FORBO FLOORING SYSTEMS HIGHLIGHT
This section of ArchIdea features a selected project in which the floor is the hero of the issue. It demonstrates how Forbo Flooring Systems can complement the design of a building.
Unlocking the vault
ONCE A CLOSED-OFF FORTRESS THAT SEEMED AT ODDS WITH ITS FREE-SPIRITED SURROUNDINGS, DE NEDERLANDSCHE BANK IN AMSTERDAM HAS UNDERGONE A RADICAL TRANSFORMATION. THANKS TO THE CLIENT'S VISION AND A REDESIGN TRANSFORMATION BY ARCHITECTURE FIRM MECANOO, THE BUILDING HAS SHIFTED FROM A SYMBOL OF INSTITUTIONAL DETACHMENT TO ONE THAT WELCOMES AND ENGAGES THE PUBLIC. MECANOO’S INTERVENTIONS HAVE RESHAPED THE BUILDING AND ITS PUBLIC PERCEPTION.
Photos: Ossip van Duivenbode/DNB
Fortress-like headquarters for the national bank
In the 1960s, a new attitude seemed to be brewing in Amsterdam’s famous canals. Young people disillusioned with tradition and conservatism were attracted to the city’s magical mix of laid-back ideals and progressive politics. It became a global Mecca for young, freedom-loving hippies. Amidst this cultural revolution, one white-collar institution chose to make a different statement. On its completion in 1968, the new headquarters of De Nederlandsche Bank - the national central bank of the Netherlands - expressed itself as an architectural beacon of repetition and order, a stark contrast with the chaotic energy beyond its walls.
A boastful modernist design
The building consisted of a square, low-rise building of 110m by 120m topped out with a 73m high office tower. It was designed by the prominent Dutch modernist Marius Duintjer (1908–1983), whose work was heavily influenced by Japanese architecture. Although his design for the bank was highly valued within the architectural community, many Amsterdammers criticised it for being out of touch with the city’s human scale, and not being welcoming or transparent, despite its base being wrapped in glass.
Paleis voor Volksvlijt
The criticism was notably rooted in nostalgia. Before the bank occupied Frederiksplein, the site had been home to the Paleis voor Volksvlijt, a beloved, elegant glass exhibition hall that perished in a fire in the late 1920s. The building was used to educate and entertain the masses by showcasing the latest innovations in culture, science and entrepreneurship. To many locals, the bank didn’t just replace this ‘palace of the people’ with a fenced-off institution; it deepened the loss with a modernist design that - to them - felt overly boastful and stern. Public enthusiasm declined even further in the 1990s, when a cylinder-shaped tower called the ‘satellite’ disrupted Duintjer’s design by being awkwardly planted next to the rectangular office tower.
The new entrance hall cuts directly through the former vault
Technical necessity as an opportunity for change
In the late 2010s it became clear that the building’s technical state was deteriorating. De Nederlandsche Bank seized this opportunity to strengthen the original design, increase public accessibility and make it more future-proof and sustainable. They approached Mecanoo, a Delft-based office led by architect Francine Houben (1955). A rewarded architect expert in designing public buildings, Houben brought her extensive experience from major projects around the world, including many train stations and libraries, such as the renovation of the New York Public Library.
Restoring Marius Duintjer’s vision
Since its completion in early 2025, the impact of De Nederlandsche Bank's vision and Mecanoo's work is evident. The building has been opened to the public in both form and function. The once harsh landing on Frederiksplein is now softened by a park surrounding the entire building, featuring generous greenery and a public embankment along the adjacent canal. The main entrance has been relocated from the building’s quieter side to its most public façade on Frederiksplein. To make this shift, the project team took a radical and imaginative step: the new entrance hall cuts directly through the former vault that once safeguarded the Netherlands’ gold reserves. It took a two-metre saw blade and two full days of work to slice through the vault’s thick concrete walls. The ‘scars’ from this dramatic operation have been intentionally left exposed, offering visitors the thrill of entering a once-forbidden space.
An internal street and art on display
The floors that once enclosed the vault have been removed, creating a large, dimly lit exhibition space that is open to the public free of charge. Visitors can explore topics such as economics, the history of money, and the role of De Nederlandsche Bank. The back wall of the vault is now an exhibition space, displaying highlights from the bank’s extensive art collection. It also connects to a transparent, well-used internal public ‘street’; a lively thoroughfare featuring workspaces and a coffee bar that are both open to the public.
Merging the vision of Duintjer and Mecanoo
Close to the heart of the building, the tower remains reserved for bank employees and their visitors. But it is here that Mecanoo’s appreciation for Duintjer’s design becomes apparent. The original, structural columns, crowned by characteristic four-legged capitals, have remained exposed and Duintjer’s cast-concrete spiral staircases have been kept. The newly added staircases are contemporary interpretations that echo the originals and Marmoleum Concrete flooring on the office floors blend in with the original colour palette of the design. Mecanoo’s own signature is visible too. One floor clearly evokes the New York Public Library’s iconic reading room, with long tables, mid-century reading lamps and terrazzo floors - a nod to one of Mecanoo’s most famous projects.
Removing the ‘satellite’
The most notable example of the restoration of Duintjer's design vision is the removal and reuse of the much-criticised ‘satellite’ tower. The removal restores a key element of Duintjer’s design intent, reopening the view from the historic Utrechtsestraat towards Frederiksplein. At the same time, the removal stands as an innovative example of circularity. The tower was carefully dismantled piece by piece and shipped to an external storage location by electrical boats. In its place, a publicly accessible garden has been planted. In the future, the satellite tower will be rebuilt on a pier near The Hague, where it will become the location for a restaurant and a nightclub, perhaps earning a warmer reception in its second life.
Reusing materials within the city
The repurposing of the tower is exemplary for the approach to circularity and sustainability applied throughout. Concrete from the building was injected with CO2 to create carbon-neutral concrete and used to construct the embankment next to the building. It was also used as a construction material for a social housing development elsewhere in Amsterdam. Boulders that previously surrounded the building now function as playful elements in a local park, while wood from old, diseased poplar trees from the city has been incorporated into the slatted interior ceilings. Thanks to an extensive package of sustainable measures, such as new installations and insulation, the team managed to reduce energy use and CO2 emissions by up to 80%. Now one of the most sustainable office buildings in the Netherlands, the building has received a BREEAM Outstanding and a WELL Platinum certification.
A new identity
In merging Duintjer’s original vision with a new public ambition, it seems that the people who once mourned the loss of the ‘palace of the people’ have finally regained some of that spirit. Cutting through the thick walls of the former vault has not only physically opened the building up, it has unlocked a new public identity that fits a city defined by its freedom-loving, independently minded citizens.
ARCHITECT: MECANOO
To complement the building’s renewed interior, Marmoleum Concrete by Forbo Flooring was used throughout the office spaces. This climate-positive linoleum is made from natural raw materials such as linseed oil, wood flour and jute, and supports the building’s sustainable ambitions.
With its subtle concrete-like structure, the collection offers the visual appeal of a modern, industrial floor, combined with the warmth and natural character of Marmoleum. A total of 10,000 square metres was installed. The floor is easy to clean, naturally bacteriostatic, and offers antiviral properties, making it a durable and hygienic choice for a high-traffic environment.
In addition to Marmoleum Concrete, DNB also chose Forbo Flooring’s Colorex, Surestep Original, Marmoleum Piano and Coral and Nuway entrance systems for other areas of the building.
For information on Forbo Flooring's vast range of products, visit www.forbo-flooring.com