.

MORE GREENERY Another brilliant example is the vertical greenhouse at RAI Amsterdam’s Amtrium. This 30m2 vertical urban veg patch grows produce for the kitchens of the RAI restaurant and The Roast Room. The greenhouse also helps with air circulation.

To promote planting in the city, the City of Amsterdam has made a number of subsidies available, including one for green roofs and façades and another for blue green roofs in Amsterdam. These can cover up to a respective 50% and 75% of the investment, depending on total costs. What a great incentive for a greener Zuidas!

Lotte Gottschal is communication- and projectmanager for Green Business Club Zuidas, a organization that has businesses cooperating in launching sustainable initiatives and achieving sustainability goals. She is also the editor-in-chief of the Zuidas Sustainability Report. As the contributing editor of the sustainability page in Hello Zuidas magazine, she reports on interesting new trends on the sustainability front in Zuidas. Got hot news on green developments in Zuidas? Send an email to: lotte@greenbusinessclub.nl.​

Text Lotte Gottschal • Photography Marcel Steinbach, Rob Aket & Jan Vonk

• 29

AGENDA

AGENDA NOVEMBER • DECEMBER

Friday 6 November MASTERCLASS: SUSTAINABLE CHANGE @CIRCL Every Monday

Wednesday 4 November

Climate change is recognized worldwide

MOVIES FOR EXPATS

MEETING POINT

as the single biggest business risk.

@Rialto

@Amsterdam Forest

For organizations to stay successful,

Would you love to see some of the

Hit the trails of the Amsterdam Forest

sustainability and innovative clout are

beautiful films Rialto is screening,

every first Wednesday of the month

key. Although many organizations are

but don’t understand all the foreign

for an unguided walk of about 7 km.

addressing these topics, non-financial

languages and can’t read Dutch

For €1.50 (per person) you get a route

aspects are often still far from being

subtitles? Rialto also shows some

description and coffee or tea afterwards.

integrated in goal-setting and decision-

great films in English, or with

Starts from the Boswinkel. More info: De

making. Making the necessary changes

English subtitles. More info:

Boswinkel, 020-2517840, or

won’t be easy, but it will certainly be

www.rialtofilm.nl.

boswinkel@amsterdam.nl.

relevant and inspiring! www.circl.nl/agenda.

Tuesday 3 - Thursday 5 November

Wednesday 4 November

Friday 6 - Sunday 8 November

PROVADA LIVE

CIRCL GUIDED TOURS AT A DISTANCE

NATURE WORKING DAY

@RAI Amsterdam

@CIRCL

@Amsterdamse Bos

Over 3,000 real estate professionals,

Even in these times of social distancing

The year 2020 sees the 20th anniversary

100 virtual stands, 100+ knowledge

we’re still eager to share our experiences

of the national nature working day

sessions and 120+ speakers come

with circular construction, the stories

(Natuurwerkdag). To celebrate, saplings

together at the virtual convention

behind the reused materials, and how

will be harvested from the Schinkelbos

platform PROVADA Live. With a

we work in our restaurant. That’s why

and Kleine Poel’s Oeverlanden on

programme of talk shows and webinars

we’ve started offering virtual tours of

6, 7 and 8 November and stored for

about the future of living, working and

Circl on the first Wednesday of every

replanting. Want to lend a hand with this

shopping, PROVADA Live promises all the

month. To register more than one

activity? More info and to register:

latest innovations and top speakers.

person at a time, send an email to:

www.natuurwerkdag.nl

More info: www.provada.nl.

reserveren@circl.nl.

/locatie/amsterdamsebos.

30 •

AGENDA

Send your agenda to info@zuidaspublishers.nl.

Thursday 12 November

Thursday 19 November

Tuesday 24 November

ENERGY TRANSITION THURSDAY

HELLO ZUIDAS HOSPITALITY SECTOR

SPEED DATING FOR AGES 25-38

#8: CCS SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS

Consultation

@à Deauville

MODELS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

Hotels and eateries make an important

During these speed dates you’ll

@CIRCL

contribution to the vibrancy of Zuidas.

be introduced to around 20 other

To rapidly reduce CO2 emissions and

Hello Zuidas has a dedicated platform for

singles. Every four minutes, half the

make our energy mix greener, we need

this sector in which members regularly

singles move to the next table,

more than sustainable technologies

get together. The Hospitality Sector

putting a different person across

alone. A sustainable business model

Consultation meets three times yearly to

from you until you’ve met them all.

is equally important. In this series, we

talk about how to put Zuidas more firmly

After each date, state on the form

discuss promising technologies and dive

on the map as a central city hotspot. For

whether you want to get better

deeper into the revenue model behind

more information send an email

acquainted: Yes or No?! More info:

the tech. In this edition, we discuss CCS:

to Marius Drissen at:

aboutlove.nl/event/details

Carbon Capture and Storage.

Marius.drissen@hellozuidas.com.

/speeddaten-amsterdam/.

Monday 23 & Tuesday 24 November

Tuesday 24 & Wednesday 25 November

Sunday 15 November

WORLD BULK WINE EXHIBITION

IOT TECH EXPO

PURE MARKT

@RAI Amsterdam

@RAI Amsterdam

@Amsterdamse Bos

The biggest global fair devoted to the

This year’s programme features the most

This ‘pure market’ features stalls selling

trade of large volumes of wine returns

innovative advances in the tech world.

special food products, beverages and

to Amsterdam. The World Bulk Wine

With case studies and special conference

creative wares. With lots of colourful

Exhibition is the first fair in the world

live streams, this expo spans the entire

terraces and the beautiful natural

devoted to promoting and ensuring the

emerging technology ecosystem. See

surrounds, there’s plenty of fun for the

quality and transparency of a sector that

the latest innovations in action and join

whole family. During this winter edition,

generates 40% of global wine exports. As

special networking opportunities at

enjoy toasty fires while sipping hot

well as a business platform, WBWE is a

the same venue – including the official

chocolate or mulled wine! More info and

meeting point for professionals worldwide

party, VIP lounges and an AI-powered

the latest updates on this activity:

and a place for debate and dialogue. More

matchmaking tool. Various ticket options

www.puremarkt.nl.

info: www.worldbulkwine.com.

available! More info: www.rai.nl/agenda.

• 31

AGENDA

AGENDA NOVEMBER • DECEMBER

Tuesday 24 November & Tuesday 1 December

Through Sunday 29 November

Tuesday 1 December

WORKSHOP: BUSINESS ENGLISH

MIND YOUR STEP

THE TAXCI AFTER LUNCH SESSIONS

@Taalcentrum VU

@Zuidas

@Online webinar

English fluency is crucial in international

Currently on view at Art podium

The TAXci After Lunch Sessions update you

business. Would you like to

Zone2Source in Amstelpark is Mind Your

on a range of topics during a 30-minute

communicate more effectively with your

Step, a group exhibition about the art of

webinar. After our speakers’ presentations,

English-speaking clients? Taalcentrum-

walking. Mind Your Step brings together

you’ll have an opportunity to ask questions.

VU’s language experts are here to

art installations, curated walks, audio

In this session, we’ll elaborate on a number

help! Our Business English workshop

tours and expeditions in and beyond

of categories relevant for the levy of

will boost your fluency in no time. The

Amstelpark, as well as an interactive web

Dutch taxes, including ‘lucrative interests’

workshop covers two full days, from 9.30

app that invites everyone to help ‘walk

(lucratieve belangen) and their key

am to 4.30 pm. Register now at:

out’ the whole map of Amsterdam. More

characteristics. More info and to register:

www.taalcentrum-vu.nl/zakelijk-engels.

info: www.zone2source.net/mindyourstep.

www.afterlunchsessions.taxci.nl.

Through Sunday 29 November

Tuesday 1 December

WORLD PRESS PHOTO

YOUNG TALENT

@De Nieuwe Kerk

Sunday 29 November

– VAN A’DAM ENSEMBLE

On view from 1 June 2020: the world

TWILIGHT WALK WITH

@Oosterkerk Amsterdam

première of World Press Photo 2020,

THE FOREST RANGER

Young Portuguese talent from

the renowned international press

@Amsterdamse Bos

Amsterdam’s conservatory performs a

photography competition. This

Join the forest ranger for this walk as day

programme of music and traditions from

touring exhibition of prizewinning

fades into night. While birds nestle down

Portugal – and an ode to Christmas to

pictures from the biggest and most

to sleep and other wildlife goes quiet,

mark this first day of December. Members

important annual international press

we’ll walk into the sunset together.

of the Van A’dam Ensemble are Maria

photography competition visits the

This event is suitable for walkers aged

Lagrifa (harp), Edgar Milhões (double

Nieuwe Kerk on Amsterdam’s Dam

10 and up. Cost: €5 p.p.

bass), Daniel Perzhan (violin) and Cláudia

Square every year. More info:

Register stating your phone number via:

Ribas (mezzo-soprano). More info:

www.nieuwekerk.nl/.

020-2517840 or deboswinkel@amsterdam.nl.

www.oosterkerk-amsterdam.nl/agenda/.

32 •

AGENDA

Send your agenda to info@zuidaspublishers.nl.

HELLO ZUIDAS EVENT

Tuesday 8 December HELLO ZUIDAS END OF YEAR MEETING

Through Thursday 31 December

Through 14 February 2021

Members-only event

AMSTERDAM’S TREASURE ROOM

VAN GOGH INSPIRES

It’s an annual Hello Zuidas tradition

@Amsterdam City Archives

JEAN-LUC MYLAYNE

to ring out the year with members

The history of Amsterdam contains a

@Van Gogh Museum

during our End of Year Meeting. This

treasure trove of stories and fascinating

Through 14 February 2021, the Van Gogh

is a time to take stock of the past

documents, and the Amsterdam City

Museum and Huis Marseille join hands

year and look ahead at what the new

Archives is their keeper. With more than

to present three works by Jean-Luc

year has in store for our city district.

