creates
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completed

2016

responsibilties

concept, interior design & styling

programme

5.800 sqm, 133 rooms, living room, restaurant and eventspaces

location

amsterdam, nl

Redefining a new hotel category and signifying the end of the hotel room as we know it. The new workmeetsplay hotel concept has been created for the global nomad. The new category – a homeoffice hybrid, also suitable for long stays, with the services of a hotel and the social buzz of a thriving neighbourhood.
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Facilitating global living and working for the travelling professional, Zoku, Japanese for family, tribe or clan, disrupts the hotel industry. Zoku is a relaxed place to live, work and socialise with likeminded people while getting wired into the city.



03 zoku loft xl overview
04 zoku loft xl living

the zoku loft

A loft at Zoku is much more than just a hotel room. It is a spacious micro-apartment, or, better yet, the ‘Zoku Loft’. In the loft Zoku and concrete identified, designed and positioned all functions and needs of the global nomad in an intelligent way, creating an interior module that enhances the sense of spaciousness and functionality. 
The Zoku Loft provides a stylish and spatial feel due to its flexible interior with a focus on the living and working space instead of the sleeping area. In lieu of the bed, the central element is a four-person table that can be used to work, eat or relax. The Zoku Loft offers a spacious experience in a room of at least 24 square metres.

01 ZK overviewb
ZOKU 2017 eh 076
02 ZK1 overview

Zoku Amsterdam, the first to open, is situated in the ‘Metropool building’ at the Weesperstraat, a former office building by architect Arthur Staal. When you come from the city on your bike, like a typical Amsterdam resident, and leave the Rijksmuseum and skinny bridge behind you, you see a glimpse of a modernistic building with a seemingly floating top floor. Arthur Staal, also known for the Shell tower in the north of Amsterdam, always added something special to his buildings, known as ‘the crown’. On this crown concrete designed a traditional Dutch greenhouse, one of its kind in Amsterdam, which is connected to the existing structure. 

the public spaces

The guests’ first meeting with Zoku will be on top of the Metropool building, walking through a green oasis but still connected to the bustling city thanks to the amazing views. All public functions are allocated in the crown on the top floor. As soon as the guests enter the living room on the top floor and leave the city behind, this is when they become a Zoku member, and are able to meet other nomads, eat, play, work, read, and do all the stuff they would do at home. After meeting a Zoku sidekick, who will help them find their way in the temporary home, the full Zoku experience can begin.

01 zoku greenhouse3
02 zoku living area
ZOKU 2017 eh 062
07 Zoku Amsterdam Living Kitchen Dessert Dining Booth
10 Zoku Amsterdam Living Kitchen
08 Zoku Amsterdam Living Kitchen Dinner

the work & meet spaces

A hybrid coworking space with phone booths and inspiring worktables by day, transformed into a cozy private venue for live music or social events for up to 50 people by night. The Event space is a light-filled 234m²  space for up to 175 people with retractable walls, whiteboard partitions, and interactive styling and board games. It flexibly converts into two new “Think Big” and “Dream Bigger” rooms, perfect for workshops, keynotes, offsites, or pop-up dinners.

01 Zoku Amsterdam Coworking Space
03 Zoku Amsterdam Coworking Space
15 Zoku Amsterdam ME Think Bigger Room 1 2 Event Space Boardroom Setup
19 Zoku Amsterdam ME Think Bigger Room 1 2 Event Space U Shape Setup Back View
01 Zoku Amsterdam Coworking Space
03 Zoku Amsterdam Coworking Space
15 Zoku Amsterdam ME Think Bigger Room 1 2 Event Space Boardroom Setup
19 Zoku Amsterdam ME Think Bigger Room 1 2 Event Space U Shape Setup Back View
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facts & figures

total area 5200 sqm
rooms 109
communal spaces living room, restaurant and event spaces

concrete

responsibilities concept, interior design & styling
team rob wagemans, maarten de geus, melanie knuwer, manon pol, ulrike lehner, ayca dogan, bart de beer, murk wymenga, sofie ruytenberg, femke zumbrink, jolijn vonk

partners & collaborators

client zoku international, nl 
architect pca architecture, fr
photography ewout huibers

awards

2016 
winner | European Hotel Design Awards - best bedrooms & bathrooms
winner | European Hotel Design Awards - best lobby, lounge & public areas
winner | Entree Awards - best hotel concept
winner | Finest Interior Awards - best hotel apartment
finalist | Gold Key Awards - best guest room midscale
finalist | Gold Key Awards - best eco-conscious or socially conscious hotel 

2017 
winner |  Big Sleep Awards - best game changer