HIMACS: Bells Café for KPN offices in Amsterdam

An office space can often settle for being a beige, boring backdrop in terms of its interior design. But for KPN in Amsterdam, the vision was to create a cool café in the entrance area for employees and visitors alike. A relaxing space that would be warm and welcoming as well as inspiring and aspirational for everyone who enters the building.

For Chris Hiep, architect at Rever, who took on the project, the new Bells Café combines customer-friendly ambience with a multifunctional design that promotes social interaction as well as working life. ‘On the one hand you have the formal piece of registration,’ he says, ‘and on the other you are warmly welcomed by a barista from the Bells Café who makes fresh coffee.’ In order to transform the original waiting area into a multi faceted space, Chris selected HIMACS in VG-21 Maui from the Volcanics range for the extensive worksurfaces, which are used to display coffee, pastries and snacks. The intense green volcanic shade is perfect for adding a pop of rich colour to the design, without overpowering the scheme.

The design was fabricated by Dokter Interieurbouw, a company who are well versed in overhauling commercial spaces into something really special. ‘The new entrance and waiting area is a lot more dynamic,’ adds Maarten Vink, project consultant at Rever. ‘It feels like going into a trendy coffee bar rather than a workplace and the entrance is now a fun meeting place rather than a waiting room. The brief from KPN was to create a warmer welcome which is less formal and changes your first impression of the brand.’ A walk-in workspace, which Rever designed three years ago, is also incorporated into the new bar entrance design. ‘The wall between the entrance and the walk-in workspace has broken through,’ explains Chris. ‘This means that the two areas have now become one, which is much more appealing.’

Rever’s vision is always for the interior to become a strategic instrument for growth. ‘From our passion for interior design, we allow everyone to work in an environment that inspires,’ adds Chris. ‘We see the interior as an appropriate setting for both mental and physical stimulation. We believe that healthy and happy employees are the basis for any successful company’

HIMACS can be thermoformed and moulded into any shape and is widely used for architectural and interior applications in both residential and commercial projects. Made from a mix of acrylic, minerals and natural pigments, it creates a smooth, non-porous and visually seamless surface that meets the highest standards for quality, aesthetics, fabrication, functionality and hygiene. Ideal for public spaces, it’s also incredibly easy to clean and care for with just a quick wipe down with a damp cloth.

Rever Interiorprojects is a full-service agency for the design and realisation of interior projects for work environments. The team comprises 32 creative and committed employees and from its Experience Centre in Utrecht, the company designs and implements settings that make the identity of the organisation visible and tangible. An interior where people can work pleasantly, which stimulates encounters and where growth and development contribute to the ambitions of its people and organisation.