Hilton Amsterdam Airport Hotel
| In collaboration with | Mecanoo, Ballast Nedam Bouw & Ontwikkeling B.V. |
| Location | Amsterdam |
| Project scope | Hotel en conference function 34,000 m² bvo, gateway 1,100 m² bvo and parking 4,200 m² bvo |
| Expertises | |
Challenge
Architecture firm Mecanoo gave the facades of the new Hilton a distinctive diagonal lining. A notch climbs from the ground floor along the exterior facade, giving the hotel architectural allure. Structurally, the design posed a significant challenge. The hotel rooms are built in a square shape around the central atrium. Normally, the walls would rest on two columns, but above the notch, this is not possible. There, they rest on only one column. Sixteen of the forty walls are therefore at risk of ‘falling’: they must derive their stability from elsewhere in the structure.
BIM
Based on a BIM model, ABT developed the architectural, structural, and geotechnical design to form a complete picture at an early stage.
Floating rooms
The atrium is also special. It not only receives light through a 42-meter-high glass roof but also through a large window in the north facade. This window extends from the second to the ninth floor. Above this window, in the atrium, three more floors with rooms float. They also rest on only one column. The rooms find their balance partly in a truss structure in the room walls and partly elsewhere in the building. ABT calculated how the different parts of the building keep each other in balance and advised on the foundation and construction pit.
Feat of balance
The feat of balance was not only a challenge for the structural engineer but also for the contractor. The calculated stability was only achieved once the building was complete. Therefore, the contractor had to take temporary measures during construction to prevent imbalance. In this, ABT and the contractor worked together; the contractor contributed his construction experience, and ABT provided its structural knowledge.
Sustainable
The sustainability ambitions were high and have been achieved: the hotel has received the Excellent score according to the BREEAM-NL sustainability label.
You can watch a video about the construction here.
Images © Mecanoo Architecten, Hans Roggen en Serge van Schie