45 km of shelves of old books and papers,

Mylayne. Like Van Gogh, Mylayne seeks to

Full details will be announced in a

photographs, postcards, prints and

express the connection he feels to nature

personal invitation to all members.

drawings housed in the listed De Bazel

through his work. For this presentation,

For more info about the Hello Zuidas

building, the archive welcomes everyone

the Van Gogh Museum made a special

foundation, send an email at:

to delve into the rich history of this city.

selection of three photographs by

servicepoint@hellozuidas.com.

More info: www.amsterdam.nl/stadsarchief.

Mylayne. www.vangoghmuseum.nl.

Thursday 10 - Sunday 13 December

Through Thursday 31 December

Through 21 March 2021

KUNSTRAI

THE MOCO MASTERS COLLECTION

FROM THONET TO DUTCH DESIGN

@RAI Amsterdam

@Moco Museum Amsterdam

@Stedelijk Museum

Discover contemporary, autonomous

All the artists in this collection were

Interior design has been a mainstay of the

and applied art during this 36th

inspired by one another: Banksy saw

Stedelijk Museum’s collection since 1934.

annual celebration of the Dutch and

Basquiat’s and Haring’s work in the New

Drawing on that impressive collection, this

international art world. KunstRAI is

York subway, and Basquiat’s talent was

exhibition punctuates the history of interior

one of the world’s longest-running air

discovered by Warhol. And they in turn

design with the seminal works. Included are

fairs for modern and contemporary

inspired scores of artists across the

acclaimed designs by, among others Thonet,

art, where more than 80 galleries from

globe. Their work was not only hugely

Gerrit Rietveld and Charlotte Perriand.

the Netherlands and abroad offer a

influential for street art, but has also

The exhibition touches on topical issues

selection of their paintings, sculpture,

made it into many homes and museums

such as sustainability and the impact of

photography, furnishings and jewellery.

around the world. More info: www.

the coronavirus pandemic on design in the

More info: www.kunstrai.nl.

mocomuseum.nl. www.mocomuseum.nl.

Netherlands. More info: www.stedelijk.nl.

• 33

New townhouses with city garden - within the city ring - Cruquiuseiland in Amsterdam

Amvest is currently developing 29 Townhouses,170-270 square metres, at Cruquius 1.6. The townhouses on Cruquius consist of four or five floors with a small footprint. The spacious city garden can be accessed through harmonica sliding doors; allowing for a smooth transition between inside and outside.

Their beautiful mezzanines distinguish the Parkview townhouses.

This provides an unprecedented sense of space and light. In addition, you will optimally experience the green heart of Cruquius, with its beautiful nature playground and terraces. These townhouses consist of five floors and feature a fantastic basement. Various townhouses also provide direct access to private parking.

Are you looking to combine living and working? The four ‘Workspace’ townhouses are perfectly suited for this. For example, these are ideal as a studio, office or private practice.

Purchase prices from approx.

995,000 including transaction costs.

Including 50 year paid for leasehold.

Would you like more information?

Please visit www.cruquius.nl/hellozuidas and do not forget to leave your details if you are interested in up-to-date information about the start of sales.

‘We donate 3% of the proceeds to charity’

YOURGIFT CARDS

A great business gift for a good cause

TOON VAN DOOIJEWEERD AND KARIN VAN OEVELEN-SCHURER

good cause.’ Toon adds, ‘On the one hand, it’s just a great feeling to be doing this, but at the same time it generates exposure for us. Whether you order a lot or a few doesn’t matter. We always donate on behalf of the company, but we pay.’

YourGift Cards started out as a plastic gift card that could be redeemed online and

BUSINESS MARKET

in shops. With something for everyone and every occasion, it was a gift you could

YourGift Cards is a platform with its own

truly use. Now approaching its 15th year, the gift card is an ongoing success. ‘Helped

electronic money institution (EGI)-authorized

along, of course, by some timely innovation’, says director Toon van Dooijeweerd.

and guaranteed gift card. Companies can

‘We were innovative when we first launched, and we still are. Now, that’s through

personalize the YourGift Card to reflect their

the impact we make by donating to charity.’

own look and feel, or even go all out with a special landing page, for instance to thank

MAKING AN IMPACT

other gift card initiatives in that we support

staff. ‘Gift cards are personal and we enjoy

YourGift Cards has built its success on five

charitable causes’, Karin explains.

doing that’, Karin says. ‘In a big organization

pillars: it can be redeemed at both physical

with lots of employees, it can be tough to

and online vendors, donated to charities,

GIVING TO A GOOD CAUSE

keep everyone happy, but with a gift card

exchanged for other gift cards (Bol.com,

Giving back to society is an important and

recipients can pick their own gift. Which is

Thuisbezorgd and many others) and used

hot topic. YourGift Cards is doing its part

what we all want!’

for magazines. ‘It’s up to the recipient what

by donating 3% of proceeds to charity

to spend it on; the amount can even be

upon purchase of a YourGift Gifts & more

split up’, says Karin van Oevelen-Schurer.

gift card. Companies can choose which

YOURGIFT CARDS B.V.

As sales manager, she keeps in close

charity to donate to. Karin continues,

085 273 47 20

contact with all customers and loves telling

‘Recipients could already donate gift cards

www.yourgift.nl

companies how they can make an impact

to charity, but we wanted to do more! So,

sales@yourgift.nl

by buying gift cards. ‘We’re different from

we decided to give 3% of the proceeds to a

Text Nicole Pak

• 35

MOBILITY SPECIAL

Mobility Special

THE FUTURE

Good access is something we’ve been working on for some time in Zuidas, since well before the pandemic. Green Business Club Zuidas, which is at the forefront of these efforts, has recently noticed that initiatives which once struggled for acceptance – bike incentives, avoiding rush hour, teleworking – are becoming the new normal. This could be a great opportunity to rethink how we organize our mobility.

36 •

MOBILITY SPECIAL

OF MOBILITY Within GBC Zuidas there has been extensive discussion these past months about how that might be achieved. The City of Amsterdam and Dutch Railways (NS) for instance have been working together to map out employer needs and initiate an area-wide action plan. Another partnership is with VU Amsterdam in a project to reduce congestion on public transport and bike lanes. Hello Zuidas talked about these efforts with Irma Winkenius, regional director at the NS, and Stefan Titus, Campus Development Programme secretary at VU Amsterdam.

HYPER-GRIDLOCK

bike lanes quiet and classrooms moved online.

Before the coronavirus crisis, the NS and VU

At the same time, spreading out travel seemed

Amsterdam were already working together to tackle

more essential than ever. Winkenius explains,

hyper-gridlock. With passenger volumes rising, the

‘The challenge is figuring out how to stagger

objective was to achieve a more even distribution.

that travel. With education institutions, we’ve

‘The crux of the problem was area development

worked out targeted agreements for education

in Zuidas, on the one hand, and more trains and

and public transport in Amsterdam, based on

connections, on the other’, explains Winkenius.

agreements made at the national level. These

Titus adds, ‘Amsterdam Zuid Station has been a

focus on staggering the beginning and end times

bottleneck for quite some years, with a massive flow

of education activities to reduce peaks during

of passengers. Both the numbers of students at VU

morning and evening rush hours.’ Titus: That wasn’t

Amsterdam and commuters in Zuidas are rising.

always easy, because besides considering what’s

Distribution and diversification of that traffic are

in the interests of the public in terms of transport

crucial. Also key to note is that only 2% of our staff

capacity, we also had to deal with our own limited

come to work by car. That’s great, but it also means

capacity on campus, with everyone having to keep

public transport and the capacity of that system is

1,5 metres distance. At the moment we’re offering

really paramount for us.’

only 25% of our normal in-person teaching to ensure a better distribution over the day. This way

TARGETED AGREEMENTS

we maximize the limited campus capacity and we

After the outbreak of COVID-19, the situation

help to spread the amount of travelers in public

changed completely. Suddenly trains were empty,

transport over the day.’

• 37

MOBILITY SPECIAL

STEFAN TITUS

IRMA WINKENIUS

STAGGERED TRAVEL

The important thing now is that the employers act quickly and

The developments we’re seeing now all stem directly from the

use this signed declaration of intent as the basis for drawing up

coronavirus. But we also need to avoid a return to hyper-gridlock

concrete measures. So that in future people will be able to travel

in the post-corona era. This period is proof that it can be done

safely on public transport and safeguards will be in place to

and that working together – whatever the circumstances – can

ensure continued access to all of the companies involved.

generate lots of creative solutions. ‘VU has a responsibility to help ensure the safety of public transport for wider society

REGISTER YOUR TRAIN JOURNEYS

without limiting our campus capacity for teaching and research’,

The NS has come up with various possible measures, also factoring

says Titus. ‘However, we’ve also stressed that this responsibility

in that not everyone has to stagger their hours – although the more,

shouldn’t just apply to education institutions, but to employers

the better. One option would be to register your train journeys in

as well to the best of our ability’, says Titus. ‘However, we’ve

advance. ‘We think it would be very effective to link the workspace

also stressed that this responsibility shouldn’t just apply to

reservation many companies already make to the NS crowding

education institutions, but to employers as well. The City of

indicator app. Employees could register both a workspace and

Amsterdam has been very good about taking this up, resulting in

a journey in one go. That would enable the NS to inform them

the signing of a declaration of intent by employers in which they

about expected crowding and possibly offer an alternative travel

also commit to staggering working hours as much as possible.’

recommendation’, Winkenius finishes enthusiastically.

