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The Bank returns to its original purpose
The Bank, the former premises of the Amsterdamsche Bank, later known as ABN AMRO, has been redeveloped into a highly versatile, multifunctional building after years of vacancy. Attending the official opening yesterday, one of the new tenants proved to be yet another bank: BNP Paribas.
After ABN AMRO had vacated the premises in 2002 to move to the South Axis, Lesley Bamberger, CEO of Kroonenberg Groep, took the building under his wings. The initial plan, in consultation with Bouwfonds (a property development, financing and management company), was to find a new purpose for the office building. For a while, they entertained the idea of hotel operations, for instance, but since 2006, Bamberger has been developing an independent vision for the building. He now refers to the result as a ‘dream carved in stone’.
The renovated building, partly restored to its former glory by reopening the atrium that was so characteristic of the original building, offers 25,000 m2 of office space and 7,000 m2 of multifunctional space. In addition, it offers a car park as well as valet parking services.
One remarkable aspect is the fact that the reinstallation of the atrium resulted in a decrease of 3,000 m2 of lettable (office) space. At the official opening, Bamberger referred to the building as ‘historic and sustainable’.
Even though the design by architects Ouëndag and Berlage was completed as far back as in 1932, it has been awarded an A+ sustainability label in view of its energy-efficient solutions, such as soil-based energy storage.
During the opening ceremony, the Mayor of Amsterdam, Mr Van der Laan, highlighted the importance of the building to the city, saying that following the renovation, it is again ‘a valuable asset to the Rembrandtplein’. According to the Mayor, the entire eastern part of the city centre will benefit from the crowds of visitors and users drawn by the dynamic atmosphere of The Bank. In addition to BNP Paribas, the list of tenants currently includes Guerilla Games, Marqt, the Ajax Experience Center and George Deli USA.
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