Orato Offices | The Netherlands
12 februari
Project: Orato Offices, Amsterdam // The Netherlands
Architect: OZ, Amsterdam // The Netherlands
Fabricator Kempen Composiet B.V., Bergeijk // The Netherlands
Installer: Byldis façades B.V., Veldhoven // The Netherlands
Façade system: Tray Panels on bolts
Year of construction: 2023
Product: ALUCOBOND® PLUS premium anodised Old Copper
Photos: Egbert de Boer + Dick Holthuis
The lobby as a living room
The 60-metre tall Orato building is visible from afar. It is right in the midst of things, surrounded by bars, shops and offices in Amsterdam's Amstel Business Park. This place, where people work, live and celebrate, is located at the intersection of an Amstel River tributary and the urban motorway. The client, the real estate company Zadelhoff beheer BV, stressed the importance on creating a future-proof building. More than fulfilling all the current energy efficiency and sustainability requirements, the new building and has even managed to improve the efficiency category of a neighbouring building which was connected to the (communal) climate system. A square measuring 3.6 m2 is the office building’s distinctive design element. This angular frame made of premium anodised ALUCOBOND® configures the grid façade and reveals the generous ceiling heights. OZ, John Bosch, Enrique Inbanez de Pablo and Thijs Ultee, chose a rust red for this frame, a colour which stands out well from the recessed windows and is reminiscent of historic steel frame constructions.
On the west side of the triangular building, the strict vertical grid disintegrates and reforms into angular terracing, creating space for a communal roof patio landscape. The building has another distinctive architectural feature: its interior is divided by a deep ravine running through it. As though struck by lightning, five of the sixteen floors in the building are split in two. There are internal balconies and terraces facing inwards to the chasm-like atrium, creating unusual lines of sight and spatial relationships.
As soon as you set foot in the Orato building, it is obvious that this is no ordinary office complex. The double ceiling height in its lobby makes it almost reminiscent of soaring sacred architecture. This lobby is definitely not just an access route, but a meeting place, an art gallery and a living room. Seating areas designed by artist Maarten Baas and designers from The invisible Party tempt you to linger, and the bar and restaurant are set just on the waterfront. Orato is a compelling total work of art, a place with character, ideal for working, lingering and living.