Boutique Design - July/August 2016 - 34

3 Zoku Amsterdam is
housed within the
Metropool building at
the Weesperstraat, a
former office building
designed by architect
Arthur Staal that
features a crown at
its top. Guests enter
the building through a
ground-floor lobby with
a lift that takes them
to the crown. That
sixth-floor area houses
all of the hotel's public
spaces, with the living
kitchen at its center
(shown).

PROJECT
PARTICIPANTS
CLIENT

Zoku and Beyond/HotelsAhead:
Hans Meyer, Marc Jongerius
DESIGN FIRM

concrete: Rob Wagemans;
Maarten de Geus; Ulrike
Lehner; Ayca Dogan; Bart
de Beer; Murk Wymenga;
Sofie Ruytenberg; Femke
Zumbrink; Jolijn Vonk;
Cathelijne Vreugdenhil; Matthijs
Hombergen; Jeroen Vester;
Paula Gäbel; Joyce Kelder; Erik
van Dillen
3

ARCHITECT

Mulderblauw architecten
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

THE DESIGN

Traditional hoteliers begin with a floorplan, whereas Zoku's masterminds see it as the end stop. "We started with a blank canvas to
determine how we could generate more value for our guests," says
Meyer. So concrete dove into the design process before a physical
building was in the plans. The result would be a space-saving, loftstyle guest room concept designed to fit into the growing number
of vacant office buildings in urban neighborhoods.
"To be sure Zoku lofts could be implemented in almost any
empty office block, the first principle was that their size should fit
the standard grid size of existing structures," says Wagemans. To
deliver the right residential vibe, the designers lived in a small city
apartment for five days, gathering drill down into the most important functional and emotional aspects a space needs to offer to feel
like home. "Smart functionality was the most important ingredient
for us-nothing more, nothing less," Wagemans notes.
In lieu of reinventing the standard guest room layout, the
designers crafted a distinct section for the accommodations'
secondary zones: an interior module that houses the sleeping
area, a kitchenette, the television and storage in a way that capitalizes on the room's vertical space.
"In this section we could position all the elements into the
room and design with an elevation that is smart and functional,"
explains Wagemans. The kitchen table, which multitasks as a
34

boutiquedesign.com july + august 2016

workspace, became the loft's central component, while the bed
was tucked on top of the module and made accessible via a
retractable staircase.
The firm also added some offbeat touches, such as pull-up
rings, plants and wall art. "During our research, we found that
being playful and having some items that are unconventional
add a sense of synergy and make it easier to identify with these
kinds of spaces in your own home," says Wagemans.
WHAT'S NEXT

Jongerius is leading the global roll-out, acquisition, development,
strategic partnerships and asset management for the brand, but
no specific locales beyond Amsterdam have been disclosed.
"Firstly, we're focusing on European cities with extensive
creative communities that are innovative, tolerant and have a
large international network of travelers," says Meyer. "At the same
time, we are looking at closing partnerships on other continents,
such as North America [specifically in the U.S.]."
Meyer emphasizes that crowdsourcing will continue to play a
major role in the future development of the brand. "The team
calls upon its community to submit locations, buildings and/or
developers they deem fit for a new Zoku," he notes. "The thought
behind this is easy: Who else to better indicate where to build the
next destination than the target audience itself ?" 

Zoku in collaboration
with concrete
GRAPHIC DESIGN

WE ARE Pi

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
(ROOFTOP)

De Dakdokters
GrownDowntown

ACOUSTIC CEILING

OWA

CARPET

ege

FLOORING

Bembé
Bolidt
Modiwood

FURNITURE

Kraud
MEUVIRO Interieurbouw
Muuto
GLASS PARTITION WALLS

MHB

KITCHEN SUPPLIES

Levens

LIGHTING

Artemide
Frandsen Lighting
Inlite
Muuto
TDE-lighttech
ROOM MODULE

Polcom

SIGNAGE

SignWise
http://www.boutiquedesign.com
Boutique Design - July/August 2016

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