On the other side of Shell, Bolidt is everywhere you look

The use of fossil fuels is something most of us take for granted. But while they touch our daily lives in a multitude of ways, they also have a shadow side. They pollute, and they’re running out fast, leading to an uncertain future for our world. Shell is one of the most familiar producers and suppliers of fuels. So it’s fortunate that Shell, one of the pioneers in this business, also has ‘another side’: maximising the benefits of the disadvantages. In the Shell Technology Centre Amsterdam (STCA), 1300 people are working together in a 80,000 m² high-tech complex to improve the current processes related to natural gas, oil and petrochemicals and develop new technologies for sustainable products.

Fokkema Architects passed the ball to Bolidt, and ultimately it was Shell itself who rolled this ball through the entire technology centre. Fokkema Architects wanted a Bolidt synthetic floor for the interior areas, where colour and structure play a large role. No sooner were Shell in contact with Bolidt to discuss the job, than Shell turned out to have more on their wish-list: could Bolidt also install suitable floor systems in the laboratory areas, restaurant and kitchen? For Bolidt, installing a high-quality floor system is no harder than baking a cake, so the answer was clear. However, the stringent list of requirements that promptly followed was typical Shell: safety above all else. Shell and Bolidt were in complete agreement.