City meets work, work meets nature

The move was just a fifteen-minute walk, from the place that Unilever called its home for thirty years. In every other sense, it was a leap. From several office floors to a single one. From a dedicated headquarters to a multi-tenant building. More than just a relocation. It was an opportunity to rethink everything.

Project data

Client

Unilever

Location

Rotterdam

Square

6000 m2

Timeline

April 2024 – May 2025

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Unilever chose the former V&D department store, recently transformed through a successful renovation. Once a showcase for products, the building now houses an organisation that creates them. The office, wrapped around a central atrium, features a striking platform that offers a panoramic view across the entire floor. It is a space that connects, an essential quality in a time where people want to feel connected more than ever.

As architects, we set ourselves two bold objectives: to apply the biophilic design philosophy in an iconic way, and to merge Unilever’s identity seamlessly with the building’s architecture, so that the result feels unmistakably its own.

The outcome: a large-scale open floorplate where clarity and orientation coexist with lush green oases. Standard office clichés, like stand-alone phone booths, are reimagined, hidden in greenery and turned into sculptural elements. Art inspired by nature and animal figures brings a sense of wonder into the daily routine, subtly lifting the ordinary into something memorable. The play of curtains introduces a sense of mystery, with spaces appearing and disappearing with a simple gesture.

Uncompromising in its clarity, bold in its gestures, and unapologetically different from the standard office playbook

The first floor comes to life as an urban hospitality hub: raw and polished elements alternate, as if multiple experiences were carved out of one urban block. Every corner invites discovery: a hair salon, an event bar, a restaurant and flexible meeting rooms. More than amenities, these elements go beyond amenities, they turn the building into a living, breathing destination where work and life naturally intertwine.

And, of course, the Unilever culture resonates everywhere. Countless products, teams that can closely collaborate, and the constant drive for brand expression are integrated in a refined manner. In collaboration with Silo, we embedded these stories through layered graphics and carefully crafted details.

The result is a mature, urban concept. Uncompromising in its clarity, bold in its gestures, and unapologetically different from the standard office playbook.

Project partners: CBRE, Drietech & Verhoef Ingenieursbureau, Silo, LBP Sight, Verwol, Smeulders, Bruinsma, Ahrend, Steegman Elektrotechniek B.V., A. de Jong Installatietechniek, Noordzij Rozenburg, Avex, McArt, Metos