interview - wtc amsterdam · restaurant with all different kinds of things - sate or curries,...

E V E RY T H I N G W T C A M S T E R DA M - S U M M E R 2 0 1 7

INTERVIEW‘If we do nothing, Zuidas

will seize up,’ says Zuidasdok director

HANS VERSTEEGEN

SUMMER FUNTips to make the most of the Zuidas sun

AT YOUR SERVICEPart 2: From Thai noodles to a cheese roll to go

CAUGHT ON CAMERABusiness club events, ArtZuid and the Zuidas Run

S T R A W I N S K Y L A A N

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Z U I DP L E I N

Podium B

Podium A

Podium E

Garden

Central Hall Podium D

Hotel

Lobby H/I

Level 3

A10

Conference center

D1 D2 D3I G B

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Tower D planning updateNext year, work will start on a major expansion plan for WTC Amsterdam, adding 32,000 square metres to the complex.

The new tower will be built on the corner of the Strawinskylaan and the Beethovenstraat. The development, now going through the planning approval process, will be incorporated into D tower which will undergo a major renovation

process at the same time. The new space will be mainly used for offices but is set to include state-of-the-art facilities including a roof-top bar on the 22nd floor. The redevelopment work also includes expanding the car park into what is the current conference centre. The new-look car park will still take 1,200 cars but

the space per car will be increased.

E X P A N S I O N

2 WTC TODAY - SUMMER 2017

TimelineDEFINITIVE

DESIGN: SEPTEMBER

2017

START CAR PARK EXPANSION:

END 2017

START BUILDING: EARLY 2018

COMPLETION: MID 2020

New D tower facilitiesHotel 6,000 m2

Conference Center 2,000 m2

Hospitality 500 m2

Rooftop bar and club 1,000 m2

Bike park 1,000 places

As everyone’s thoughts begin to turn towards their

summer holidays, I am about to become much busier

in the coming months, now that I have been privileged

enough to be elected to the board of the worldwide World

Trade Center Association (WTCA). I am particularly

pleased to be part of the organisation at a time when the

WTCA is working hard to boost interaction and synergy

between the member WTCs. WTC is a strong brand but

we have to do more to improve the homogeneity between

the approaches to the brand and concept in different parts

of the world.

At the same time, I have been chairman of the Dutch

WTC association for more than a year now and hope to

use this role to boost networking opportunities between all

the local members. I believe a WTC is more than just a

building with various amenities. If you have any thoughts

on this, you are welcome to share them.

Here in Amsterdam, work is continuing on our plans to

expand with a new tower. You can find out more about

the timeline for this on page 2. I’m also delighted that so

many of you were able to attend the launch party for the

new look lobby between H and I towers in May. The lobby

is already proving a popular place to hold impromptu

WTC NEWSLobby H/I opening

SUMMER IN ZUIDASWTC worker tips on where to go

ZUIDAS NEWSA bike tour and going green

CAUGHT ON CAMERAOut and about at WTC events

DIARY DATESWhat’s on this summer

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WTC RETAILPart 2 of our services round-up

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S U M M E R

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meetings or enjoy a quick coffee, and I’m sure we will be

able to say the same when the central hall revamp itself

gets underway after the summer.

I’m also pleased at the way the contractor for the

Zuidasdok project (ZuidPlus) has been able to find

solutions for many of our objections during the design,

construction and planning. The construction work

will dominate in Zuidas for around 10 years, but I am

enthusiastic about the revised plan as it now stands, even

though it will be a massive project and cause disruption

from time to time. You can read an interview with the

man in charge, Hans Versteegen, on page 8.

As part of our efforts to get more people to leave their

cars at home, I am pleased that over 100 WTC workers

have taken advantage of the Zuidaspas scheme, which

allowed them to use alternative modes of transport

from March to June, paid for by the Zuidasdok

organisation. We need to get 1,500 people out of their

cars at rush our to keep Zuidas moving.

In one more piece of good news, Liesbeth Rinsema will

be strengthening the management team as our new

marketing and communications manager in July.

