GAK middle part

In 1960, the GAK building was one of the Netherlands’ largest office buildings. Located right next to the A10 motorway, architect Ben Merkelbach’s design remains characteristic of that period. The side wings have now been transformed into compact apartments. The central section, covering some 10,000 sq. m., is the final stage in the complete conversion of the GAK building.

This central section has been redesigned to feature 120 hotel rooms/short-stay apartments with a range of different floor plans, varying from 40 to 110 sq. m., reflecting the diversity of the building’s users and the demand. The uppermost floors feature more spacious dual-layered apartments. The phenomenal views both across the A10 and over the park/city centre make this a unique place to stay. At the building’s core, a mezzanine area has replaced what were the escalators, enabling natural light to penetrate deep into the building and accentuating users’ lines of sight. The basement boasts a gym with direct access to the lobby on the main floor.

The steel façade overlooking Bos en Lommerpark has been replaced by a faithful – but thermally insulated – reconstruction. One of the requirements was to install a noise-reducing façade without open windows. To achieve this, the building was given a double façade with ventilated ‘sunrooms’. 

Images: Stijn Poelstra