Winkenius continues, ‘Over the past months we’ve talked with many companies and organizations, including VU Amsterdam, about spreading commuters out over the day and physical

The Dutch Railways and VU Amsterdam are calling for

distancing. Employers are struggling with the 1,5 metre rule

suggestions from Hello Zuidas members on how to stagger

in offices and preventing crowding around entrances and lifts.

travel when offices reopen, for collaborative pilots, and any

Staggering when people work across the day and the week will

other ideas that can help us ensure long-term good access to

be the key to preventing problems. That will automatically also

Zuidas. It’s all about working with each other, for each other

result in a more even spread of journeys, which is exactly what

– now and in the future!

we want.’

38 •

Photography Michael Graste

MOBILITY SPECIAL

Hely, the multimodal shared mobility provider for Dutch businesses Hely is a joint venture of the Dutch Railways (NS) and Pon Holdings. It’s a start-up, but one that’s growing so fast it hardly qualifies as a start-up any longer. ‘At year-end, we’ll have 30 mobility hubs across the Netherlands’, says Michael Baan, business development manager at Hely. ‘Shared mobility is part of a future-proof mobility policy, and many organizations are already seeing the benefits of a mobility hub. Increasingly, they’re looking for flexible mobility solutions – not only because it’s more cost-efficient, but more recently in response to changing commuting behaviour due to the pandemic. That’s where we can help.’

ONE EASY APP

and sustainable, so it’s important to us to

Unlike many other market providers, Hely offers

be distinctive by offering multimodal shared

a range of shared modalities, including electric

mobility. That includes bikes and e-bikes. E-biking

cars, e-bikes and e-carrier bikes – all easily

to an appointment in the city is so much faster,

available in one app. That means users always

environmentally friendly and cheaper than by car.’

have the right vehicle at their fingertips and travel

For both employers and employees, smart use of

with maximum flexibility. For companies, it’s a

sustainable shared mobility can open up a wealth

one-stop, future-proof mobility solution that

of possibilities.

‘Our mission is to make cities more liveable and sustainable’

can be tailored to fit their needs. ‘We take care of all the details for our customers so they don’t

CUSTOMIZATION

have to worry about things like key management

When it comes to using Hely’s shared mobility,

or maintenance’, Michael explains. Hely is also

businesses and private customers have various

working to team up with other shared mobility

options. You can start a ride and pay per use from

providers so it can offer even more choices and

any Hely Hub in The Netherlands. Such as Hely

flexibility for employees, both at the office

Hub Station Zuid, with 35 e-bikes, and Hely Hub

and on the go.

Zuidas, with a variety of carsharing vehicles. ‘But

MICHAEL BAAN

we also have Hely MAX’, Michael adds. ‘That’s

HELY

MULTIMODAL SHARED MOBILITY

your own exclusive hub with a custom fleet. Hely

+31(0)85 00 12 12 6

‘Especially in big cities they’re facing problems

can provide a bespoke service that’s seamlessly

michael@hely.com

that need to be solved,’ continues Michael.

aligned to any organization’s specific mobility

www.hely.com

‘Our mission is to make cities more liveable

needs and objectives.’

Text Nicole Pak • Photography Lotte de Graaf

• 39

MOBILITY SPECIAL

New at Motiv-E:

LEASE PLANS

ROBERT VERMEULEN

The future of driving is electric, there’s no doubt about that. It’s only a matter of time

unique perks, like hard-to-find electric

before all of the Netherlands go electric. For Motiv-E, that future started a few years

vehicles, attractive discounts and even

ago, and as of 1 November 2020 they plan to go live with a leasing service as well.

vehicles that aren’t available yet on the

‘We want to make switching to electric cars a breeze for SMEs with small vehicle

Dutch market. At Motiv-E, it’s all possible.

fleets’, explains Robert Vermeulen, business manager at Motiv-E. ‘It’s our mission is to make driving electric as accessible and affordable as possible, with a view to the

FULL PACKAGE

environment, a love of electric cars and personal service for our customers.’

With Motiv-E as your partner, you get fullservice mobility. ‘Our new lease activities

LEASE PLANS

only offer products – like cars, charging

now allow us to offer a full package for

Motiv-E has a range of leasing options.

stations, solar panels, e-bikes and e-kick

businesses, structured around e-mobility

‘We have four different lease plans’, says

scooters – but also key knowledge and

and the transition to that for everyone from

Robert. Full Operational, Net Operational,

knowhow about those products.’

small independent contractors to SMEs’,

Financial and Private lease. So we can

Robert concludes. ‘Our sustainable and

offer a lease plan to suit every customer.’

IMPORTERS

practical mobility solutions are tailored

Leasing has all kinds of benefits, according

THROUGHOUT EUROPE

entirely to our customers’ wants and

to Robert. ‘It saves you time, you outsource

Having built up a wide network of contacts

needs. We make it all possible!’

the management and admin, and it’s off-

with importers throughout Europe, Motiv-E

balance financing. Also, the costs are the

has a solid supply chain, says Robert. ‘In

same from month to month and we help

the Netherlands, delivery times for electric

MOTIV-E

you develop your fleet policy and keep it

cars tend to be extremely long, or they can’t

+ 31 (0)85 44 44 940

up to date. But Motiv-E is more than just a

be supplied at all. Thanks to our network,

info@motiv-e.nl

leasing company. It’s also a platform with

we can supply large volumes quickly,

www.motive-e.nl

articles and advice on how to make the

and have the fastest delivery times in the

www.vier-procent-lage-bijtelling.nl

transition as easily as possible. ‘We not

Netherlands.’ It also lets Motiv-E offer some

Text Nicole Pak • Photography Jaiwey Nuij

• 41

The most flexible and complete business mobility solution.

Radiuz, the all-in-one mobility platform.

Our multimodal travel app allows employees to travel more freely and allows employers to control mobility on a monthly basis via the mobility portal. See radiuz.nl/nearby to see how you can work towards a smarter and more flexible mobility policy in just 4 steps.

PARK & BIKE Subscription

Park your car at RAI and pedal to work!

When I start back at the office again shortly, should I take public transport or go by car? And where can I park?

RAI Amsterdam and Hello Bike have teamed up with Hello Zuidas to offer a solution, with an attractively priced Park&Bike subscription. The subscription lets you park your car at RAI Amsterdam and then cycle the short distance to work on a Hello-Bike rental bike.

Benefits > 1 month free > Safe and fast > Up to 4 vehicle registrations per subscription > Unlimited use of Hello-Bike > RAI Parking just a 5 min cycle from Zuidas and the city centre

Sign up now and get 1 month free

Park & Bike Silver €655 excl. VAT 4 months (3+1 free) Park & Bike Gold €970 excl. VAT 6 months (5+1 free) Bike Only €35 p/m For more info, get in touch with Pamela Peetoom.

She’ll be happy to help you. p.peetoom@rai.nl +31(0)6 51 81 52 92

MOBILITY SPECIAL

THE MOBILITY SOLUTION FOR ZUIDAS:

SIXT+ all-inclusive car-subscription doesn’t tie you down and gets you everywhere!

For everybody in Zuidas who’d love a car of their own, but not the high purchase price tag or lengthy lease contract that comes with it, SIXT+ is the solution. With this new all-inclusive subscription, you have a car whenever you need it, and can cancel on a monthly basis. And all you need is the app! Hello Zuidas got all the details from Roelien de Haas, commercial director at SIXT.

ROELIEN DE HAAS

SUBSCRIPTION

car in my way constantly when I don’t actually

Mobility provider SIXT is already known for its

need it all the time?’ SIXT+ solves that, says the

services SIXT ride (driver service), SIXT share

commercial director. ‘This way, you only have a

(carsharing) and SIXT rent (car hire). Now, it’s

car parked out front when you actually need it.’

introducing SIXT+, an all-inclusive car subscription that can be changed from month to month. Place

THE FREEDOM OF FLEXIBLE SUBSCRIPTIONS

your order, and within just a few days you’ll have

‘If you look at employers, employees and

a car of your own – without having to shell out for

residents, you see they all put a high value on

the purchase or a long-term lease. ‘Basically, you

flexibility, but for different reasons’, continues De

could compare it to private leasing, only SIXT+ is

Haas. ‘Imagine you’re an expat and you’re living

much more flexible’, says De Haas. For starters,

in the Netherlands for a few months and for a few

the subscription can be cancelled on a monthly

months in another country. You don’t want to

basis, you can swap cars and keep your kilometre

have a car all the time, so a flexible subscription

credit. ‘If you sign up for a subscription and think

like this is ideal. Or, another example: if you’re a

you’ll need 2,000 kilometres this month, but only

consultant who works in Zuidas, but have to work

drive 1,000, you can use the remaining kilometres

somewhere on the other side of the country for a

next month.’ Another perk: if you want a BMW one

long time on assignment at a client. Sometimes

month, and a Jaguar the next, you can do that, too.

you only need a car for a couple months’, explains De Haas, ‘and this way you’re not tied to anything

PARKED CARS

after that period.’ Last but not least, SIXT+ is also

With the pandemic, many people are staying

perfect for employers, says De Haas. ‘Imagine you

home more and spending less time on the road to

hire someone who after a couple months turns

go to work or visit family. That means cars are just

out not to be suited for the job. You can just give

Download

parked in the drive or on the street most of the

the car back, instead of still being stuck with a

the SIXT App

time, and that’s a waste. According to De Haas,

lease car for several years, as employers usually

‘People are asking themselves: why have this

are these days.’

Text Daphne van Breemen

SIXT+

www.sixt.nl/plus

• 43

DISCOVER HELY BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

ALL YOUR SHARED MOBILITY IN ONE APP Grab an e-car, e-bike or e-scooter: all easily via one app. We are Hely, your full-service mobility partner.

