Dutch Design Week: Bolidt's best pick

Booster Blog

dutch design week

It’s Dutch Design Week this week, so all eyes are on The Netherlands and their design skills. Reason enough for the various departments at Bolidt to share their favorite Dutch Design projects.

Erasmus Bridge (Edwin Verhees - Director of the Laboratory and huge Rotterdam fan)

There’s no need to think twice: The Erasmus bridge. It’s unique design has become both a Dutch icon as well as one of Bolidt’s favourite projects of all time. It’s the centerpiece of Rotterdam. We installed the decking of the bridge; the pedestrian path, the cycle path, the wearing course, the whole lot! And the best part; even after all these years it still looks as good as new and is super safe!

Architect: Ben van Berkel (UNStudio)

Sushi Samba (Karin Gerrits - Sales Manager Public Buildings)

Recently, Sushi Samba opened a restaurant in Amsterdam with an intriguing design. With a unique interior comes a fittingly unique floor design. Despite the fact that the flooring has a very eye catching print motif, it fits in perfectly with the overall theme of the restaurant. They’ve applied colour in a very thoughtful manner, and whilst the pattern is loud and unique, it compliments the design tremendously.

Architect: Hans Ruijssenaars

Nationaal Militair Museum (Michel van der Spek - Marketing Director)

First of all, the location itself is already unique and exciting. The experience already begins as you arrive outside the former Soesterberg airport. From outside you are taken into the stunning collections within the museum. Through large windows, the indoor and outdoor spaces are connected together, very beautiful!

As far as the design, it has a tough and technical look, which allows the exhibitions and the technology to come alive. Whilst the architecture is impressive, I was also very impressed with the content, including the 360 degree movie in the Dome.

It has been one of the most inspiring projects to truly realize AREA78 in Hendrik- Ido-Ambacht!

Architect: Felix Claus Dick (Wageningen Architecten) / Kossmann.dejong / H+N+S Landschapsarchitecten

Krimpenerwaard College (Nicole Tieman - Sales Manager Educational buildings)

This is a school that has a huge number of students but still feels like a safe, hidden sanctuary. In the heart of the school is an open atrium with a library and media center, as well as an aula. The aula can be used separately for breaks, but also for exhibitions and meetings. Smaller meeting areas on each floor offer learning groups security, safety and stability. Also, what’s not to love about a school that is built as sustainably as possible (with the help of Bolidtop 700 College!)?

Architect: DP6

Hogeschool Stoas Vilentum (Wouter Nugteren - Head of Sales Support)

In Wageningen, there’s a school in which the themes of learning and development, human behavior, relationships between human and nature, and ecosystems and sustainability form the core focus of the education programs.

What's so cool about this project is that the architect has succeeded in translating the specific educational philosophy into a suited school structure. For instance, the overall design is cylindrical. The cylinder is non-hierarchical; each floor has essentially the same shape and the same view.

The school building consists of a combination of ‘nest’ rooms for predetermined functions, such as practical rooms and office functions, and ‘cave’ spaces that sit between them, which can be used spontaneously for different functions.

At Bolidt, we have also been able to visualize the philosophy by developing a floor pattern based on the motif of a mycorrhiza: a symbiosis between fungi and plant roots. We feel it’s a fitting depiction of the school philosophy.

Architect: BDG architecten

Erasmus MC Education Centre (Maidy Wensveen - Sales Manager Healthcare sector)

The Erasmsus MC educational building is incredibly light and spacious due to a glass roof that spans the entire square.

With an overall design of simplicity and functionality, it gives you the feeling of a comfortable lobby.

The places of study can be utilized by each person in their own way. Alone or with a project group, the space offers peace for study and gives a distinct freshness of energy.

Architect: KAAN architecten

Bicycle parking garage Hoog Catharijne ( Peter Staal - Sales Manager Parking sector)

This project is unique, because it just is... Never has anyone built a parking garage for bicycles this grand. There’s a cycling path through the building, which makes it very user friendly. You can simply cycle in and out. The design provides a safe and pleasant environment with ample daylight and high ceilings, as well as surprising visual experiences. With, of course, our parking systems throughout the entire building.

Architect: Ector Hoogstad

Mercedes-Benz Museum Stuttgart (Bob Hamers - Business development public buildings)

This is not your standard museum. From the unusual starting point on the eighth floor, the museum, and the building itself, revolves around the visitor. For the visitor, there’s a choice of two Mercedes story lines, each leading down a spiral through the building and sometimes overlapping. When I first saw the routing model I thought it would be very confusing, but by a chronological layout and a contrast between the two spaces, it’s extremely intuitive.

Architect: UN Studio

So, there it is, Bolidt’s best pick of Dutch Design. We continue to pursue greatness in design and look forward to contributing more to the Dutch Design-scape. To find out more about the future of our design, check out AREA78.