It’s a well-known fact that China is the planet’s leading market for electric cars, accounting for no less than a whopping 58% of global sales. But more importantly, Chinese manufacturers have leaped forward with nifty technology and bigger car models, and they’re banking on this enviable position by raising their profile in sophisticated ways. One of the innovative players in this fast-evolving industry is Shanghai-based NIO. Founded only in 2014, the electric car company has since anticipated developments abroad, establishing its design headquarters in Munich and opening a car factory right outside Budapest, and soon after, rolling out its hybrid NIO House concept. Anchored by a showroom displaying NIO car models, the venue seamlessly blends in facilities, such as meeting rooms, a café and a lounge which not only signal its affiliation with modern lifestyle, but also enable an exchange and bonding with the host city.
The newly opened NIO House in Amsterdam, the car manufacturer’s second outpost in the Netherlands, is no exception. NIO has secured a landmark seven-storey building smack in the middle of the city’s scenic Canal District. Built in 1891 by Dutch architect Jan van Looy (1852-1911), NIO House Amsterdam features no less than 2,700 sqm. (29,063 sq.ft.). The historic structure has been meticulously renovated and sees an interior design across all floors by lauded Dutch architecture practice MVRDV which feature a colour gradient inspired by NIO’s Blue Sky Coming slogan, from earthy colours on the lower floors to an airy blue that fills the building’s modernist rooftop pavilion which was originally constructed in 1933 by iconic designer and architect Gerrit Rietveld. As said, NIO House Amsterdam is home to a range of different facilities on each floor, and right over the car showroom, a spacious café and a kids corner are situated.
One floor up, the Forum can be found, a versatile space which hosts workshops, presentations, and small-scale lectures, and sits alongside a so-called Joy Camp where children can entertain themselves. The third floor is home to co-working spaces that can be booked and used by the public, while the fourth is home to an art and design gallery that can equally be used to show NIO products or as a platform for local artists to showcase their work. Accommodating the NIO offices, the fifth floor is more ore less off-limits to the public, the alluring event spaces on the upper floors make up for that. The aim of the interior design was to open up each floor, and many an internal wall and ceiling has to be removed to achieve the airy and light atmosphere that now prevails on each floor.
When taking a closer look at the design, a varied palette of innovative materials unfolds which aligns with the gradient colours. On the ground and first floors, the walls are panelled with a 3D-printed material made from recycled drinks cartons, developed in partnership with local furniture and finishes platform Aectual, which pairs an earthy colour and a fluted texture. The flooring is made from Durabella, a sustainable terrazzo flooring made of a special modified bonder, marble aggregates and/or natural stones. On the floor above, the walls and floors are finished with wood, while on the third floor, wood floors are complemented with eco-friendly paint. The fourth floor features a peachy orange gradient on its walls, which draws attention upwards to the vaulted ceilings of the original building.
NIO House Amsterdam
Leidsestraat 32-34 (Centrum)
1017PB Amsterdam
Mon-Wed 10am-6pm
Thu-Fri 10am-7pm
Sat-Sun 10am-6pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