Looking for flexibility and pay-per-use? With Hely FLEX your employees can use the vehicles of all Hely Hubs in The Netherlands.

Interested in future-proof employee mobility? With Hely MAX we offer smart mobility solutions, tailormade to fit your organisation's mobility policy.

This can be a Hely Hub at your office location, with a fleet of shared vehicles, exclusively for your employees.

Discover Hely at our 2 locations on the Zuidas or get in touch to learn more about our tailored shared mobility solutions.

HELY HUB ZUIDAS Benjamin Brittenstraat 13 HELY HUB STATION ZUID Strawinskylaan 11 www.hely.com/zakelijk Hely Hub Zuidas 085 - 00 12 126

Benjamin Brittenstraat 13

LET US CALL YOU BACK

MOBILITY SPECIAL

TCA TAXI

It’s time to join forces

HEDY BORREMAN

Hedy Borreman has been at the helm of TCA Taxi for three years now. Considered a ‘man’s world’ by most, Hedy herself takes a different view of her field. Her career has revolved around the automotive and mobility sector from the start. Now, her goal is a healthy organization with a secure future. Hedy: ‘I knew when I started here that this sector is always changing. No two days of my job are the same.’

BIG IMPACT

easy for everyone within the organization, from

The coronavirus pandemic has had a big impact on

managers to receptionists, to order taxis.’ TCA Taxi

TCA Taxi. In early March, when the Netherlands went

is also making strides in sustainability and already

a taxi fast, with booking

into an ‘intelligent lockdown’, TCA Taxi saw business

has a large fleet of electric vehicles.

options from comfort to

Use the TCA app to order

luxury (business).

drop to just 5% of nnormal activity. That was especially noticeable among cabbies. ‘Prospects

SHIFTING MOBILITY = NEW OPPORTUNITIES

looked so hopeless that many independent drivers

The recent switch to working from home has

quit. ‘We have no idea when the situation will

triggered a mobility shift that’s opened up new

improve. We have to try to stay afloat’, says Hedy.

opportunities for TCA Taxi. Companies are rethinking their employee mobility schemes –

EXPANDED CUSTOMER PORTAL

for example replacing the many lease cars now

For a limited time

In spite of the crisis, TCA continues to develop and

standing idle in the drive with taxi services for

only, with 20% off!

is keeping its head high. Among other things, the

appointments and meetings. ‘Taxis bring you from

company is actively expanding its customer portal

door to door hassle-free, so that’s a big advantage.’

TCA TAXI

to grow its presence in the business market. ‘We want to make things easier for customers’, Hedy

According to Hedy, now’s the time to join forces

Wisseloordplein 2

explains. ‘For instance, by introducing a customer

and support one another. ‘We really need to help

1106MH, Amsterdam

portal that supports both direct ordering and

each other out, Not only now, but over the long

+31(0)20 777 77 77

ordering via customer cards and the app, which

term, too. We all stand to benefit from making sure

www.tcataxi.nl

give employers clear overviews and make it

small businesses and operators survive.’

Text Lindelotte de Koster • Photography Jaiwey Nuij

• 45

MOBILITY

Zuidas Mobility

WHAT’S YOUR NAME AND WHAT DO YOU DO AT THE CITY OF AMSTERDAM? ‘My name is Diederik Basta and I’ve been the project leader for two years now of BuurtHubs, part of the municipality’s Smart Mobility Programme. In this programme we’re looking into how smarter and cleaner mobility can contribute to making the city more accessible, liveable and cleaner. Not only for city dwellers, but for commuters, visitors and businesses, too.’

What’s a BuurtHub?

to share their cars and/or use things like

‘BuurtHubs [‘neighbourhood hub’ in Dutch,

shared scooters. It’s not always necessary

ed.] is a two-year experiment to provide

to own a vehicle yourself. With BuurtHubs,

access to various forms of electric shared

we’re investigating whether creating these

mobility for Amsterdam residents. So bikes,

hubs can help with:

carrier bikes, scooters, cars, to name a

• Access in and out of districts and

few. All clean, electric and for people in Amsterdam to use. Residents and businesses design these hubs together and choose the

neighbourhoods • Boosting use of clean shared mobility (less private ownership)

kinds of mobility they want available. That

• Improving air quality

means individual BuurtHubs can differ in

• Quality of life in districts and

size, modalities and related services.’

neighbourhoods • Lowering CO2 emissions in the city

DIEDERIK BASTA

46 •

Why do we need it?

• Strengthening local communities

‘The city is changing rapidly, public space is

Additionally, we’re studying the attitudes

in short supply and private cars are idle on

and behaviours of residents and other

average 23 hours a day. We’re also seeing

users who’ve switched to more sustainable

an increasing willingness among people

forms of shared mobility.’

MOBILITY

The concept of a mobility hub

Why should the business

smarter and more efficient way to invest

brings to mind something on the

community get involved?

in shared e-mobility. When workers have

city outskirts. So why Zuidas?

‘Organizations in Zuidas have shown

appointments off-site, they can just book

‘As the name suggests, we’re talking

themselves keen to invest in smart and

an e-bike or carshare and go. And that

about a neighbourhood hub here, geared

clean mobility through various initiatives,

means they can bike, walk or take public

towards local communities. We’re putting

for instance incentivizing bike use, trialling

transport to work.’

BuurtHubs up in every city district,

e-bike fleets and joining the MaaS pilot that’s

including Zuidas. These last few years,

starting soon. Many have employees that

When will Zuidas have its own BuurtHub?

Zuidas has been changing into an area

frequently have to travel to appointments

‘We kicked off on Thursday, 1 October

where many more houses and non-work

elsewhere in the city or country. As a result,

with a neighbourhood evening and

related amenities are being built. It’s

many of those people take the car to work,

discussions within the community. That

precisely for those residents of Zuidas, who

even though Zuidas is easy to get to by

first meeting went down well. We’d like

are growing in number, that these hubs are

public transport, bike or on foot.

to talk to more Zuidas residents to form

being developed. On top of that, parking

a better picture of their mobility needs.

availability is low in these neighbourhoods,

Also, many organizations buy cars, bikes

People can sign up by sending an email

so BuurtHubs offers a way for future

and/or scooters for their employees,

to buurthubs@amsterdam.nl. In spring

residents to get a feel for new forms of

which take up even more space in car

2021 we’d like to set up three BuurtHubs

shared mobility.’

parks yet aren’t fully used. BuurtHubs is a

in and around Zuidas.’

• 47

Your Residential Real Estate Agency

PERFECT PLACES TO LIVE IN

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PARNASSUSWEG 28 III

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Price Living Space Outdoor Space Content

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€ 1.050.000 Buyer costs 164 m2 39 m2 622 m3

A superb family house located on a prime location between ‘Zuidas’ and

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house with garden-patio is part of ‘Gelderhof III’, a complex built in 2007,

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the cosy live-in kitchen that have been carefully preserved. Furthermore a

living area of 121 m2 and includes an open kitchen, three bedrooms and

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not need for everyday use.

OFFICE ZUIDAS Claude Debussylaan 134 1082 MD Amsterdam

OFFICE CITY CENTRE Keizersgracht 321 1016 EE Amsterdam

W W W.VON-POLL.NL Residential Real Estate Agents

CONTACT +31 (0)20-2159988 info@von-poll.nl

HOW DO YOU LOOK TODAY?

With Miranda van Commenée, Stylist & Personal Shopper

According to Miranda, you never have a second chance to make a first impression. As a stylist, she helps women discover and craft their own unique style. ‘The clothes you wear

Linda van der Kolk

are a reflection of your identity’, Miranda points out. ‘When you wear pieces in the right colours that fit well, you feel more self-assured. And that carries through in your image, both

Job

professionally and personally.’ Miranda has been interested in colours, styles and image for

for SMEs at CL.HRM

as long as she can remember, and – thanks to years of experience in the fashion world – has

Age

47, married, with 2 kids

an unerring ability to select the right clothes for each person. ‘Advising people is my passion

Lives in Amstelveen

External HR expert

and my job, and I’m not happy until my client is looking her or his best, and radiates that!’

LINDA IS WEARING • Trousers by Raffaello Rossi € 199.95 • Top by Luisa Cerano € 199.95 • Leather jacket by StudioAR € 199.95 • Shawl by Repeat € 99.95 • Boots by Toral € 169.95 In cooperation with Modehuis Blok and Van den Assem Schoenen.

‘Linda was looking for a work outfit with a casual touch. This combination in shades of brown is on-trend for colours this winter and looks fabulous on Linda.

What’s your favourite place to shop?

Favourite shoe or handbag brand?

A beautiful mix of designs and materials

Amsterdam and any city during citytrips,

Haven’t got one. I wear all different brands.

in the same hues gives it a contemporary

and also online!

Most expensive garment ever?

look. The fitted leather jacket creates a

Average monthly clothing bill?

nice silhouette and gives Linda the casual

Around €250.

touch she was after. And the gold boots

A Boss overcoat costing €1,000. It was a great investment that I still love.

complete the look.’

What’s still missing from your wardrobe?

Favourite colour?

A nice pair of classic jeans with a navy

MIRANDA VAN COMMENÉE

Preferably dark colours. My favourites

blazer and crisp white shirt.

www.mirandavancommenee.nl

are navy blue and dark green.

info@mirandavancommenee.nl

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+31 (0)6 54 37 08 90

Heels or sneakers?

I’d like a professional outfit

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that also works off the job.

• 49

LEGAL

Legal News

#INTERVIEW

Sandra Spek was appointed General Manager of Baker McKenzie’s Dutch office from July 2020. She is also a member of its board.

