[indense]

I thought I would share some photos showing how the Dutch handle the office park. There is, of course, a mixed bag of some good buildings and some boring crap. In that sense, I think it's the same as North America.
It seems like there is always an effort to do something creative to the design - it's not always a visual success.
Many office buildings have their own fake canals as a landscaping feature and there are plenty of bike paths. There is usually 1 level of underground parking which is often not fully enclosed and not really underground.
Buildings seem to be designed and built without having tenants secured which leads to finished buildings sitting empty and design features - like interior bridges across atriums - going unused when the building is divided up among smaller tenants.

The first pictures are from January when I was living at a hotel near the airport.

Microsoft has their own basketball court.

The next are from the office park where I work. There isn't a restaurant or a store within walking distance. Each company has their own cafeteria that serves up a selection of interesting Dutch foods.
(sorry about the colour on these - my camera was acting up.)

My office is a Frankenstein's Monster of different parts thrown together:

The next building over:

It's completely empty - not a single tenant. It's been like this since I got here 7 months ago. There is at least one more empty building in the next office park over.

The next building: Notice the blinds on the exterior of the windows.

Next is the Artemis Hotel which bills itself as a Dutch Design hotel and has pretty funky interiors.

The rear of the hotel:

Next to the Artemis is one of several IBM offices in the area:

IBM from the back:

Despite the empty building across the way, there is a new office going up. No signs indicating whether they already have a tenant or not.

And the last building in the complex seems to be from another era:

Next, we are off to Bijlmer in the East of Amsterdam - home to Ajax Stadium and a large number of office towers. It was 5:30 on the Thursday in August - so of course there wasn't a single car or office worker in sight.

Plenty of bicycle parking:

More bicycle parking:

Corporate art:

And finally, the new Bijlmer train station, stillunder construction:

There are three sets of tracks for the subway, inter-city and sprinter trains. The bus station is under-neath.

Lots of wood and glass.

As you can see, some good, some not so good. Sometimes the grass isn't as green on the other side as you thought it was.

 

[Ronald]

Very interesting, thanks for compiling this! It's interesting to see how you shed a fresh light on these parks. Many of these offices are empty, because municipal governments all around the country are eager to built them, because of the financial advantage that's involved (nothing is as expensive as offices). When they do get occupied, it's a goldmine for local governments.
Most of those office parks look cold and anything but vibrant. It's where nearly all of the Amsterdam region's skyscrapers can be found. I'm a little surprised you didn't include the offices clustered around the Zuid-WTC station, as it is the primary office location in Amsterdam. Rotterdam and in The Hague know these suburban office parks aswell, but there are also many office buildings in the downtowns, that are blended in with the immediate area.
I also love those pics of the new trainstation Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA.

 

[Tuscani01]

This reminds me of the Ryerson Business Building...

 

[indense]

I'm a little surprised you didn't include the offices clustered around the Zuid-WTC station, as it is the primary office location in Amsterdam.

I have a weekly client meeting at the Oval Tower and decided to use it as an oportunity to do some shopping at the Mediamarkt and take some photos to share. Photos of the WTC would take effort but maybe one day.

The Oval Tower has weird elevators. At the bottom, you select from a number pad the floor you want to go to and the pad tells you which elevator to get on. The elevator opens and when you get on, there are no buttons inside. It takes you to the pre-selected floor. Has anyone seen one of these anywhere else?

 

[Zephyr]

Hoi -

I am trying to read or see everything I have missed before it rolls off Page One. I wish I had viewed your thread much earlier.

• This is that part of Europe that looks like North America, or vice versa - namely, the 'Office Park.' I suspect that a particular set of office parks that I worked at in Orlando Florida, Lewisville Texas, and El Segundo California, all used the same architects - I see some dead ringers in these photographs that confirm that.
  
  
• BTW, those bicycle parking areas are quite appropriate. In Chicago and New York, bicycle enthusiasts have taken to removing their front wheels and seat when parking their bike for protection, this is yet another approach.
  
  
• I am not sure I understand the Dutch concept of landscaping in those first couple of photos. An old friend of mine from Holland, often remarked on the mathematics inspired by intricate landscaping in his native land, this is yet another sampling.
  
  
• I've seen blinds on the exterior of several new buildings in Germany. So their presence here is not unfamiliar. I think this will belatedly catch on in North America, just like the brise de soleil.
  
  
• I am particularly intrigued by the building with ribbon windows that extend the length of each floor, and overall has many sharp angles - if you can tell me its name I would appreciate it.
  
  
• Lovely rail stations, I wonder how much bad weather they keep out?

Dank je wel

 

[indense]

[*] I am particularly intrigued by the building with ribbon windows that extend the length of each floor, and overall has many sharp angles - if you can tell me its name I would appreciate it.

I'm not sure which one you are referring to but if you can give me some more detail, I'll try to find out.

 

[Zephyr]

This one:

 

[indense]

Really? If it wasn't for the corporate art, I would have skipped that one. I'll see what I can find out.

 

[Zephyr]

There is no accounting for my taste in Architecture.