OMA / reinier de graaf's Nhow amsterdam RAI hotel tops out

back in 2015, OMA got the go ahead for its dynamic vision for the new Nhow amsterdam RAI hotel. chosen ahead of 11 other candidates, the OMA / reiner de graaf-designed building illustrates, with an innovative design, the careful merging of the current RAI complex and an updated look. almost four years after, the structure has reached its highest point of construction at a height of 91 meters (almost 300 feet). with 25 floors and 650 hotel rooms, it will be the largest hotel in the benelux.

image by walter herfst, courtesy of OMA

located on the rapidly developing zuidas business district, the OMA / reinier de graaf-designed nhow amsterdam RAI hotel complex includes a restaurant, bar, and a live television studio, providing places for both work as well as entertainment. featuring three unique shifted triangular volumes, the shape draws from the adverting column on europaplein, which was once so prominent on the site, but now has been overtaken by the many office buildings that have been erected in the vicinity. clad mainly in aluminum with a filling of glass panels, the façade is set to become a new highlight in the amsterdam skyline.

image by walter herfst, courtesy of OMA

‘amsterdam taxi drivers are the kind of people who tell you their honest opinion. whenever we pass the RAI Nhow hotel, their unsolicited comments are positive without exception,’ comments lead designer reinier de graaf. ‘as the architect, I take this as a big compliment.’

image courtesy of OMA

image courtesy of OMA

image by frans parthesius, courtesy of OMA

image courtesy of OMA

image courtesy of OMA

image courtesy of OMA

project info: 

status: construction
client: cod (cradle of development)
location: amsterdam, netherlands
site: amsterdam zuidoost, europaboulevard
program: hotel, restaurant, congress, broadcasting studio
partner-in-charge: reinier de graaf, rem koolhaas (competition)
associate in charge: michel van de kar

competition phase

team: 

phase 1: anton anikeev, marc-achille filhol, alain fouraux, mark veldman, peter rieff
phase 2: eugenia bevz, geraldine van dijk, alain fouraux, aris gkitzias, hans larsson, stavros gargaretas, yushang zhang

schematic design
team: marc-achille filhol, alain fouraux, michel van de kar, roza matveeva, jonathan
telkamp

design development
team: ido den boer, paloma bule, katrien van dijk, alain fouraux, michel van de kar, edward
nicholson, lukasz skalec, magdalena stanescu

collaborators
contractor: pleijsierbouw, g&s bouw bv
structure: van rossum raadgevende ingenieurs
mep & vertical circulation: techniplan adviseurs bv
breeam consultant: techniplan adviseurs bv
fire consultant: royal haskoningdhv
acoustic consultant: royal haskoningdhv
bim coordinator: van den berg groep