La Defense Office

UNStudio

Almere, Willem Dreesweg 14 – 24

1999 – 2004

La Defense

The photos of the colored panels of this office building are well known in architectural magazines. It has intrigued me for quite some time, so of course when we were in Almere, I had to pay a visit to this complex. The architects are also known: UNStudio. I have already visited another project: Arnhem Central Station. But the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam is also a design by them.

U and M building

The complex consists of two buildings: if you have some imagination they have the shape of a U and an M. The middle leg of that M slides into the U. On the outside, the buildings are gray, so that they blend in with the surroundings. Inside it is a very different picture. There the facades are made of glass with a foil, so that a different color is created with each light. This way the façade can radiate all colors: from yellow to red and blue to green.

Courtyard

There are two entrances to the courtyard. Each time with stairs or ramps because the courtyard is higher than the street. Among the buildings with an area of 23,000 m² there is also a parking area of 15,000 m² and 500 parking spaces.

Business center

It is a business center, so there are various companies located in it. The buildings can be arranged flexibly and there are five different entrances with a different color code. The project varies from 3 to 5 floors, with the highest floor always being double height.