Head Workplace Anthura, Bleiswijk / Atelier PRO architects

Textual content description supplied by the architects. Atelier PRO designed the brand new head workplace for Anthura, a world specialist in plant and seed breeding. Main purpose was to create a up to date surroundings the place the corporate may work, meet and obtain shoppers, which expresses its core values and tells ‘Anthura’s story’.

An constructing befitting of Anthura. The pinnacle workplace, greenhouses and R&D division of Anthura, a market chief in anthurium and orchid breeding, are situated within the glass horticultural space round Bleiswijk, the Netherlands. The corporate occupies a state-of-the-art greenhouse advanced, and opened a brand new analysis centre in 2019. Its workplace constructing, nevertheless, was severely outdated, and the encompassing out of doors areas additionally gave a cluttered and unattractive impression. Atelier PRO designed a brand new head workplace that improves the corporate’s outward look, serves as a mannequin for the opposite buildings on web site and higher displays the corporate’s worldwide place and modern, high-tech character.

From ‘internal’ to ‘outer’ world. The flooring and load-bearing construction of the prevailing constructing have each been reused, while the façade and ground plans have been utterly redesigned. Goal, nevertheless, was not solely to create a brand new working house, but additionally a spot the place Anthura may obtain shoppers and show their core enterprise. Due to this fact, the workplace has been linked to the technical ‘internal world’ of the greenhouses – and particularly to the show greenhouse instantly behind it.

Earlier than the conversion, the façade of the show greenhouse was utterly closed to the road; atelier PRO changed it with a clear glass display, which makes the lab-like settings on the within seen; these function a backdrop for the workplace constructing. The workplace has the identical clear, campus-like look, emphasising its relationship with the adjoining laboratories and greenhouses.

Scale and look. An extra problem was the distinction in scale between the greenhouses – with a complete ground space of 450,000 m²- and the workplace constructing – which totals at about 2,000 m² – and the best way to bridge this distinction in order to emphasize the workplace’s significance. To offer the workplace constructing extra ‘weight’, it was positioned on a barely raised pedestal, visually detaching it from the continual glass façade behind it. Vertical façade components serve to optically enlarge the constructing – partially as a result of the person flooring are not instantly seen – and provides it the looks of a ‘massive’ company head workplace, befitting the dimensions of Anthura. The verticality additionally mirrors the everyday structure of the greenhouses – a horizontally articulated constructing wouldn’t slot in with the context.

Operate and expertise. Within the inside, two totally different expertise layers may be distinguished. On the one hand, there’s the exhibition layer: publicly accessible areas which function a bodily ‘buyer journey’ to the show greenhouse. With a purpose to create a real exhibition expertise, we collaborated with a graphic designer in addition to an exhibition designer.

Anthura’s members of employees have their very own layer, within the coronary heart of the constructing, across the canteen. The technical areas, with services that aren’t depending on daylight, are situated within the centre of the workplace constructing. All surrounding areas have been saved open as a lot as potential; versatile workplaces alternate with focus areas. The general environment is, but once more, consultant of the corporate, with heat tones, considerable greenery, and perennial and altering crops all through. As well as, Anthura’s character served as the idea for the graphic ‘layer’, which was utilized all through your complete constructing and contains signage within the out of doors house.

Backyard and context. Between the workplace and the greenhouses lies an enclosed backyard, designed by Oase Panorama and City Design. Drawing on the world plan by atelier PRO, Oase had been accountable for the general panorama idea, and succeeded in translating the tropical indoor environment to the skin world. Anthura efficiently demonstrates how a constructing can act as an identification service. The mission, nevertheless, can be attention-grabbing from a wider standpoint: greenhouse areas are neither city nor agricultural. They’re extremely built-up, however with none guidelines concerning constructing regulation; buildings, subsequently, usually develop roughly ‘by themselves’, with out being actively designed. With the design for Anthura, atelier PRO needs to discover the everyday options of those greenhouse areas, and lift questions in regards to the juxtaposition between urbanity and rurality – but additionally what the longer term holds for the Dutch panorama. The mission demonstrates that, even in areas the place issues ‘develop by themselves’, it’s nonetheless potential to actively outline the surroundings.