Situated next to the A10 in the industrial Zuid-Oost area of Amsterdam, the new HQ for G-StarRAW will consolidate G-Star RAW’s disparate facilities into a single building that aims tostimulate interaction between various departments.
The 27,500m2 horizontal building – 140 metres long – consists of a creative nucleus containingthe core departments of G-Star RAW, which are enveloped by a ring of offices, parking andsupport facilities. The distinction between the support activities and the creative core isheightened through contrasting materials – a monolithic solidity rendered in black concrete forthe ring, while the creative core is visible through the glass façade. The lower part of the ringforms a plinth for parking and drop off; the plinth also provides a location for installations andevents.
The main entrance is situated at the level of the plinth and is underneath a cantilevered glassbox that houses G-Star’s showrooms. This end of the building, distinct from the inner workingsof G-Star, is dedicated to visitors; however there is still exposure of these inner workingsthrough controlled views and access.
Inside the creative core of the building, staggered floor plates and double height spacespromote a dynamic exchange between the different creative departments allowing for crosscommunication. The RAW-space, a flexible multi-use zone, either open to the outside orconcealed behind sliding hangar-type doors, provides a space for work and production, parties,and fashion shows. Oriented towards the A10, the shifting façade and changing uses of theRAW-space, together with the various possible uses of the plinth, will create a constantlyvarying appearance reflecting the inner dynamism of G-Star RAW.