Liesbeth has a strong background in the property sector,

having worked for both a major property portfolio

manager and in hotels and I am sure she will be an asset

to WTC Amsterdam.

In the meantime, if you have no plans to get away in

the next couple of months, check out some of your fellow

WTC workers’ suggestions for making the most of

summer in Zuidas on page 6. If you do have plans, I wish

you all a great holiday.

Christiaan Huijg, Managing DirectorWorld Trade Center Amsterdam

INTERVIEWZuidasdok director Hans Versteegen

WTC TODAY - SUMMER 2017 3

C O N T E N T S

OPEN FOR BUSINESSFive new people have joined the board at the WTC’s own business club this year and are full of plans to boost the role of the organisation and come up with more great events to suit all tastes: Jouke Baa-ima (director of the Corporate Housing Factory), Katja Kok-Keizer (business director Van Lanschot - Kempen), Chris van Hattum (director NDI), Nynke de Ruiter (from the Amsterdam RAI exhibition centre and Jean-Pierre Spierts (director asset development at CBRE Global Investors). You can catch them in action at the first event after the summer, the Ryder Cup golf tournament between WTC Am-sterdam and WTC Schiphol on September 29. WTCAMSTERDAMBUSINESSCLUB.COM

IN Amsterdam in I towerAmsterdam city’s Expatcenter has a new name and a new location within the WTC. Now named IN Amsterdam (International Newcomers Amster-dam), the centre has moved to double offices in I tower, where it shares the premises with the city’s Amsterdam InBusiness department. Last year, the Expatcenter dealt with over 12,000 new arrivals and expects to help even more people this year. IN Amsterdam also has a new director, Els Bosma, who has spent many years as an expat herself. WWW.IAMSTERDAM.COM/EN/IN-AMSTERDAM

The new look lobby for I and H towers was formally opened last month and is already proving a popular place to sit and talk with friends and colleagues. Lots of wood, comfy chairs, and flamboyant lighting, have made the lob-by a much warmer and more welcoming place to be. Work is set to start on central hall’s revamp in the late summer.


W T C N E W S

From corporate life to acupuncture

THE ITALIAN JOBA facelift for the WTC Conference CenterThe Office Operators (TOO), who are now running the WTC Conference Center, will start work on modernising the complex within the next few weeks. The 11 rooms and the main spaces will get new furniture, flooring and accessories – TOO have already added Nespresso coffee machines. The lobby will be spruced up with a bar while We Canteen will cater lunches in the new back area food court. ‘We’re carrying out the work in stages to minimize the disruption to clients who have already booked meetings,’ manager Nienke Weeber says. THEOFFICEOPERATORS.COM

The latest healthcare provider to set up shop in the WTC is Lilymint Acu-puncture, run by English native Nicola Allen. Nicola spent 12 years working in the corporate world before deciding to switch track and retrain as an acu-puncturist. ‘The human body is amazing and I’ve always been intrigued by how it works, particularly the muscles and the brain,’ she says. Acupuncture, which can be used for a wide variety of conditions, involves inserting tiny needles into specific points on the body to affect the flow of your body’s qi, or vital energy. Find out more via WWW.LILYMINT.NL

Fans of Corso Como will be pleased to hear that the Italian food concept will be remaining in WTC for a little longer – albeit under a new name and management. Plans to replace Corso Como with a Vietnamese-styled eatery this summer have been delayed a while, to allow all the other new catering establishments within the WTC to settle down first.

ANIMAL MAGICYvonne Visser’s warm and friendly animal sculptures are currently bringing a smile to the faces of people moving through central hall. ‘My sculptures are about life itself,’ says Yvonne, who studied in Maastricht and Groningen. ‘The human being is central in my work, though I use animals to personify the human form.’ The works are for sale and the exhibition runs until Sep-tember 1. WWW.YVONNEVISSER.NL


W T C N E W S

JAN KLOET, RICARDO KAIJER AND ASHWORA WILLIAMMICHAEL BAILEY ASSOCIATESASHWORA After work, we just have a drink, that’s about it. Ox & Bucks is good.RICARDO It’s become a bit of a ritual since I started working here, but after work on Fridays we start at Ox & Bucks and then we move on somewhere else.JAN I just started working here a few days ago, so it’s all rather new but, like these gentlemen said, the bars are the place to be. It’s nice to start at one and then head somewhere else - usually the Blauwe Engel. But then, I’m still finding my way around.

