04-Jul-2016 On June 27 a new hotel of which the interior spaces are designed by Bas van Tol of Studio Müller van Tol, will open its doors at the Wibautstraat in Amsterdam. Het Volkshotel is housed in a building formerly functioning as the home of Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant. The history of the building was the starting point for Bas van Tol in creating a place that functions on different levels and in explicitly using materials that refer to the building’s narrative. Built for de Volkskrant newspaper, the 1960s concrete structure is open, optimistic and functional. Bas van Tol preserved these qualities while inserting dynamic interiors for contemporary occupants like tourists, locals, tenants, passers-by, creatives, students, flex workers and professionals. The unique atmosphere of the hotel is a result of the typical approach of the studio and its teams in search of the true identity of the building. This project is once again a remarkable addition to a series of extraordinary interiors designed by Bas van Tol, like club Trouw Amsterdam, Restaurant As and the exhibition structure for the photography fair Unseen. Bas van Tol constructed spaces for metropolitan encounters by evoking the physicality of the newspaper production and the vanishing world of paper, ink and photographs. Examples of this are the ink raster patterns that enliven the elongated counter and enlarged and overblown cut-outs of de Volkskrant masthead that decorate the ground-floor walls. The designer made use of old iconic photographs from the paper’s archives, showing groups rising up in defence of their ideals on the corridor walls. Made up of ordinary people, these counter-movements — provos in the 1960s, hippies in the 70s and squatters in the 80s — defined the mood of their eras, just as the images define the spaces of the hotel. In all interior space the research based method of Bas van Tol is clearly visible, maintaining simplicity in materials and detailing. Together with his studio partner Christiane Müller, they designed the fabrics for the wall covering, showing the studio’s thorough collaboration. All the rooms in the hotel bring a unique and crafted feel generated by using random compositions of three different tones. The prints that are silk-screened by hand directly onto the bedroom walls are a final reminder of the tradition of this building, a tradition revived by Bas van Tol.
17-Jun-2014 The ‘Volkshotel’ is a project that will include 172 rooms, a grand café, shop, coworking space, restaurant, club and bar(Canvas). Most spaces inside this exciting refurbishment are the work of Dutch interior designer Bas van Tol of Studio Müller Van Tol. The hotel and it’s interior will carry out the history of the building in different graphic ways. This will be complemented with simple and effective interior design solutions that focus on the view and the moment of the building and its visitors.