Mentha Connects Amsterdam History with a sustainable future
From a raw maritime past to a contemporary, sustainable work environment with impressive views over the IJ canal. For Mentha, Frank Ontwerpen and studio RIANKNOP designed an interior that reflects the company's development: familiar and distinctive, yet at the same time mature, future-oriented and strongly connected to its surroundings.
The new Mentha office is located on the upper four floors of an iconic, green building along the IJ canal. Whereas Mentha's former office was housed in an old maritime building, the company consciously chose a new location that fits the next phase of its development. The new interior combines Mentha's robust identity with refinement, comfort and a strong focus on sustainability.
The starting point for the design is 'success through sustainability.' This principle is not only visible in lay-out and material choices, it’s also the fundament for how the different floors are furnished and used.
From Sturdy Sailors to a Mature Work Environment
The former building along the IJ served as inspiration for the original interior concept. A historic photo of sturdy sailors – men who braced the turbulent Zuiderzee and knew how to take action – served as the visual framework for the design.
In the new office, that identity remains palpable but receives a different layer. The raw maritime atmosphere gives way to a more refined environment where concrete, warm colors and tactile materials alternate. The visible concrete construction forms a sturdy base, while deep, warm colors and soft materials create warmth, luxury and comfort.
The interior design is by Frank Ontwerpen in collaboration with studio RIANKNOP. The long-term collaboration between both design studios is clearly reflected in the result. The playful freedom of Frank Ontwerpen is combined with the vision of space use and color- and material advice from studio RIANKNOP. By challenging each other, an interior with a clear own identity emerges, where functionality and surprise go hand in hand.
Sustainability Visible and Tangible
Sustainability in the new office is not an afterthought addition, but an integral part of the design. Where possible, reused, recycled and local materials were chosen.
One of the most striking elements is the sculptural staircase connecting the four floors. The stairs are made of North Holland elm wood. The local material literally brings nature into the office and simultaneously creates a connection with Amsterdam and the building's surroundings.
At the detail level too, materials with a second life were sought. The kitchen countertops are made of recycled street pavers, acoustic wall panels and partitions are executed in reclaimed textile and the tiles are made from construction waste. The coffee bar is manufactured from recycled milk cartons. The characteristic color variation of the material was consciously left visible and thus forms a natural part of the interior.
Acoustics and comfort also received explicit attention. Based on an acoustic report, measure made three-dimensional acoustic walls of recycled textile were applied around the building's core. Recycled paper was applied as acoustic spray coating on the ceiling. The material choices contribute not only to circular ambitions but also to a pleasant and healthy work environment.
An Office That Moves With Its Users
The four floors each have their own character and function and form one work environment together. The routing is deliberately different from a traditional office. Employees and visitors enter on the sixth floor where they are received and then spread out over the various floors.
A variation of meeting rooms and an informal living room with views over the IJ are located here. On this floor, showers were implemented to encourage cycling to work. Thanks to the voids, daylight reaches deep into the building and a visual connection is created between the floors.
The fifth floor is primarily arranged as a work floor for concentrated work. Large round windows break up the strict pattern and connect the meeting rooms with the workspace. When more privacy or acoustic separation is desired, spaces can be closed with warm, semi-transparent acoustic curtains. A prayer and meditation room is designed more privately, with maximum comfort for the user.
On the fourth floor, the café forms the social heart of the office. With an extensive kitchen and coffee bar, this is where employees start their day, lunch, hold informal meetings and flexibly work. The spacious balcony on the IJ side strengthens the informal character and makes the café a place where employees easily stay for longer periods.
On the other side of the floor, workstations, meeting spots and concentration rooms are located in an open and transparent work environment. Since flex-working is a natural part of Mentha's corporate culture, the different floors can be optimally utilized.
The seventh floor has a more representative and festive character. This floor houses a large presentation space and an atmospheric bar. The distinctive, pointed shed roof is optimally visible from the inside. The rounded red bar forms a visual connection with the rest of the interior, while a flexible bleacher can be rotated towards the IJ. This means the space can be used both for large company presentations and for Mentha's regular parties.
Sustainability as Part of Success
Mentha's new office shows that sustainability, identity and a high-quality work environment do not have to exclude each other. By combining conscious material choices with attention to acoustics, daylight, comfort, flexibility and encounters, an environment is created that is not only sustainably designed but also truly adapted to the people working there.
The move to the new premises therefore marks more than just a change of work environment. The interior embodies Mentha's own development: from a sturdy maritime origin to a stable and future-oriented organization, without losing sight of its own identity and playfulness.
Frank Ontwerpen and studio RIANKNOP are proud that they contributed to an environment where Mentha consciously invests in both its work environment and its employees.
Specifications:
Interior: Concept and design by Frank Ontwerpen in collaboration with studio RIANKNOP
Client: Mentha Amsterdam
Program: Concept development, design, color and material advice, execution, 3D visualizations, technical design interior elements, lighting advice, interior construction supervision.
Parties Involved:
Contractor: de Bouwcombi, Haarlem
Interior Construction: Beukers Interieurmakers, Heerhugowaard
Elm Stairs: Execution by Brandwacht & Meijer, Utrecht; Wood supplied by Hout van je Stad
Project Fitter: Big Brands, Rotterdam
Lighting Advice: studio Rublek, Amsterdam
Installation Advice: Yver Groep, Amersfoort
Electrotechnical Installations: BLM Tech., Haarlem
Mechanical Installations: Yver Groep, Amersfoort
IT and AV Advice: Factor M, Amsterdam
Project Management: Philmartrust, Amsterdam in collaboration with Cémpes Vastgoed, Blaricum