It’s terrace time!

The sun is out and summer is really upon us, but where to go in Zuidas to make the most of the sunshine? We

asked WTC workers for their top tips on what to do in your lunch break or

after work in the summer months.ASHA VAN VEEN, FLOOR HAGERS AND ROMY SIPKESMICHAEL BAILEY ASSOCIATESROMY When it’s lovely weather it’s nice to escape the crowd and head to the [Beatrix] park. It’s only two minutes walk and it’s very peaceful. FLOOR I like to eat outside somewhere sunny, so I’ll go to the park, or sometimes just sit here next to the flowerbeds. ASHA If it’s really warm, it’s great here, you can really chill and enjoy the heat. After work, hang on one of the terraces.

PAULA BAKER W.P. CAREY & CO AND MARTHA ROOHMAHER FRESHFIELDS BRUCKHAUS DERINGERPAULA I really like Bambou, it’s a lunchroom and I think you can go there for dinner too. It’s on the other side of the station. It’s an Asian restaurant with all different kinds of things - sate or curries, everything you’d like in terms of Asian food. You can’t sit outside there, though it would be great it that was possible. If you want to sit outside then Lemon is good, it’s a nice place for lunch. MARTHA I like to go to Market 33, also on the other side of the station. It has a few seats outside. I like to sit out on the square here too with my sandwich.


V O X P O P U L I

MARJAN NIEUWENHUISGEMEENTE AMSTERDAM - ZUIDASMost of the time I have lunch at We Canteen with my colleagues and sometimes I bring my food outside. We Canteen is a good addition to the place. I have a smoothie and a sandwich but you can also have hot food.

ARNO VAN GRONDELLE PROPERTYEUEveryone wants to be outside with this weather. There are lots of things to do. You’ve got all the café terraces or you can have a walk in the park. I prefer to just sit outside and relax. If the weather is good then everyone comes out, and I love to watch the world go by. This is a great environment. It’s a special part of Amsterdam.

RODNEY BROWN ASAHI INTECCGet out and enjoy the sun. We come down here to Corso Como and have a beer there on a Friday. Otherwise I usually go to We Can-teen for lunch. It’s nice.

LAURA MENSINGHBANK OF NEW YORK MELLONI’ll go to the food hall. I like the way it has dif-ferent stuff, Thai food, American donuts, sate, lots of exotic things. Then, of course, I like to eat outside if it’s possible.

VALENTINA GHERMANDARWIN RECRUITMENTI’ve noticed that when the weather is beautiful, everyone is outside drinking, hanging around and having something to eat. And on Friday evening there is the Blauwe Engel, and everyone is dancing, it’s like a club. Everyone is together. There is no hierarchy on the dance floor!

ROB VAN GOOL AND NIELS DE BIS ANNEXUMROB Yesterday it was rainy but today I’m taking the opportunity to be outside. The ter-races here are nice. The Blauwe Engel is the favourite but if you go to the other side [of the station] there are also nice places to have a drink after work.NIELS I don’t have a favourite place in par-ticular. I just like to get out in the sun.


PHOTOGRAPHY: ANNE LAKEMAN


I N T E R V I E W

Hans Versteegen

WANTS TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR

Next year, construction work starts on the Zuidasdok project, which will see the district’s road and railway connections completely overhauled over a 10 year period.

‘It’s all about location,’ says Hans Versteegen, director of the Zuidasdok project, the massive civil engineering project which runs through the heart of Zuidas. Situated on central hall, the Zuidasdok visitors centre overlooks the railway track and highway which will be the centre of Hans’ life for the next few years at least. Visitors who enter the premises are confronted with a massive scale model showing Zuidas as it is now with grey blocks indicating offices and residential blocks which have yet to be built. By 2028, the road which runs through the Netherlands’ biggest business district will be underground.

