Amsterdam, 26 October - BNP Paribas Nederland, Arcadis, and G&S Vastgoed today announced their plan to move into joint new headquarters at the Zuidas in Amsterdam mid-2024. The office building will be built on the last remaining Mahler plot on the corner of the Parnassusweg and the Claude Debussylaan. The shared ambition is to achieve a new standard for healthy and future-proof office buildings. The building has been acquired by a.s.r. real estate, which will add it to the portfolio of the ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund.
On the first day of Provada 2021, the involved parties jointly announced to be the initiators of the project as well as the future tenants of the building. Arcadis is responsible for the sustainable design and engineering, BNP Paribas Real Estate and G&S Vastgoed developed the RE\DEFINE-philosophy applied to this project, to realise sustainable, healthy, and productive offices. G&S Vastgoed is also responsible for the project development. The three parties have been collaborating successfully on the 'vertical forest' Wonderwoods in Utrecht’s city centre.
The ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund is involved as an investor in both project Wonderwoods and in this newly announced initiative on the Zuidas. The office fund of a.s.r. real estate is the only Dutch fund to focused entirely on office buildings located in public transport hubs in the Netherlands.
The design of the headquarters is being developed by Florian Idenburg, a Dutch architect who has been running SO-IL architects in New York since 2008 with Jing Liu. Among other things, Idenburg designed the recently opened Amant Art Campus in Brooklyn, New York. He is known for his innovative use of materials, such as a handmade ‘chainmail’ veil that he designed for the Kukje Gallery in South Korea.
Sustainability is an important principle in developing this office building. With their own headquarters, Arcadis, G&S Vastgoed, and BNP Paribas Nederland now have a unique opportunity to set the bar high and use the building as a breeding ground for new sustainable concepts. Sustainability goes beyond the environmental impact of construction and development - it is also about enhancing the long-term liveability of the built environment. To this end, G&S Vastgoed, in collaboration with Arcadis and Transsolar, developed innovative construction techniques with the ambition of realising the most sustainable building on the Zuidas.
BNP Paribas Nederland has signed a letter of intent to establish its new headquarter in the Zuidas, where the various entities of the bank in the Netherlands can come together at one location. The central location on Parnassusweg, the nearby new Zuidas NS railway station, and the already developed Mahler car park, together offer various possibilities for a flexible mobility mix for employees.
At the ground level, The Cube is being developed where visitors of the Zuidas and Amsterdam citizens will be able to discover sustainable and digital innovations from Dutch origin.
Geert Lippens, CEO BNP Paribas The Netherlands: "The new headquarter in Amsterdam reflects our growth ambitions in The Netherlands. By bringing our various entities closer together in one headquarter, we will accelerate the One Bank strategy and clients will benefit fully from our interdisciplinary approach and broad international expertise. I am proud to be developing a headquarter that sets a new sustainability standard. With the expertise of BNP Paribas Real Estate, Arcadis, and G&S Vastgoed, we intend to inspire others to develop future-proof concepts for the next generation. Supporting our clients in their pursuit of sustainable and responsible growth is what we stand for, and the new headquarter underscore this ambition."
Jason Blackmore, Managing Director G&S Real Estate: "The partnership with Arcadis and BNP Paribas Real Estate has proved to be a success formula that has made us not only happy to take on this project, but even to move in together. Nowadays, building as sustainably as possible is a requirement, but we are convinced that current times call for going a step further. We are therefore very proud that, together with our partners, we are realising this sustainable project on the last Mahler plot at the Zuidas."
Carolien Gehrels, Global Director Energy Transition Arcadis: "In recent years we have worked intensively on future-proof buildings that respond to the consequences of climate change. We use the most sustainable materials and digital applications, with the requirements and demands of the users and the residents as the most important starting point. We are proud to be able to demonstrate this in our 'own' headquarter. The building symbolises Arcadis' ambition to be climate neutral in all respects by 2035."
Pieter Vandeginste, Fund Director ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund: "We are extremely proud to acquire the development of the last Mahler plot on the Zuidas. This great sustainable office building fits perfectly into the line-up of our current pipeline which includes Wonderwoods , EDGE Eindhoven, and Tree House in Rotterdam. The location near the station, high sustainability ambitions, and leading organisations such as BNP Paribas, Arcadis and G&S Vastgoed as tenants complete the picture for us."
