On Amsterdam’s PC Hooftstraat – one of the most renowned and exclusive shopping streets in Europe – stands a five-storey (six, including the new basement level) retail and office complex. Metadecor supplied MD Formatura cassette panels for the three office floors above the retail basement and ground-floor plinth. Thanks to the MD Apertura pivot system, these ‘shutters’ are able to move - a practical feature for tasks such as cleaning the glazing behind them.
Shutters with customised figure perforation
With MD Formatura, a pattern is punched into the panels. For this project, a custom shape with a blind edge was chosen, designed by ZZDP architect Lex van de Wolfshaar. The resulting figures are rotated in such a way that – depending on their position – they catch light, cast shadows, or create depth.
Close collaboration between Metadecor and the architect
Metadecor offers a range of sample patterns for MD Formatura, from which clients can choose. The pattern used in the PC Hooftstraat project, however, was designed entirely by the architect. “And then further developed by Metadecor into detailed drawings and, eventually, into panels,” Sander explains. “At an early stage, we created a test panel so that the architect could see, feel, and assess how the final result would look in real life. Even the subtle mounting system was carefully coordinated. A project like this truly is teamwork.”
Cuypers, Dekeukeleire and ZZDP: new meets old
Numbers 5 to 11 on PC Hooftstraat were once home to four buildings designed by Pierre Cuypers. These were demolished in 1975 and replaced by a typical ir. Dekeukeleire office building, characterised by broad horizontal bands alternating between glass and concrete. The new design by ZZDP Architects – once again built from the ground up – features a clear grid that re-establishes the identity and division of the four original plots. The ‘shutters’ installed by Metadecor on the office façade also reference the more enclosed 19th-century façades found elsewhere on the street.