CONNECTED‘If you are working on a project like this, you have to be at the heart of it,’ Hans says, gesturing to a wall covered with a massive aerial photograph of Zuidas. ‘Here we are connected to the project with the people who work here and will be af-fected, and you can walk outside and see what is going on.’Hans studied mining engineering at Delft Uni-versity of Technology, and after a spell work-ing in Suriname and South Africa, he joined the Dutch civil service, at what was then the min-istry of transport and public works. Since then, he has been involved in some of the country’s biggest projects, including the development of

the Betuwe freight-only railway track to Ger-many. Today, Hans is the man at the centre of the Zuidasdok project on behalf of the revamped transport ministry, now known as the ministry of infrastructure and the environment. Zuidasdok is a joint project between national and local government and Dutch state-owned railway company ProRail. The plan involves widening the southern part of the A10 ring road from four to six lanes in each direction and placing it partly

underground, as well as expanding the station into an important regional hub.The A10 ring road is one of the busiest in the country and the original plans for the project en-visaged putting both the road and the railway un-derground. That floundered because of the cost. ‘But doing nothing is not an option,’ Hans says. ‘There are already traffic jams here. With more housing and offices in the planning, Zuidas is continuing to grow as an area. If we do nothing, Zuidas will seize up.’

MOBILITYThe need to tackle mobility in Zuidas is some-thing everyone agrees on, even the biggest critics of the Zuidasdok project. The WTC, which bor-ders the area where much of the work will take place, was one of a group of local interest groups who lodged objections to part of the plans with the Council of State, the country’s highest ad-ministrative court. The objections may have been thrown out, but for Hans and his team, minimis-ing disruption is still a key part of the contract negotiations.‘You cannot realise a project like this unless you take everyone into account,’ says Hans. ‘This is a special location and the work will cause some noise. A very diverse group of people are in-volved and everyone has their own ideas. The

Zuidasdok, key dates

2017-2018 Completion of preliminary design and preparatory work

2019 Start of tunnel construction, widen-ing A10, expanding station and changing key junctions

2021 – 2022 The station will get a new passage connecting both sides of Zuidas

2024-2026 The existing Minerva passage will be widened

2024-2026 The tunnels for the A10 will be completed

2025-2027 Expansion and redevelop-ment of Station Zuid will be completed

2028 Completion of Zuidasdok


people who commute to Zuidas say we should make sure the work takes place outside rush hour. The people who live here say it should be done during the day. We’re working basically in a space the size of a postage stamp.’The contract for the €1bn project was awarded in January to a consortium of civil engineering groups named ZuidPlus (consisting of Heijmans, Fluor and Hochtief). And Hans is pleased that he has managed to take many of the demands made by Zuidas workers and residents into account, in particular on noise and on minimising vibrations. For example, access to the site will take place on specially-constructed roads, so that the trucks and diggers do not get in the way of ordinary traffic. There will be a central distribution point for equipment and materials, and there will be no pile driving to place the foundations. In addition, the contractors have been told to keep the site or-ganised and tidy, so that people feel less like they are working in a building site.Logistically, it is a puzzle to put all the pieces to-gether. The development will be done in phases because, for example, the new-look Zuidas rail-way station cannot be completed until the road has been placed underground. But the road, of course, cannot be moved until the tunnel has been built. By 2022, he hopes that everyone will be able to appreciate the first improvements.

COMMUNICATION‘Of course, there will still be some disruption,’ Hans says. ‘This is a massive project and it is a crucial one to ensure that this location can con-tinue to grow.’ Part of winning public acceptance for the project has been communication, he says. ‘Communication is crucial… we want people to trust us. We want to be a good neighbour.’Zuidas, he points out, has been growing continu-ally since 1995. Will it ever be finished? ‘When the space runs out,’ he laughs. ‘But, officially, the ambition is to boost the number of people who actually live here, and make into more of a mixed-use neighbourhood.’As a child, Hans says he loved creating tunnels and digging holes deep into a sandpit. As a min-ing engineer, it was all about explosions and lots of noise. Zuidasdok, he says, is quite the opposite. ‘We have to be as quiet and as smooth as possible.’ If you want to find out more about the Zuidasdok project, drop into the visitors’ centre on central hall or check out the website WWW.AMSTERDAM.NL/ZUIDAS/ZUIDASDOK

