DPG Media - Amsterdam

DELVA designed the landscape and outdoor spaces of De Persgroep’s new headquarters at the Amstel Business Park in Amsterdam. The wooden-hybrid office building (46,000m²) provides a healthy, sustainable working environment for the editorial offices of Het Parool , De Volkskrant , Trouw, NU.nl and Qmusic.

It is one of the largest wooden hybrid offices in the world. In addition to editorial offices and recording studios, the building includes test labs, meeting rooms, restaurants and an event venue with a terrace on the Duijvendrechtsevaart. The new building was built on the current car park next to the media house’s printing plant on Joan Muyskenweg, allowing all of DPG Media’s Dutch dailies, weeklies, radio stations and online media to operate together under one roof.

A healthy and sustainable office building

The building design is strongly focused on a sustainable, healthy working environment, with plenty of daylight, multiple green spaces on, in and around the building and enough space for creative interaction as well as concentrated work. Much of the structure, including the columns and ceilings, is made of wood.

Pioneering in Werkstad Overamstel

In the coming years, Amstel Business Park Zuid will gradually transform from traditional business park to mixed urban area – Werkstad Overamstel – with more space for working and amenities such as a hotel and catering. DPG Media’s headquarters brings new, appealing features to the area and sets the tone for further developments. The building consists of three linked building sections on a continuous level of green terraces.

You can look out over the water from both the green rooftop terrace and the publicly accessible quay

Landscape

The design of the landscape and outdoor space has a strong focus on nature inclusivity and is characterised by the many green roofs and terraces with characteristic round plant trays. This healthy and nature-inclusive working environment focuses on synergy between different users, functions and activities. The green spaces in, on and around the building play a connecting role and allow people working in the office to interact with each other and the outside world.

The green veil

Around the building, a green veil of plants and trees connects the ground level with the roof terraces and the building. Two roof terraces were designed on the second floor, giving users space to spend time outdoors, in greenery. Surrounded by the greenery in the balustrade, round ceramic elements with plants and trees form an intimate space on the large roof terrace on the waterfront. The rooftop terrace can accommodate more than 230 people, making it a great place not only for lunch or a phone call but also for a big party.

Interaction between the building and ground level is enhanced by the lifting of the ‘green veil’

The building and the landscape are inextricably linked, setting the tone for the further development of Amsterdam Overamstel.

The green roof in the sun is linked to the restaurant and is accessible to all users of the building

Round elements

At ground level, the same circular elements have been used, reinforcing the relationship between ground level and roofs. Planting around and on the building will be diverse with leafy plant borders and on the roof terraces more sun-loving plants. The waterfront will be transformed into a pleasant place to stay, with a great atmosphere and plenty of biodiversity. This creates an inseparable connection between the quay and the places to stay in the square.

DPG Media’s new office was developed by Being.

Location
Amsterdam
Status
Completed
Client
Being Development
Together with
Team V Architectuur, Arup, DGMR, Skaal, SmitsRinsma, Thonik
Steven Delva
Sander van den Bosch