Her previous positions include CFO at Mosadex, Careyn, Centraal Beheer and FBTO. Having started her new job during the tumultuous time of Covid-19, we asked about her outlook on the period ahead and what her plans are.

50 •

LEGAL

What will you be focusing

Your background isn’t in law.

on in the time ahead?

What has it been like for you,

‘For starters, just getting to know the

to end up in a new sector like this?

organization and my colleagues, both at

‘I was familiar with the legal world from

our Amsterdam office and internationally.

the other side of the table, when as a CFO

My aim is to collaborate with the whole

I engaged solicitors to advise on the sale

Age 49

organization, both staff and partners,

of various companies and new financing

Position

General Manager

to further optimize our services. What’s

transactions. It’s refreshing to see things

at Baker McKenzie

keeping our clients awake at night and

from this angle now, but also to discover

how can we ease their concerns? What will

that I can apply a lot from my previous field

our clients need most in future? But also,

of work here as well. Working alongside

What’s your favourite spot in Zuidas?

how can we make their day?’

such a wide range of nationalities in one

So far, our own Baker Café at the office.

Sandra Spek

of the largest, most diverse and most

Because I started in the midst of the

You started in a tumultuous time,

dynamic law firms in the world is brilliant.

coronavirus crisis, it’s especially nice

during the Covid-19 pandemic. Have

People work hard here, but everyone’s also

to get to know as many colleagues

there been many changes or adjustments

incredibly welcoming, from my colleagues

as possible in person instead of on

in Baker McKenzie as a result?

at reception right through to the partners.’

Zoom. It’s a great spot to get together

‘It was already the new normal when I

casually, although of course most

started, so in that sense I don’t know any

Is there any specific challenge you

people are still working from home

different. Our business has continued

want to take on in this organization?

most of the time. I’m also looking

more or less seamlessly. Partly because of

‘Acclimatizing in a new job in the midst of

forward to exploring more of what

prior big investments in solid IT structures,

the Covid-19 reality is a challenge in itself;

Zuidas has to offer in future!

but also because there was already a

I miss the interaction and spontaneity

strong culture of digital collaboration in

of constant in-person exchange. Digital

What’s a hot topic in

cross-border teams both in and beyond

meetings tend to be more focused on

your firm at the moment?

Europe. What was different, of course, was

business matters. More broadly, my

Doing business in such a rapidly

the social aspect. We’ve made conscious

challenge will be to lay a firm basis for the

changing environment is a first for

efforts to make up for that with digital town

new strategic reality. That will take some

everyone. Our full attention right now

halls, online team activities like wine-

more patience, of course, but we’re already

is dedicated to helping our clients

tastings and pub quizzes, Insta challenges

hard at work to set out concrete action

in jurisdictions around the world

with pictures of, say, your home office, and

plans and tackle the practicalities. That’s a

navigate through the pandemic as

Storytelling Café sessions.’

challenge which really energizes me!’

effectively as possible.

• 51

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06-10-20 15:43

DE HYPOTHEKER:

honest and transparent in the quest for your dream home unrealistic expectations, we tell them so’, Van Splunteren explains.

GET INFORMED BEFOREHAND A common trap people fall into, according to Van Splunteren, is falling for online mortgage providers and the proliferation of calculation models. ‘You can’t always trust information you find online when it comes to your options. You can easily fill in some figures and the models will do the maths for you. People assume they’ve got more to spend than they actually do

THOMAS VAN SPLUNTEREN

and don’t come to us until after they’ve already found a house, which then turns

From their humble beginnings on Parnassusweg to a full-fledged office on Strawinskylaan

out to be out of reach. That’s a recipe

– after twenty years De Hypotheker has become an establishment in Zuidas. Mortgage

for disappointment.’ And that’s why Van

man Thomas van Splunteren knows this special slice of Amsterdam inside out by now –

Splunteren recommends, ‘Come to us

whereas the ever-changing housing market is another story altogether. Van Splunteren:

first. We go that extra step and look not

‘After all these years, it’s still completely unpredictable. We’ve witnessed so much. And

only at your mortgage costs, but also your

that’s precisely why sound mortgage advice is so essential.’

insurance policies, levies and municipal taxes. After that the fun part begins: finding

GROWING RESIDENTIAL OFFERING

Van Splunteren’s job involves giving

When the whole country went into

mortgage advice to people who are

intelligent lockdown this past March,

shopping for a house. De Hypotheker

Van Splunteren saw his work schedule

offers a variety of options, from basic

empty overnight. ‘It scared people all

online recommendations to extensive

Thomas van Splunteren | Franchisee

right. Uncertainty about contracts and a

guidance, where customers are

Strawinskylaan 1427 / WTC Tower

potential crisis seem to have prompted

supported in their house hunt and

Tower B Level 14

reticence. Oddly enough, it took only two

completing all the paperwork and

1077 XX Amsterdam

weeks for business to bounce back again.

arrangements from start to finish. ‘We

020 – 662 14 11

And, incredibly, it got even busier than

have two aims: to take the work out of

thomas.vansplunteren@hypotheker.nl

before. On top of that the housing stock

people’s hands while continueing to be

www.hypotheker.nl

also grew, which is a good combination.’

honest and transparent. If clients have

Text Nicole Pak & Eefje van den Akker • Photography Jaiwey Nuij

your dream home.’

DE HYPOTHEKER

• 53

Striking

A BETTER BALANCE PATRICK VAN OPPEN

At the end of September, more than 20 major organizations in the Amsterdam metro region signed an employer declaration in which they committed themselves to spreading out working hours and transport use during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

This affects some 38,780 workers employed by the City of Amsterdam, Noord-Holland Province, the Amsterdam Transport Authority, Loyens & Loeff, ABN AMRO, SADC and Royal Schiphol Group. The Dutch Railways (NS) and other regional transport providers are also involved. Under these agreements, working from home more will become the norm. Those who do commute will plan their journeys during quiet times, outside rush hours. For those travelling longer distances, options will include some combination of public transport, bike or e-bike and car or carshares. All with a view to ensuring better access, less gridlock, fewer delays and cleaner air. Hello Zuidas talked to Sharon Dijksma, chair of the Amsterdam Transport Authority, and Patrick Van Oppen, partner at Loyens & Loeff, which is one of the signatories.

Why was a change needed?

rush hour peaks. The important thing is

the responsibility for keeping Zuidas

Dijksma: ‘We’ve been working with various

that employers set up solid systems for

and the Amsterdam region accessible.

employers in the Amsterdam metropolitan

teleworking and help employees towards

Part of our CSR ambition is to reduce our

region for a long time now on measures

a better distribution of working hours and

footprint, so we’re also actively seeking

to reduce rush hour congestion. By

kinds of transport they use.’

ways to do that. By having our people

signing this document, we’re making firm

work from home more, we can reduce

agreements for both during the pandemic

Why is it important for Loyens & Loeff

and afterwards. If 10 to 15% more people

to sign these employer agreements?

work from home, that’s 85,000 to 170,000

Van Oppen: ‘As an employer of more

What kind of assistance is available

fewer journeys a day in the Amsterdam

than 700 people in Amsterdam, we feel

for companies making these changes?

metro region , meaninga big reduction in

it’s important to shoulder our share of

Dijksma: ‘Stichting Breikers offers a free

54 •

CO2 emissions as well.’

How will these agreements affect Loyens & Loeff’s employees?

Van Oppen: ‘At the moment we’re still in the middle of the pandemic, so not much will change. For the time being, we’re still working from home as much as possible.

At an organizational level, we have noticed that this is going well and that we’re still supplying the same top-quality service.

What we’re experiencing now has put this topic on the agenda and we’ll have to look at where we want to take it.’

Why is it so important to

SHARON DIJKSMA

get more companies on board?

Dijksma: ‘A better division of working

service to help employers transition to

all our employees can work effectively at

from home as opposed to working at the

smarter and more sustainable mobility

home. Reactions have been very positive.

office would have direct benefits for the

and logistics. Since every company and

People who were sceptical at first have

accessibility of the region as a whole,

worker has different mobility needs,

noticed that it’s quite doable to work from

but especially Amsterdam. Also in terms

tailored advice is essential. There’s no

home. Of course it’s also nice to see your

of shorter journey times, fewer CO2

need for employers to reinvent the wheel.

colleagues regularly, so the trick is to strike

emissions, and less stress related to traffic

We’ve also developed a new platform

the right balance.’

queues and delays. A smarter distribution

offering tips and cases, on Zowerkhet.nl.

of commuter traffic over the day and week

This nationwide platform aims to inspire

Looking ahead, why are these

and across different transport modalities

and support employers and employees

agreements important after

offers good prospects for keeping the

to make smart(er) travel choices around

we come out of the pandemic?

Amsterdam metro region accessible.

working and commuting.’

Dijksma: ‘The COVID-19 measures have

That’s vital for the people who live here

changed our mobility behaviour. We’ve

and will also strengthen the regional

How have people inside the firm

been able to experience a different

economy.’ Van Oppen: ‘We’re all part of

responded to this change?

way of dividing working hours between

the solution, so we need all businesses

Van Oppen: ‘Just before corona we’d

home and the office. Here is a chance to

in the metro region to get on board. If

already started rolling out a project where

permanently restructure where we work,

we all examine what we can do to make

we gave every employee a laptop with

and how and when we make the journey

employee commutes smarter and more

new software installed. Fortunately, we

there. Many people are working from

sustainable, we can keep the region

managed to round off this project in all our

home right now and will continue to do

accessible, help clean the environment

countries in spite of the lockdown, so now

so for at least part of the week.’

and our staff will have less traffic stress.’