‘ IF YOU ARE WORKING ON

A PROJECT LIKE THIS, YOU HAVE

TO BE AT THE HEART OF IT . ’

AH TO GOFind everything you could want for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the AH to go store on the Zuidplein:

from fresh fruit juices, croissants and yoghurt, to healthy salads, stir-fries and single-portion

microwave meals. The self-service cash desks mean the service is quick and easy, even if you are racing to

get to a meeting on time, or catch a train.WWW.AH.NL

CAFFE BELMONDOCaffe Belmondo is a real Zuidplein institution thanks to its traditional Italian coffee and its shady outside terrace. The café offers counter service so you can

choose from the wide range of coffees on offer that are freshly prepared while you wait. Filled rolls, toasted sandwiches, muffins and cakes, and fresh

fruit juices complete the menu line-up. WWW.CAFFEBELMONDO.NL

EETWINKEL ZWAANThe idea behind Eetwinkel Zwaan is simple. Pick your meal from the menu, pick up the ingredients at the counter and take them home where you can

whip up a gourmet meal in a matter of minutes. You can also eat on the premises or call on the Zwaan team to cater high-end lunches and dinners when

you’ve got important guests in the office.WWW.EETWINKELZWAAN.NL

There is a lot more to the WTC complex than offices.

Here’s part two of our round-up of WTC service providers, with a focus on

food and drink on Zuidplein.

The WTC as a high street


Next issue, part three of our round-up of all the facilities on offer within the

WTC, from a hotel to childcare.

S E R V I C E P R O V I D E R S

BROODBAKKERIJ SIMON MEIJSSEN

The Simon Meijssen bakery group was founded over 100 years ago but has a popular shop in the WTC as well. The bakery opens at 7am, so you can pick

up a quick breakfast. The store carries a wide range of traditional and luxury bread as well as a tempting

range of sweet and savoury specialities.WWW.SIMONMEIJSSEN.NL

WINEBOUTIQUE & SPIRITS

You can find top quality wines for all occasions as well as a wide variety of international spirits at Zuidplein specialists Wineboutique & Spirits. From a supple

Argentine red for a quiet evening at home, to a premium Bordeaux Mouton Rothschild for that special occasion,

the shop’s experts will be happy to help. WWW.WINEBOUTIQUE.EU

UNDERGROUND BIKE PARK

It can be a struggle to find a space on sunny days, but the underground bike park offers

direct access to the WTC, making it a safe and convenient place to leave your trusty two-

wheeler. You can also have your bike repaired or pick up some spare lights when you are heading home from the office after dark.

WAGAMAMAThe WTC’s own branch of the popular chain

of informal noodle restaurants. Join in at one of the long tables and try out the extensive menu

of noodles or rice, meat, fish and vegetarian dishes, fresh fruit juices, wine and Japanese beer. Wagamama WTC offers a delivery service via Deliveroo if you are working late at the office.

WWW.WAGAMAMA.NL


ART WALKPHOTOS: MIRYAM FAKEN

WTC Amsterdam Business Club and the Hello

Zuidas organisation held a joint event to mark

the start of the fifth edition of the ArtZuid

show in June. Welcome drinks were served by

AkzoNobel at their offices, after which the 130

delegates were given a guided tour around a

selection of the 60 exhibits in this year’s show.

E V E N T S


100 DAYS OF TRUMP PHOTOS: MIRYAM FAKEN

WTC Amsterdam Business Club marked the first 100 days of Donald Trump as US president with a riveting discussion on his performance so far, led

by TV presenter Marianne Zwagerman. The panel was made up of Wouter Paardekooper (president of Amcham and Baker McKenzie partner), Roland van Marlen (Trade Associate WTC Eindhoven, and partner MCSM services), former Telegraaf journalist Jan-Kees Emmer, Annemarie de Jong (managing partner

Better Future) and John Adams Institute director and NRC journalist Tracy Metz.

