NIO House Amsterdam offers much more than a traditional car showroom. This experience center, located in an iconic spot on Leidsestraat, redefines what a showroom can be. NIO, a car brand known for its innovative approach, creates a space with NIO Houses where relaxation, co-working spaces, events and exhibitions come together.
The building housing NIO House Amsterdam has a rich history. It was built in 1891 on behalf of the New York Life Insurance Company and designed by architect Jan van Looy. At that time, it was one of the tallest private buildings in Amsterdam. In 1933, the building was expanded with a glass dome, designed by the renowned Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld, known for his influential works in the modernist movement.
Materiaal is een onuitputtelijke bron van kleur, licht, vorm en toepassing. Ontdek de mogelijkheden.
From 1908 to 2012, the building housed the luxury department store Metz & Co. This store was known for its exclusive assortment and elegant interior design. After Metz & Co closed, the building was used by the clothing brand Abercrombie & Fitch, among others. Despite these changes, the historical value of the building was preserved, making it the perfect location for NIO House Amsterdam.
For this special project, MVRDV and Pyrasied collaborated once again after previous successful partnerships. MVRDV, a renowned Dutch architectural firm with global recognition, has experience with both modern and historical buildings. Their portfolio includes iconic projects like Tiffany & Co and the Boijmans van Beuningen Depot. For NIO House Amsterdam, the challenge was to integrate NIO’s modern identity with the rich history of the Metz building.
InteriorPartner De Haas, the executing party, is also no stranger to Pyrasied. They had previously collaborated successfully on the interiors of the KPN stores, a well known Dutch telecom provider. InteriorPartner De Haas is a full-service project agency with its own interior construction factory, where all interior design and production are handled by them.
The NIO House design team devised a palette of materials that gradually becomes cleaner and lighter as one moves higher up in the building, suggesting an atmospheric journey from earth to sky.
NIO House Amsterdam offers a range of facilities that go beyond just selling cars. The showroom is located on the ground floor, while the upper floors house various other functions. There is a café where visitors can relax and enjoy food and drinks, co-working spaces for work and meetings, and areas for exhibitions and events. Luc de Haas from InteriorPartner De Haas is closely involved in the entire project. “Everything you see that is custom-made, even the 3D-printed wall finishes, was engineered and installed by us. This includes fixed elements such as the bar, seating areas, play spaces, as well as the veneered walls on the 2nd floor and the metal-printed walls on the 6th floor.”
For children, there is a special play area called Joy Camp, where they can have fun while their parents explore the rest of the building. Luc mentions: “One of the most beautiful sections, in our opinion, is the 2nd floor. All the walls are made from veneered panels, and there’s a lovely kid’s corner made entirely from felt where children can play safely while their parents work or hold meetings.
Materiaal is een onuitputtelijke bron van kleur, licht, vorm en toepassing. Ontdek de mogelijkheden.
As part of the General Contractor team, InteriorPartner De Haas was responsible for managing the interiors and custom-made elements. “Together with the client and architect, we developed the design into feasible final products,” Luc explains. In the exhibition spaces, they provided the pedestals and cubes, while in other areas, they supplied the coffee tables. Pyrasied, commissioned by InteriorPartner De Haas, delivered these cubes.
Although creating the cubes themselves was not a challenge, applying the mirror film smoothly proved to be a complex task. The panels with film had to be assembled into cubes later, without damaging the film. The material used, 15 mm thick and 100% recycled acrylic, requires experience and precision to bond neatly and bubble-free. This technical finesse contributes to the modern aesthetics and appearance of the exhibition spaces.
But it also brought challenges on other fronts. “The NIO project in Amsterdam was a challenging project. A monumental building in the city center of Amsterdam presents many challenges, where flexibility and creativity were often needed to find solutions. This demanded a lot from our team, but with perseverance and good collaboration, we were able to successfully complete this project and we are proud of the end result.”
NIO House Amsterdam beautifully demonstrates how the old and new can enrich each other. The building, with its rich history and modern interpretation, offers a unique experience that goes beyond a standard car showroom. Whether you come for the cars, the architecture, the events or just to relax, NIO House Amsterdam is definitely worth a visit.
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