BNP Paribas Nederland, Arcadis, and G&S Vastgoed announced that they will move into their joint new headquarters on the Zuidas in Amsterdam in mid-2024.

Today BNP Paribas Nederland, Arcadis, and G&S Vastgoed announced that they will move into their joint new headquarters on the Zuidas in Amsterdam in mid-2024. The office building will be realized on the last remaining Mahler plot on the corner of Parnassusweg and Claude Debussylaan. The shared ambition of the parties is to establish a new standard for healthy and future-proof office buildings. The building was purchased by a.s.r. real estate, which will add the property to the portfolio of the ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund.  

On the first day of Provada 2021, the parties involved jointly announced that they are both the future tenants and initiators of the project. Arcadis is responsible for sustainable design and engineering, and BNP Paribas Real Estate and G&S Vastgoed developed the RE\DEFINE philosophy to realize sustainable, healthy, and productive offices, which has been applied to this project. G&S Vastgoed is also responsible for the project development. The three parties are already successfully collaborating on the ‘vertical forest’ Wonderwoods in the heart of Utrecht.

The ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund is involved as an investor in both the Wonderwoods project in Utrecht and the new initiative on the Zuidas which was announced today. The office fund of a.s.r. real estate is the only Dutch fund that focuses entirely on office buildings located at public transport hubs in the Netherlands.

The design was developed by Florian Idenburg of architecture firm SO-IL, a Dutch architect who has been running his firm from New York since 2008 in collaboration with Jing Liu. Among other things, Idenburg has designed the recently opened Amant Art Campus and is known for his innovative use of materials such as a handmade “malienkolder” facade he designed for a project in South Korea (Kukje Gallery).

Sustainability is an important principle in the development of this office. With their headquarters, Arcadis, G&S Vastgoed, and BNP Paribas Nederland have the unique opportunity to set the bar high and use the building as a breeding ground for new sustainable concepts. Sustainability extends beyond the environmental impact of construction and development – it is also about enhancing the long-term liveability of the built environment. To this end, G&S Vastgoed, in collaboration with Arcadis and Transsolar, has developed innovative construction techniques that have the ambition of realizing the most sustainable building on the Zuidas.

BNP Paribas Nederland has signed a letter of intent to establish its new headquarters in the Zuidas, where the various entities of the bank in the Netherlands can come together in one location. The central location on Parnassusweg, the new Zuidas NS railway station in combination with the already developed Mahler parking garage offers various possibilities for a flexible interpretation of the mobility offer for employees.

In the plinth of the building, The Cube is being developed with the aim that in the future visitors to the Zuidas and Amsterdammers will be able to discover sustainable and digital innovations from Dutch soil here.

Geert Lippens, CEO BNP Paribas The Netherlands: “The new head office in Amsterdam reflects our growth ambitions in the Netherlands. By bringing our various entities closer together in one head office, we will accelerate the One Bank strategy and clients will benefit fully from our interdisciplinary approach and broad international expertise. I am proud that we are developing a head office that sets a new sustainable standard. With the expertise of BNP Paribas Real Estate, Arcadis, and G&S Vastgoed, we want to inspire others to develop future-proof concepts for the next generation. Supporting our clients in their pursuit of sustainable and responsible growth is what we stand for, and the new headquarters underscore this ambition.”

Jason Blackmore, Managing Director G&S Vastgoed: “The collaboration with Arcadis and BNP Paribas Real Estate has proved to be a formula for success that has ensured that we are not only happy to take on this project but are even looking to move in together. In this day and age, building as sustainably as possible is a requirement, but we agree that the current times call for an extra step. We are therefore very proud that together with our partners we will realize this sustainable project on the last Mahler plot of the Zuidas.”

Carolien Gehrels, Global Director Energy Transition Arcadis: “In recent years we have worked intensively on future-proof buildings that respond to the consequences of climate change. We use the most sustainable materials and digital applications, with the wishes of the users and the community around the building as the most important starting point. We are proud that we can now show this in our ‘own’ headquarters. The building symbolizes Arcadis’ ambition to be climate neutral in all respects by 2035.”

Pieter Vandeginste, Fund Director ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund: “We are extremely proud to acquire the development on the last Mahler lot in the Zuidas. This great sustainable office building fits perfectly into the line-up of our current portfolio which includes Wonderwoods, EDGE Eindhoven, and Tree House in Rotterdam. The location near the train station, high sustainability ambitions, and leading organizations like BNP Paribas, Arcadis, and G&S Vastgoed as tenants complete the picture for us.”