ZUIDAS RUNPHOTOS: RIENK TOORMAN

Hundreds of runners, families and friends took part in this year’s 2017

Zuidas Run on June 11, including several teams from the WTC. This year’s run was

raising money for the VUmc research programme ‘Train the MS Brain’.


E V E N T S

BREAKFAST MEETINGCEOs in Zuidas are doing their bit to go green as well. In total, the 17 CEOs who are members of the Green Business Club Zuidas have just signed a dec-laration pledging to use electric taxis as much as possible when they have to travel by car from A to B. There are plenty of taxis in Zuidas but the number of electric vehicles is still low. One measure which will help is the city coun-cil’s plan to set up four super-fast charging stations on the Strawinskylaan.

Z U I D A S N E W S

Summer food specialAt this year’s Zuidas Culinair Zomerfeest on June 30 you can not only sam-ple the best food that Zuidas has to offer – think Bolenius, Ox & Bucks and Corso Como, as well as the WTC regulars – but you can also put on your dancing shoes for the traditional Blauwe Engel summer party. This year’s performers on Zuidplein include Verheij & Friends featuring Zosja, classic soul hits with the CPG Divas, DJ Theo and more..

How green is Zuidas?The fifth edition of the Zuidas Sustainability Report gives the low down on being green and is full of facts about the progress being made on boosting the district’s environmental credentials. And if you’ve got green plans in your office, the report’s compilers would like to hear from you for the 2017 edition. So if you want to show off how green you are – think boosting mobility, cutting waste and saving energy - get in touch. Contact [email protected]

RIDE WITH MECycle through Zuidas and discover hidden secrets with the aid of a helpful new guide. The route takes you past the marinas on the edge of the Nieuwe Meer; then to the stadium that hosted the Olympics in 1928; the Rietveld art school; some of Amsterdam’s most iconic buildings; and the VU University’s secret oasis, the botanical gardens. Pick up the brochure with map at the Hello Zuidas office, near the main WTC Zuidplein entrance. IMAGE: ROOS STALLINGA


D A T E S F O R Y O U R D I A R YW T C E V E N T S

WTC TODAY is published quarterly by World Trade Center Amsterdam. You can also download WTC Today from the website www.wtcamsterdam.com. WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO WTC TODAY? Please email [email protected].

TEXT Zuidas Text and Translations PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY Anne Lakeman, Miryam FakenDESIGN Vindustries, Ouderkerk a/d Amstel

PRINT Drukkerij Aeroprint, Ouderkerk a/d Amstel. WTC Today is produced in a CO2 neutral production process and printed on 100% FSC certified paper.

CREDITS


FRIDAY, JUNE 30

ZUIDAS CULINAIRGreat food from the best Zuidas eateries, followed by dancing on

Zuidplein until midnight

THROUGHOUT AUGUST

WE CANTEENLearn more about olive oil with olive

sommelier Eric Mesrits

THURSDAY, JULY 21

OX & BUCKSLearn more about cider with the experts at an

evening of cider tasting

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

ART ZUIDYour last chance to wander through the sculpture route throughout Zuid and Zuidas

MONDAY, JULY 25

BOSTHEATERFirst night for Julius Caesar,

this summer’s big show, at the open air theatre in the Amsterdamse Bos

THROUGHOUT JULY

WE CANTEENWorkshops on traditional

Chinese dumplings by Maggie’s Homemade Jiaozi

THURSDAYS IN AUGUST

OX & BUCKSThe WTC Grand Café goes all

American with great beers and hamburgers

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

WTC BUSINESS CLUBDefend the honour of WTC

Amsterdam at this annual golf competition against WTC Schiphol

AUTUMN LEAVESNEXT ISSUE: more on the new tower plans, part three of our facilities round-up, the latest diary events and WTC news

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interview - wtc amsterdam · restaurant with all different kinds of things - sate or curries,...

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