Photography Jaiwey Nuij

• 55

Zuidas: NEW HUB FOR More proof that Zuidas is fast becoming an exciting life sciences hub, is the recent arrival of US-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, a global biopharmaceutical company whose new office is next to the EMA. Based on Nobel Prizewinning science, the biotech leader has a revolutionary approach to the treatment of rare diseases. Now, it’s investing millions in the Netherlands as a growing home-base for its European activities. Hello Zuidas caught up with Anant Murthy, general manager for the MidSize Market Region, to learn more.

What kind of company is Alnylam?

Alnylam was founded in 2002 based on the Nobel Prizewinning discovery of RNA interference. DNA, which is our genetic code, produces RNA, and RNA produces proteins we need to survive. Proteins also cause disease. If somebody has a genetic disease, typically the RNA is overproducing, underproducing, or misproducing some protein. The discovery that our bodies have a natural way of regulating RNA opened a path to creating medicines that let us turn production of some proteins on or off – almost like a light switch. After years of biochemistry research, our first medicine was approved in 2018 and now is available around the world.

Is this therapy used for one disease, or is the application broader?

There are many diseases where RNAi can offer benefit. Our first medicine targets amyloidosis, where a gene mutation causes amyloid ANANT MURTHY

56 •

deposits in nerves and organs. Early symptoms are numbness, vision loss, then heart and gastrointestinal problems and eventually

CUTTING-EDGE BIOTECH multiple organ failure. There’s a 50% chance of

our activities in the Netherlands as it’s an

passing on the mutation, which makes it devastating

important strategic hub for us.

for families. There are quite a few patients in the north of the Netherlands with this mutation. But

How is COVID-19 affecting you as

more broadly, we’re working on a whole new class

a health and life sciences company?

of innovative treatments for rare genetic, cardio-

It’s had a tremendous effect. Our first priority

metabolic and hepatic infectious diseases.

was the safety of our employees, many of whom regularly visit hospitals and doctors. In this new

What attracted Alnylam to Zuidas in particular?

office, we’re taking measures so it will be safe for

Even before the EMA moved from London to

everyone to use. Also, we don’t want to create risk

Zuidas, we were attracted to the world-class

for communities we’re trying to help, so we’ve had

medical and research centres here. We’ve had

to rethink how we do clinical trials. For instance,

research partnerships with some of them for

by administering treatments at home. But despite

years, so it was a natural progression to build an

COVID and the macroeconomic uncertainty, we’re

international hub in Amsterdam. Also, it’s a very

going full steam ahead in Zuidas with this state-of-

international city, which is perfect when you’re

the-art facility.

recruiting from around the world. Infrastructurally it’s fantastic and quality of life is high. Also

Diversity and inclusion are key values for

logistically, because we ship a lot of our medicines

Alnylam. How are you achieving that?

via Schiphol and distribute them from here around

Our vision is for a diverse and inclusive biotech

the world. So there are lots of advantages.

industry that benefits our employees and the patients we strive to serve. Part of that is our

You’re the general manager of the midsize

commitment to ensuring broad patient access

cluster. What’s your role in the organization?

to our medicines. Within Alnylam, we build on

My primary role is overseeing operations in this

the diversity of our employees, who represent all

cluster of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg,

different talents, backgrounds and experiences,

the Nordics, Portugal and Canada. I also oversee

dozens of countries and more than 20 languages.

• 57

ARCHITECTURE

ZUIDAS ARCHITECTURE

Hourglass:

PERFECT ADDITION TO ICONIC ARCHITECTURE OF ZUIDAS Address

Parnassusweg 300

Architect

Dam & Partners Architecten

(building shell)

Building owner Bouwinvest Dutch Institutional Office Fund N.V.

Main users

Loyens & Loeff N.V., Premier Suites

Completed in

March 2020

Height

80 metres

Floors 18

58 •

ARCHITECTURE

Zuidas is renowned for its pioneering architecture. As it matures into an international quarter of Amsterdam, buildings are shooting up left and right in Zuidas. Amidst all these modern skyscrapers, it may be difficult to imagine that just about 20 years ago this stretch of land connecting the residential neighbourhoods of Zuid and Buitenveldert consisted mostly of tennis courts and football pitches. In this series

Facts

we zoom in on the architecture of Zuidas. This time, we take a closer look at the

• The building’s architecture in

Hourglass building.

the shape of an hourglass was inspired by the work of Romanian

Take the train to Amsterdam Zuid Station

light. Amplified by the many rectangular

sculptor Constantin Brâncuși.

and these days you’ll find yourself

windows that look almost haphazardly

• Floors 12-16 are occupied by a

welcomed by the awe-inspiring iconic

strewn across the façade, this transparent

Premier Suites Plus apartment

architecture of Zuidas. Recently added

effect is carried through in the large glass

hotel with 115 units and a

to this skyline is a new eye-catcher called

entryway that opens onto Parnassusweg.

restaurant. On the ground floor

Hourglass. It’s no mystery how this

Hourglass has mezzanines running from

is an urban gym operated by

unusual building got its name. Even from

the ground floor up to the 10th floor and a

TRAINMORE and there’s also a

a distance, the sandstone structure’s

green wall stretching over the full length.

curved silhouette, narrowing at the

Different entrances and access routes to

middle, is distinctive. The light natural

Zuidas give the building a multifunctional

two-storey car park plus spaces

stone façade and warm materials give

character that dovetails with its slated

for 550 bikes.

Hourglass a classic and cosmopolitan

use. With everything from offices for

look. The building’s cinched waist divides

Loyens & Loeff to Premier Suites luxury

built with a view to obtaining a

it into two sections, resulting in two

accommodation, it’s a place that invites

BREEAM Excellent certificate.

separate atria that flood the interior with

visitors to Zuidas to linger.

fine-dining restaurant.

• Underneath the building is a

• Hourglass was designed and

• 59

Hello Zuidas

#INTERVIEW

PAULINE BOTTEMA-SANDERS

In mid-October the Supervisory Board of Hello Zuidas had a changing of the guard, with Pauline Bottema-Sanders coming in as the new chair. We talked with her about her new role and the future of Zuidas.

60 •

Pauline Bottema-Sanders Age 46 Job Title RAI

General Counsel & Company Secretary

Job Title Hello Zuidas

Chair of the Supervisory Board

How does it feel to be stepping into Josja

Hello Zuidas is working to shape

Do you think the impacts of the corona-

van der Veer’s shoes at Hello Zuidas?

a pleasant living and working

virus pandemic will leave a lasting mark

‘It’s a real honour! Josja headed the

environment for everyone in Zuidas.

on Zuidas? For instance, because of the

Supervisory Board for more than six years.

What do you see as the biggest

recommendation to work from home?

In that period, both the Hello Zuidas

tasks facing the district?

‘Yes, I think the effects of this crisis will

Foundation and the Zuidas district have

‘The ongoing development of Zuidas means

be noticeable for a long time to come.

grown exponentially. Josja was incredibly

accessibility and mobility will remain a

Companies are finding out that working

active in her role as chair. She and Olivier

major concern in the time ahead. Because

from home is doable and that it also has

Otten set up a solid organization that

of that, we’ll be keeping a close eye on

its advantages. We’re aleady hearing about

promotes the interests of an impressive

the plans surrounding Zuidasdok. Aside

organizations that want to switch to partial

group of 465 members so far. I’m looking

from this logistical challenge, residential

working from home permanently. That

forward to keeping us on that upward track.’

integration will also be a key objective for

will lead to less office space, and I expect

the district in the coming years.’

economic developments will also reduce

How do you envision the future

office demand.’

of Zuidas and what role do you think

The events industry has been among the

Hello Zuidas can play in that?

hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis. Just

Numerous initiatives over the past

‘Zuidas is a unique part of Amsterdam. It’s

recently, RAI announced it will have to

years have transformed Zuidas from a

a financial centre that’s seeing tremendous

reorganize. What do you foresee for RAI?

business district into a modern urban

development and where more and more

‘At RAI, we believe in in-person interaction

neighbourhood. Is there a successful end

people are coming to live. That blended

and also that the need for such interaction

point for the district, in your view?

use means we have to think carefully about

won’t change. That said, this coronavirus

‘I think the city will always continue to

the amenities we’d like to have here in

crisis means you have to regroup. We

evolve, albeit at a slower pace. And,

Zuidas. In representing the interests of a

expect that and also that purely in-person

because of that, I expect there will always

wide diversity of members, Hello Zuidas

events, we’ll be seeing more hybrid events

be a role for an organization like Hello

finds itself in an excellent position to offer

as well. We’re experimenting with such

Zuidas that promotes the interests of

the right mix of amenities.’

hybrid forms in our current events.’

area users.’

Photography Jaiwey Nuij

• 61

FM PLATFORM

On 23 September, Hello Zuidas organized a ‘green walk’ through Zuidas as part of the effort to offer alternative ways for people to get together and learn from each other during the pandemic.

Themed ‘greening Zuidas’, the outdoor meeting was made possible by Hello Zuidas’ Facility Management Platform and intended to inform businesses, organizations and residents about area developments, as well as to inspire and enlist them for greening the district.

GREENING ZUIDAS CIRCULARITY The walk set out from Circl, a prime example of innovation and circularity, where everything revolves around highquality reuse of materials. Designed for energy-neutrality, the building produces almost no waste. Sjors Mineur, in charge of programming at Circl, took us on a journey through the platform’s story. The focus, he explained, is on reusing materials and climate resiliency. After that, Daniel Goedbloed, Rainproof programme manager at Waternet, picked up the thread. By a stroke of luck it was raining during the presentation, allowing Goedbloed to demonstrate how rainwater can be captured and to describe the many ways companies can use it. Rainwater is great not only for DANIEL GOEDBLOED & SJORS MINEUR

62 •

flushing toilets, but also boosts biodiversity.

