Introduction
“TSH Collab is the final piece of The Student Hotel’s complete connected Community, a fully integrated co-living and co-working world. It is a professional space where freelancers, start-ups and local game-changers can work hard in style, taking advantage of our full-service professional environment, flexible contracts and all-inclusive rates.”
Amsterdam studio Ninetynine has transformed part of the ground floor of the former Het Parool office building with blue-green painted pavilions, split-levels and connected office boxes to create the first location of the THS Collab co-working space.
Located in The Student Hotel group’s flagship Amsterdam City destination – at the heart of the Knowledge mile (Wibautstraat 131-D) – the 1,150 square metre TSH Collab hosts flexible workspaces, dedicated desks, closed offices, a members kitchen, meeting spaces, and a 150-seat auditorium called ‘Het Parool Theater’.
Design concept
Studio Ninetynine enhanced the different personalities of the functional spaces by introducing two additional floor levels. Facilitated by the existing structure of the building, the floor level of the area along the facade was lowered by 50cm. This area functions as a dedicated desk area where people can rent workspaces in the bespoke workstations. Personal items can be stored in lockers and on shelving (made from light grey painted osb) along the long sides of this area. This area is also marked by a field of 60 suspended LED lightbulbs. Two blue-green-painted pavilions are located at the short sides of this lowered area. Each pavilion consists of two closed offices for 6 persons and a mezzanine level on top with workspace for another 12 people. A staircase along the facade brings people up to a quieter working area with blue-green rubber flooring and matching balustrade walls. Whereas the skin of the pavilions is painted blue-green everywhere, the colour inside the offices is bright. Walls cladded with light grey painted osb, matching PET felt panels and a magnetic white board offer the tenants a ‘white canvas’ as working environment.
A long wall cladded with anthracite felt is the second organising element in the space. The members kitchen, four meeting nooks, closed office boxes, and the heart of the entire co-working space – Bed Talks – are literally stuck onto the ‘back wall’. The elevation of this wall does not only represent a repetition of functional ‘boxes’ but also reflects the philosophy of the TSH Collab co-working space: Connecting people.
The bright office boxes with glass separations and black wooden frames are visibly interlocked by sharing an in-between zone with the storage cabinets of one office, and a shelf with a felt bulletin board behind the second office. By doing this the cabinets also become part of the sidewalls. Flexible shelving on the back wall gives the tenants space to showcase their passions and profession.
The Bed Talks box is a direct reference to the core business of the The Student Hotel: hotel rooms. An oversized bed measuring 4 by 4 meters is squeezed between two anthracite felt walls. The ‘headboard’ consists of upholstered rolls which continue on the ceiling. A red Bed Talks light sign is placed on the back wall, while two bunches of yellow workers lamps are suspended from the ceiling. Completed by a multiplicity of white pillows. this area invites to relax, make phone calls, discuss or even have an informal meeting or presentation. Don’t worry about taking off your shoes, they can be stalled in the cabinets on the left and right. A blue-green rug pops out of the space and marks the Bed Talks location in the corridor. And if this still isn’t enough relaxation, you can book a real hotel room by using the black phone on the side table which is directly connected to the reception desk of the hotel.
The nooks are also visibly interlocked by sharing an in-between zone, resulting in different seating heights plus a ‘leave me alone’ nook for one person only. Black frames highlight the interlocked outline, cork back walls invite the users to pin up their ideas, light grey painted osb walls frame the spaces, and ‘Elements’ by Zero wall lamps create intimacy. One nook is entirely painted und upholstered in a bright coral colour to mark the angel investor desk – an essential space in environment of start-ups and entrepreneurs.
The last element of the back wall is the members kitchen. Black mdf cabinets, white tiling, copper painted wall cabinets and a freestanding black kitchen island define this area. Three giant apricot ‘Elements XL’ by Zero lampshades above the kitchen island highlight the place where people can prepare their lunch of have a kitchen party.
The area in front of the members kitchen is called the flex desk area. This multi-purpose space transforms from workspace or meeting space to presentation or event space. Mixed seating areas allow informal working on sofas or group discussions at the long tables. A series of four black tables along the coral grid-wall have counter height and wooden bar stools with a swivel base to accommodate short meetings. The grid wall also features a retractable screen for presentations or social events like watching a football match. To compensate the lack of daylight a zig-zag-pattern of suspended ‘Solo Tube’ lights by Archxx provide ambient light and create a light sculpture at the same time. The resin floor in this area is light concrete grey, whereas the overall floor finish is dark concrete grey. A floor-to-ceiling cork wall complements this area with its natural warm colour, soft finish and ability to be customised at any time.
The area between the back-wall and dedicated desk area is more than a corridor that connects the flex desk area to the welcome area. Phone booths, a wardrobe and a printing station are located at the beginning and the end of this zone integrated in the blue-green pavilions. In the middle, opposite of Bed Talks, and facing the lowered dedicated desk area, a communication wall separates and connects the space at the same time. The wall is made from powder coated concrete reinforcement mesh and measures 11,0 m long and 2 m high. Dark blue cubby shelving and giant boards with a map of TSH Collab and an event agenda form the analogue communication platform within the co-working space. Coral painted concrete columns with wayfinding graphics indicate the opposite ends of this zone.
The hub of THS Collab is the welcome area as it hosts a small f&b outlet, reception desk, waiting area, and access to the meeting rooms, toilets, and the 150-seat ‘Het Parool Theater’ auditorium. A floor-to-ceiling glass partition separates this lively area from the working areas. Members and guests can purchase coffee, tea, fresh juices, or a small lunch at the midnight blue painted bar counter. Different colours and sizes of the ‘LT05 North pendant’ by E15 lighting add playfulness and lightness to the area. Aligned to the bar, the reception desk made from copper stained underlayment folds around the coral wayfinding column. The backdrop of both counters is a light grey painted wall with a white powder coated reinforcement mesh mounted at a distance to the wall. Functional storage is provided by dark blue cubby shelving, while the mesh itself can be used for styling attributes, plants, and newspapers. Soft seating elements float in this area, and a turquoise upholstered wall niche offers additional seating while waiting for your meeting or taking a break during an event.
The toilets are situated in a black painted osb box. Inside the box, walls are tiled white with blue grout-lines. Walls and ceiling are painted in the same blue colour, and a series of lightbulbs add warm, dimmed light to this functional space.
People enter the meeting area passing by the turquoise wall niche. A long bright corridor with artificial daylight falling through a glazed shed roof connects five meeting rooms. All rooms have different characters but share the full height glass partition and a light grey stained wooden shed roof with visible beams. Each room features a specific way of writing: on post its, on paper rolls, on white-board-walls, on black-board-walls or on a blue grid wallpaper. A TV cabinet made from black mdf hides the screen when not in use, and a turquoise strap on the inside of the cabinet doors keeps the white board markers and remote control in place. Different types of suspended decorative lighting enhance the character of each meeting room. The wall colours of the rooms are alternating black and white.
Het Parool Theater is a 200 square-metre fully equipped event space. The space can be used as one or divided into a welcome area with wardrobe/bar/break-out function and presentation area. The walls of the presentation area are completely covered with dark blue wool curtains. The curtain wall behind the projection screen functions as a flexible partition between both areas. The showpiece of the auditorium is its telescopic tribune. This retractable stand is completely finished in a bright turquoise and fits 114 people on upholstered benches with backrests. When not in use, the tribune hides as a turquoise box in the back of the space, allowing the entire area in front to be used for yoga classes, banqueting or even dancing.
