ARCHELLO YOUR CONNECTION WITH ARCHITECTURE

October 2010 saw the completion of the new headquarters of Achmea (regional headquarters for the South-Western region of the Netherlands) on the Dellaertweg in Leiden. The Achmea building (32,000 m2) is a completely unique construction. The building is "hemmed in" on a longitudinal plot between the rail and road/tunnel in the vicinity of the railway station. This "raised" and "over-reaching" building was built in the form of an extremely slim column construction reminiscent of the shape of a tree, so as not to affect the road and the large number of underground pipelines that could not be disturbed.

As well as being an absolutely first-rate example of design work, the building also represents something of a technological feat. The upper storeys of the building are fitted with yellow, red and blue panels (carefully coordinated by colour and position) and counterbalance the somewhat "grey" surroundings of the building. Compared to the existing office blocks nearby, this eye-catching building forms something of an icon. Below ground, there is also a two-storey car-park with spaces for 340 cars. Achmea is set to move into the building in April 2011, once the interior decoration work has been completed.