By Editor Design.nl /asdf 13-05-2009

Back to basics luxury and traditions

Designed by Concrete Architectural Associates, CitizenM Hotel Amsterdam City Centre marks the the second edition in the family for the new 'budget luxury' hotel chain. CitizenM debuted its first hotel at Schiphol Airport in 2008 with the idea to cut out all hidden costs and unnecessary services/items to offer the global traveller luxury at an affordable price. The key to the concept: all the hotel rooms (14 m2) are identical, prefabricated on a production line right down to the shower cubicles, for easy transport and stackability.

With 215 rooms, the second hotel in Amsterdam Zuid is almost identical to the original at Schiphol with the exception of the location, which is in contrast surrounded by trees and residential buildings as opposed to airport runways and freeways. The entrance and communal areas are virtually the same, with the changing furniture 'showroom' supplied by Vitra. The other major difference is the lowering of the entire structure due to council regulations to maintain building heights. Consequently, the ground floor is 90cm below street level which has created a rather interesting bar-top in one of the living rooms at the same height of the pavement, giving a unique view of passing pedestrians and cyclists on the Beethovenstraat. Also a new carpet in the hotel corridor depicts the Amsterdam roofscape from a Google-earth perspective. Try to recognise the city's landmarks. Next up for CitizenM, will be a third hotel geared up for Glasgow.

Meanwhile another well-known Amsterdam locale has been transplanted to a different part of the country. Loetje has opened a third restaurant in Laren, Noord Holland (the second is located at Ouderkerk aan de Amstel) with the interior also designed by Concrete. The overall design concept was to place an urban interior in a more traditional and rural surrounding with the starting point as a “grand café” with a bar-like atmosphere. The intention was to create two worlds within the experience, while the appearance should reflect one world. To unite the bar and restaurant, a uniform type of flooring (terrazzo) was used and a black-coloured acoustic ceiling with a grid of industrial metal light shades helping further to bring the spaces together. A 14-meter long photo-print suggests the cafe traditions of Loetje, matching also the colour scheme of the materials and furniture.

Main image + images 1-6: CitizenM Amsterdam City
Images 7-9: Loetje Laren
Photography: Ewout Huibers

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