Wieden + Kennedy

The offices of Wieden+Kennedy advertising agency were created by joining two national monuments at Herengracht in Amsterdam together. The labyrinthine project involved connecting buildings from different periods that needed to be remodelled into a 21st-century creative working environment. By unravelling this cluster of monumental premises, NEXT succeeded in creating a clearly-defined, spacious building with spaces for working, spaces for meeting, collaborating, and relaxing.

This was achieved using a number of special techniques. The heart of the two buildings was opened up by installing glass chambers that cut through the floors between the different levels. Double-height presentation and meeting rooms were created in the glass chambers that connect the different levels. Stacking functions in this way created diagonal lines of vision, making the working environment more open and strengthening the connections between the work floors.

Wieden+Kennedy is winner of the Lensvelt De Architect interior prize 2008.