Salt is a 3,700 m2 building consisting of individual 5 m x 4 m units that are five levels high and in which different concrete frames are stacked on top of each other. Each concrete frame has a different window that penetrates the façade to maintain the individuality of each unit, and the window frames are arranged in random order, so the different glass and concrete façade offers a different view depending on which side it is approached from.
Small and medium-sized businesses often struggle to find suitable office space in Amsterdam. The creative industries have seemingly unrealistic requirements for office locations: a cabinet of ideas that is generous and inspiring, with a unique design in a great location with car traffic. SALT is a response to these needs, offering small, high-quality offices, each with a unique identity. The building is part of the Amsterdam port redevelopment "Minervahaven" and contributes to it becoming a new creative hub.
SALT is a five-storey, cube-shaped building measuring 30 m x 30 m x 20 m, in which various concrete frames are stacked on top of each other. The concrete frames house a variety of different windows that run through the façade to maintain the individuality of each 5m x 4m unit. The windows are arranged in a random order, so that the distinctive glass and concrete façade of the buildings offers a different view depending on which side it is approached from.
The interior of the building follows the requirements of creative companies for large, rough-worked, loft-like spaces: no suspended ceilings, exposed materials such as concrete, aluminum and steel, and flexible floor plans.
A solar roof ensures that the building generates part of its energy while parking is located in the base.
All of the building's flexible loft-style workspaces are offered as rental spaces, which can either consist of an entire floor or be divided into smaller units. A private rooftop garden provides a social gathering place on the south façade of the building, while the full-coverage lobby space with its large cascading staircase vertically connects the different levels.
Source: MVRDV
Photos: Ossip van Duivenbode
