Booking.com

Booking.com's international headquarters are located on Amsterdam's Oosterdokseiland. With an surface area of 65,000 m2, this multifunctional building is one of the largest inner-city projects in Western Europe. The architectural design of the Campus was by UNStudio. Its interior design was by HofmanDujardin. As preferred supplier, Ahrend supplied 360 Balance 2.0 workspaces, revitalised 844 desks and produced 2350 specially designed circularity-compliant acoustic screens.

Multifunctional Campus 

Its location on the IJ, close to the centre of Amsterdam and Central Station, made Oosterdokseiland the perfect place for the global IT company. Continuous growth meant that all Booking.com employees and operations needed to be housed in one Campus. This need has been met with the new 11-storey building with space for 4,600 workspaces of various kinds, including break-out rooms, meeting rooms, research labs, co-creation rooms, quiet workspaces, auditorium, restaurants, coffee bars, prayer and relaxation areas.

Excellence in sustainability 

Architect Ben van Berkel was commissioned to carry out the design according to the BREEAM Excellent standard. This is the second highest certification for a sustainably built environment. More sustainable materials are used throughout the building, there are 832 solar panels on the roof and all heating and cooling is calculated using advanced Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage technology. Hot and cold air is stored deep underground and can then be used in summer and winter.

‘'We are grateful that all our employees have now come together to work in one inspiring location.'’

Glenn Fogel President and CEO of Booking.com

Refurbishment

Office furniture also has a low footprint. All office chairs as well as 1250 duo workspaces were brought from the previous offices. In addition, hundreds of duo desks have been refurbished. 'Our Circular Hub converted tabletops from 844 duo workspaces to custom formats. By reusing all or part of existing workspaces, Booking.com cut CO2 emissions significantly, says Michel Ekkel, account manager at Ahrend. Ahrend also supplied 360 new, circular Balance 2.0 desks. Michel: 'What characterises the project is: refurbishment where possible, augmented by new - of which, in the case of Ahrend furniture, all parts and raw materials can be completely reused.'

Circular and acoustic screens 

Ahrend doesn't merely offer custom workspace solutions. Michel: 'We developed an acoustic screen with interior designer HofmanDujardin for zoning and privacy. These exclusive, circular screens are harmonised with the flooring, which was designed by Scholten & Baijens.' The fabrics of the in total 2350 screens, in ten different tones, are made of recycled textiles. The frames are made of reusable steel, sprayed with non-toxic paints that match the desk bases. 'What an honour it was that Ahrend was able to contribute to this project.'

Preferred supplier

'What a wonderful project. I had the pleasure of executing it with interior architect HofmanDujardin and strategy consultancy and project management firm CBRE. I am enormously proud of the fact that we at Ahrend have been able to contribute as a preferred supplier to Booking.com's growth over many years. I have been around Booking.com since the early days, seeing it grow from small Dutch startup to one of the world's largest travel platforms. From one office to the next, we have had the privilege of supplying sit-stand workspaces and chairs globally. What a joy to visit the new location now and see the kind of inspiration and energy that being and working together on one Campus brings about.'

Michel Ekkel, account manager at Ahrend

Photography: Stijn Poelstra