Unilever Benelux Headquarters

A. In the heart of Rotterdam on Hofplein, thenew Unilever Benelux headquarters occupy six floors of an existing buildingfrom 1960 by architect C. A. Abspoel with a striking concrete structure. The newUnilever facility will accommodate around 750 employees. Upon entering the sixth floor, visitors arewelcomed in the Lipton Bar exhibiting a beautiful view of the city. From theLipton Bar, all floors are accessible via internal stairs. Breakthroughs weremade in the floors creating voids that connect the various departments and thusemployees. Upon entering, the auditorium, the so called townhall, immediatelystands out. This auditorium as well as the event space and restaurant aremultifunctional and can be used for events, lectures and a place to have lunch. They can also be used for informal meetings or working, making these functionsall part of the working environment. The interior is designed as a city withstreets and shops: Unilever City. Multipurpose cabinets placed between theconcrete structure form a street in the middle of the building. These serve asUnilever s internal showcase. Products can be displayed in the cabinets andthey can also be used for calls, discussions or to work in silence. Workplacesof the various Unilever departments are located on the street, each with theirown identity, brands and character traits. They form the shops on the street. Brandhubs of Beauty& Personal Care, Home Care, Refreshment, Foods and FoodSolutionsdepartments emphasise the atmosphere of these departments, each havingtheir own identity and forming a hotspot where products can be presented andtested. The mix of working, meeting, calling,consultation, presentation and other use and accommodation areas creates adynamic environment to work in an activity-based manner. Unilever employees canfind a place that suits their activity of the time. This stimulatescollaborations, knowledge exchange, meetings andbecause you move more throughthe building, it also promotes health. The materials used strengthen theindustrial character of the building. The black steel, oak, the cast floor andtiles form a neutral basis, giving the space to showcase Unilever s productsand marketing. Programme: Interior design for the newUnilever Benelux headquarters on the 4th to 9th floors of an existing building,including entrance zone on the ground floor, varied types of workplaces,restaurant, lobby, theatre, auditorium, Lipton bar, brand hubs, kitchens fordevelopment of Unilever brands and displays for Unilever products, a total of8,400 m2 Design: 2019 Realisation: 2019-2020