FM PLATFORM

ESTHER WUBBEN

PRINSES AMALIAPLEIN

lottery organization previously spread

Awaiting the group at Prinses Amaliaplein

out across multiple buildings all over

was Ton Muller, head designer of Public

Amsterdam, Wubben was tasked with

Space for the Municipality of Amsterdam,

consolidating all departments at one

where he’s in charge of Zuidas. As a

building. One of the most important

designer, Muller was involved in the

conditions was that the structure had

renewal of this public square. The design

to contribute to the organization’s

was chosen by the municipality, in careful

sustainability and environmental goals.

consultation with local businesses

This gave her unrestricted freedom to

and residents of the Prinses Irene

consider the most sustainable solutions

neighbourhood and features four different

for all aspects of the new premises. It

materials. Prinses Amaliaplein is meant to

was built in part from recycled materials,

leader for Public Space & Safety

create a soft transition from the Zuidplein

resulting in a climate-proof and almost

at Hello Zuidas, Fouad Benaya:

to the Prinses Irene neighbourhood.

wholly self-sufficient building and a

fouad.benaya@hellozuidas.com

According to Muller, sizeable investments

BREEAM Outstanding certificate.

TON MULLER

INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC? Get in touch with the project

in planting are slated for the coming years, tying in with concrete targets set in the

The last area discussed during the green

Plan for a green Zuidas.

walk, was the Beethoven subdistrict at the top of Beatrixpark. There are some big

From Prinses Amaliaplein, the group

changes in store for this slice of Zuidas,

continued past the ‘WADIs’ (an acronym

where three new buildings are planned.

from the Dutch Water Afvoer Drainage

Ton Muller described how the landscape

Infiltratie, or ‘water disposal drainage

around the buildings will be given a green

infiltration’) to the Goede Doelen Loterijen

and recreational function. All of which is

garden, where Real Estate project leader

set to make Zuidas an even more mixed-

Esther Wubben awaited us. With the

use district!

• 63

NEW MEMBERS

WELCOME TO THE CLUB Introducing the following new Hello Zuidas members

Personality Retail and e-commerce fashion & socks • 2 employees

LINK WITH ZUIDAS Our company is located in Zuidas, and one of the two founders lives and works in Zuidas. The other also worked in Zuidas for three years, and lives in Amsterdam.

REASON FOR BECOMING A HELLO ZUIDAS MEMBER We’re big believers in Zuidas and one of us even had an active hand in shaping how Zuidas looks now. So it was only natural to become a member. Our dream is that, one day, everyone in Zuidas will walk around wearing our socks!

Interieurstudio Dess Kirstins Interior design and furnishings • 1 employee

LINK WITH ZUIDAS I’m based in Zuidas, which is both where I live and have my office.

I’m also already working on interior design projects and home interiors in Zuidas.

REASON FOR BECOMING A HELLO ZUIDAS MEMBER To connect with other business owners and to get involved with this group and of course the area itself.

64 •

NEW MEMBERS

GoAbout Shared mobility • 5 employees

LINK WITH ZUIDAS GoAbout landed an exclusive permit to offer a public bike-sharing scheme in Zuidas for the next two to three years.

REASON FOR BECOMING A HELLO ZUIDAS MEMBER GoAbout wants to contribute to a sustainable, accessible Zuidas and to tackle that in partnership with other Hello Zuidas members.

ISX Security • 35 employees

LINK WITH ZUIDAS We’ve long had a big client base in and around Zuidas. Our site security has kept many of the buildings here safe and secure during construction. We’re still providing security services for a number of those companies now. Recently, we were contracted to provide 24/7 security at the Hourglass building (Loyens & Loeff).

REASON FOR BECOMING A HELLO ZUIDAS MEMBER We’re located in Amstelveen Noord, so Zuidas is literally our backyard, and a growing number of our clients are based in Zuidas. Partly owing to Hello Zuidas, we have a better picture of current topics in the region.

VORM Construction and development • 286 employees

LINK WITH ZUIDAS VORM is an established lead player in the construction and property development sector, with a history going back 101 years. Our ambition is to supply more people with affordable housing faster, without increasing the ecological footprint. And, to complete the picture, we’re making a key contribution to this ambition with De Puls in Zuidas. We’re incredibly proud of this project featuring the first multifunctional building in Zuidas! De Puls will be a multi-purpose, sustainable residential environment, serving a mix of users, where people can live, work and play.

REASON FOR BECOMING A HELLO ZUIDAS MEMBER We want to get to know Zuidas even better!

hellozuidas

@HelloZuidas

@hellozuidas

Hello Zuidas

• 65

MEMO BOARD AFC CLUBHOUSE COMPLETED On 24 September 2020, keys to the new clubhouse were officially handed over to the Amsterdam Football Club.

Now it’s just a matter of rigging up the interior before members can inaugurate their new home. After years of puzzling, on 4 July 2019 building contractors Sallandse Wegenbouw and HSB Bouw finally got the green light to break ground. Relocation of the football pitches closer to the A10 motorway started immediately after that to make room for the new Ravel neighbourhood being developed between 2022 and 2035. Now that AFC has the keys, they’re getting to work inside. Locker rooms and showers are on the ground floor, while one floor up will be the clubhouse and society were members can get together, have a snack and of course enjoy a great view of the pitches. The club is scheduled to move before the end of this year, at which point the old clubhouse at the other

SPONSOR THE 9TH ANNUAL OPEN TOWER

end of the sports park will be torn down. Work on the last

DAY AMSTERDAM ON 20 MARCH 2021

pitch will start upon delivery of AFC neighbour Valley in

In 2021, the Open The Doors foundation will be hosting the 9th

mid-2021, completing the Goed Genoeg sports park.

edition of Open Tower Day in Amsterdam, featuring towers from Ransdorpertoren and A’DAM Lookout in Amsterdam Noord to the ABN AMRO tower, VU Amsterdam and The Edge in Zuidas, plus Oudekerkstoren, Kalverpassage/Blue and Zilveren Toren/Level this day wouldn’t be possible without sponsors. Would you like to contribute? Sponsor or take part in this unique event and we’ll feature your logo on our sites, digital map, poster and flyer. You’ll also receive invites to the opening at a secret high-up location in Amsterdam!

For more information or to participate, contact the Open The Doors Foundation at info@openthedoors.nl.

Photography Marcel Steinbach

Eleven in the city centre. Admission to the towers is free. That’s why

ARTZUID 2021 IS ON! Great news: the 7th edition of ARTZUID is going ahead next year! The Art Zuid foundation is currently preparing for the art route, scheduled from 15 May to 19 September 2021.

The main inspiration for next year’s focus is Hildo Krop and his passionate beliefs around societal inequities and other universal themes. ARTZUID 2021 will present Dutch and international artists who engage with these issues, exchange and share cultural influences, and both make us aware of and offer hope for a better world. The outdoor exhibition of modern and contemporary sculptural works on Apollolaan, Minervalaan and in Zuidas is intended to inject more life into the neighbourhood by drawing new visitors to Amsterdam Zuid. For programme details and information on how to support the Art Zuid foundation, visit www.artzuid.nl/en/donors/.

66 •

MEMO BOARD Wine and dine in a 50-metre Ferris wheel at RAI Amsterdam Don’t miss it! This autumn, you can enjoy fine dining with a panoramic view of Amsterdam outside RAI Amsterdam. Michelin-star executive chef Joris Bijdendijk of the RIJKS® Restaurant has teamed up with Smakenrad (‘wheel of taste’ in Dutch) to serve his favourite dishes in the country’s biggest Ferris wheel, turning in front of the RAI convention centre for three months from 13 October. The 27 heated cabins have been converted into private restaurants that ascend 50 metres. The menu changes every three weeks and features a variety of dishes from Chef Bijdendijks two restaurants, Wils and RIJKS. Dinner is €42.50 per person (for two courses and a two-hour ride), or you can take a 30-minute breakfast ride for €7.50. To book: www.smakenrad.nl.

FARM-FRESH PRODUCTS COME TO RAI AMSTERDAM Boeren voor Buren – ‘farmers for neighbours’ – is an initiative set up by Rabobank Amsterdam in partnership with the Municipality of Amsterdam. Launched to meet the spike in need for assistance during the coronavirus crisis, this ongoing programme lends a helping hand by linking Dutch farmers and hard-up Amsterdam residents.

It supplies healthy and affordable potatoes, fruit and vegetables from regional farms to disadvantaged urban households – to ‘neighbours’ who are struggling to make

11 PLANE TREES LODGING

ends meet. With several locations already, now this

AT VAN DER VALK FOR A YEAR

initiative is also coming to RAI Amsterdam. In the coming

The 12-metre tall plane trees in front of the Valley building

months, RAI Amsterdam will make one hall available two

were recently transplanted one by one to the plot between

days a week as a space to store and package the food,

the EMA and Van der Valk hotel. They had to be moved

from which parcels can be distributed throughout the city.

temporarily to allow for the installation of new cabling and pipelines in front of Valley, which was needed to make way for a new entrance to the covered car park, and to widen the bike lane here. When examining the options, plant specialists discovered that plane trees cope well with transplanting, so a nice temporary home was found between the EMA and Van der Valk. A year from now, the planes will be moved back to their original location in front of Valley.

