Both the original interior of the company cafetaria, designed by Wim Quist in 1992, and the layout of the Robeco Tower no longer reflected the present corporate image, which is expressed in the new corporate style. Recent restructuring and the closing down of other branch offices have, however, resulted in a doubling of the number of employees who work at the head office. This meant that the seating had to be increased considerably. The new interior is to a large extent based on the new corporate style and its accompanying colour scheme.
Company cafetaria
The most important change to the cafetaria is the introduction of a long dining structure, finished in white Corian®, on an elevated floor. This structure divides the large but low space into several areas; a seating area with large colourful bench seats, the seats in the structure itself, the tray removal belt and the food counter near the original kitchen. Colour accents derived from the Robeco corporate style are reflected in the upholstery of the various bench seats and in the planes represented by the walls. For the food-counter area, a wenge veneer finish was chosen for the various islands, together with Corian® tops. The same materials are again used for the various tabletops and other items of furniture, so that the entire cafetaria presents a uniform appearance that matches the new Robeco image.
Office floors
A tight budget for the refurbishment of the office floors and the partial reuse of the existing composite walls have resulted in inventive and effective solutions. The long blind walls had to go and have been replaced by open-plan work areas. Here too, coloured wall elements ensure that the interior reflects the new corporate style. The colour change from white to dark brown in the fixed core of the building, housing the pantries and lifts, symbolizes the refurbishment of the Robeco Tower. It also strengthens the contrast between its permanent and open-plan parts.
A meeting centre will be located on the 20th floor. In contrast to the other office floors, this floor will have a representative function. It comprises four large meeting rooms, a boardroom and a training room. The extra-wide corridor and the glass partition walls result in a very spacious overall impression. The fact that the wall to the training room can be opened in its entirety, together with the wide corridor, makes it possible to create a space of sufficient size to hold receptions and accommodate larger groups of people. The meeting rooms will be named after the various cities of the world in which Robeco has offices. Each room will have its own colour and boast a work of art from the Robeco art collection.