• 67

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Members Hello Zuidas • November 2020 If your company isn’t on this list, please contact servicepoint@hellozuidas.com 01. 900 Mahler (Syntrus Achmea) 02. ABN AMRO 03. Accendium 04. Accenture 05. À Deauville 06. AFC 07. AkzoNobel 08. Albert Heijn 09. Alpha Security 10. amsterdam inbusiness 11. Amsterdamse Bos 12. Amsterdam UMC 13. APG 14. Arcadis 15. Arnold & Siedsma 16. Art Zuid 17. Asunaro Holland Interplan 18. Atrium Meeting Centre 19. Avenue Services 20. Bagels & Beans 21. Baker McKenzie 22. Bartolus Advocaten 23. Bar Valdi 24. Being Development 25. Blue Boat Company 26. Bolenius 27. Bouwens& 28. Boyden Global Executive Search 29. Breevast 30. BREIKERS 31. Broersma Nieuwbouw 32. BYCS 33. Caffè Belmondo 34. CBRE B.V. 35. citizenM 36. Che Buono 37. Club Sportive 38. CMS 39. CoffeeDC 40. Cognito Financial Communications 41. Colliers International 42. Confius 43. Corporate Housing Factory 44. Cosmo Hairstyling 45. Crowne Plaza A’dam South 46. Customized Media 47. D&B The Facility Group 48. De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek 49. De Hypotheker 50. Deloitte 51. De Kredieter 52. De Nieuwe Poort 53. De Zuidas Apotheek 54. Dentons Boekel 55. dess Kirstins 56. Doctor Feelgood 57. Eden McCallum 58. Eefje Voogd Makelaardij 59. Eigen Haard 60. Engel & Völkers 61. ENGIE 62. Etage 0 63. Euro CCP 64. Europcar 65. European Language Centre 66. Expat Center 67. EY 68. Fam. Advocaten 69. Fetch Car Sharing 70. Financial Offices 71. Fit 20 72. Flexform Amsterdam 73. FLOW Real Estate 74. Fortron B.V. 75. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer 76. Fris Makelaars 77. FSB Beveiliging 78. Gelderlandplein 79. G&S Vastgoed 80. Go About 81. Goede Doelen Loterijen 82. Gerrit Rietveld Academie 83. Grand Café Mahler

84. Greenberg Nielsen 85. Green Business Club 86. Greenwheels 87. Gustavino 88. GVB 89. HAB Int. Accountants & Consultants 90. Happyhappyjoyjoy Zuidas 91. Hestia Kinderopvang 92. Het Zwarte Fietsenplan 93. Hogan Lovells International LLP 94. Holiday Inn Amsterdam 95. Houthoff 96. Hotel TWENTY EIGHT 97. House of Sports 98. Htel Serviced Apartments 99. IEF Real Estate 100. IHS Markit 101. IMA 102. in2motivation 103. InAmsterdam 104. ING Rayon A’dam Zuid West 105. ISX Beveiliging 106. JLL 107. JuiceBrothers 108. JUIZZ 109. KNAP Makelaardij 110. Koetjes en Kalfjes 111. König + Neurath (Nederland) A.G. 112. Kraft Heinz 113. La Lotteria 114. Lebkov & Sons 115. Lexence 116. Leonidas 117. LibRT 118. Limon 119. Loetje 120. Loyens & Loeff 121. Lunshof Makelaardij 122. Maarsen Groep Beheer B.V. 123. Macquarie Capital (Europe) 124. Made in May 125. Market 33 126. Mastercard 127. MBO College Zuid 128. Mech Make & Take 129. Melia Hotels 130. Misura Sartoria 131. Mobeazy Flexible Carsharing 132. Mondzorg Praktijk Zuidas 133. Multicopy Amsterdam 134. Mylk 135. NACH 136. Nannies Nursery 137. NDI ICT Solutions 138. Nederlandse Ver. van Banken 139. Nedstede Real Estate 140. NH Amsterdam Zuid 141. nhow Amsterdam RAI 142. Nicolaas Lyceum 143. Novotel Amsterdam City 144. NS 145. Olympisch Stadion 146. Oliver’s 147. ONE-Dyas B.V. 148. Openbare Bibliotheek 149. ORAM 150. Oranje Energie 151. OVG Real Estate 152. Ox & Bucks 153. PAN Amsterdam 154. Pancakes Amsterdam 155. Partou Kinderopvang 156. Pathé 157. Personality 158. Platform Beter Benutten 159. Premier Suites Plus Amsterdam 160. Projectorganisatie Zuidasdok 161. Property NL B.V. 162. Protiviti 163. Provast 164. Qbic Hotels 165. Q-Park Nederland 166. Rabobank A’dam Markt Zuid

167. RAI Amsterdam 168. Regus 169. Reset Yourself 170. Restaurant As 171. Restaurant het Bosch 172. Restaurant Nine 173. RGA International Reinsurance 174. Rialto 175. Rivers 176. Rob Peetoom 177. Ronald McDonaldhuis VUmc 178. Rosarium 179. Russell Reynolds Associates 180. Savills Amsterdam 181. Salsa Shop 182. SCOR Global Life SE 183. Season-Flowers 184. Securitas 185. Shinyu Body & Mind 186. Simmons & Simmons LLP 187. Sixt 188. Spa Sport Hotel Zuiver 189. Spine Health Incompany 190. Spirit Hospitality Services 191. Square 192. Stella Agency & Academy 193. Stibbe 194. Student Experience 195. Summertime 196. Sushilee 197. Sushi Time 198. Symphony’s 199. Taalcentrum - VU 200. Tandartsenpraktijk Van de Veer 201. Taylor Wessing 202. Tax Consultants International 203. Taxicentrale Amsterdam (TCA) 204. The Bank of New York Mellon 205. The Basket 206. The Bikevertising Company 207. The Breakfast Club 208. The Office Operators 209. The Upside Down Amsterdam 210. Thomaskerk Amsterdam 211. TREC 212. Tribes 213. Urban Salad 214. Van der Valk Hotel Amsterdam Zuidas 215. Van Dijk & Ten Cate 216. Van Gool Elburg 217. Van Lanschot Kempen 218. Vermaat Groep (CIRCL) 219. Vesteda 220. Von Poll Real Estate 221. VondelGym 222. VORM Ontwikkeling 223. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam 224. VU University Press 225. Wagamama 226. Watersportvereniging De Koenen 227. We Canteen 228. WeWork 229. Wineboutique & Spirits 230. Wintertaling 231. Worldeye Amsterdam 232. WTC Amsterdam 233. WTC A’dam Business Club 234. WTCafé De Blauwe Engel 235. WuSH 236. Xavier (Syntrus Achmea) 237. XO Optics 238. X2X Worldwide Express 239. YoungCapital 240. Your Assistant 241. Zuidas Apotheek 242. Zuidas Bier 243. Zuidas gemeente Amsterdam 244. Zuidas Publishers 245. Zuidas Today 246. ZuidasTravel.nl 247. Zuidschans

COLOPHON FOUNDATION HELLO ZUIDAS Strawinskylaan 61, 1077 XW - Amsterdam, NL +31 (0)20 333 7441 servicepoint@hellozuidas.com www.hellozuidas.com www.facebook.com/hellozuidas www.instagram.com/hellozuidas/ www.twitter.com/hellozuidas Our goal With an excellent business climate, world-renowned educational institutions within reach, and leading companies in many sectors from many countries, the Zuidas has huge potential. The foundation Hello Zuidas contributes to the Zuidas by realizing a well functioning area. The goal is to promote a district that has international appeal, and high quality working and living conditions.

Magazine Hello Zuidas is issued by Zuidas Publishers WTC Amsterdam Strawinskylaan 15 1077 XW Amsterdam +31 (0)20-3620993 info@zuidaspublishers.nl www.zuidaspublishers.nl Editor-in-chief Romy Lange Editor & Sales Nicole Pak Advertising Please send an e-mail to info@zuidaspublishers.nl for questions about advertising.

Art Director and Graphic Designer Emiel Brouwers • IMAGEAU Translation Taalcentrum-VU Final Editor Ellen Josée Westrik Editors/contributors Romy Lange, Eefje van den Akker, Nicole Pak, Daphne van Breemen, Greg Shapiro, Lindelotte de Koster, Lotte Gottschal & Jos Moerkamp Photography Michael Graste, Jaiwey Nuij, Lotte de Graaf, Marcel Steinbach, Jan Vonk, Yourcaptain & Rob Aket Editorial advisory board Olivier Otten, Marius Drissen, Lydia van den Wildenberg, Jos Moerkamp & Maartje Oome Thanks to Annelou de Groot, Hotel The Grand, Clubsportive, Zuidas (Gemeente Amsterdam), Greg Shapiro, Hydepark, Topsales Amsterdam, GoldRepublic & Nxchange, Cruquius, Hely, Motiv-E, TCA, SIXT, Loogman, Radiuz, RAI Amsterdam, Hello Zuidas, , VonPoll, De Nijs, Miranda van Commenée, Sandra Spek, De Hypotheker, Le Fournil, Corporate Housing Factory, Fagron, Alnylam, Bilderberg Garden Hotel, Gelderlandplein, Brouzje, Taalcentrum-VU, Patrick van Oppen, Sharon Dijksma, Pauline Bottema-Sanders, Diederik Basta & Chris Buijink.

Printed by Senefelder Misset Do you have a message for the editorial team or would you like to place an ad? Send us an e-mail at info@zuidaspublishers.nl.

Circulation Free for Zuidas and Amsterdam South. It is be distributed by promo teams, loose circulation, HRM departments of companies within Zuidas to guarantee reaching the (sub) target groups of Zuidas, Amsterdam and Schiphol.

Frequency Six times a year (bi-monthly) Copyright © 2020 Zuidas Publishers.

All rights reserved. Nothing appearing in this magazine (information, pictures, images) may be copied or reproduced, in any manner whatsoever, unless explicit permission has been given in writing.

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