Contract - May 2014 - 107

By Michael Webb
Photography by
Matthijs van Roon

BarentsKrans
Hofman Dujardin Architects transforms
an office block into an open, bright
headquarters for a Dutch law firm
Michiel Hofman, co-principal of Hofman Dujardin Architects, has
a simple take on the interiors his Amsterdam firm creates for its private
and government clients: "We don't want to overpower people with
design; it should just work well and feel good," he says. "The clients
should even have the idea they could have done it themselves." That
commonsense approach won the firm the commission to transform
a four-story 1950s office block in The Hague into a new, light, and
airy headquarters for the prestigious BarentsKrans law firm.
Letting light in
The 56,000-square-foot building had previously been leased by the
Ministry of Justice and contained a warren of offices divided by two
central light wells. As Hofman recalls, the light wells "were the only
distinctive feature of the building, but they were sealed off and looked
awful. We saw the potential to open them up and connect them."
The architects called for turning the light wells into atriums
surrounded by balconies on the three upper levels. That simple move
gave the building a heart, provided abundant natural light, and fulfilled
the client's goal of bringing all 150 employees together, centrally. One
of the atriums contains a library with long worktables and bookshelves;
the other serves as a coffee bar with high stools for staff and visitors.
This area hosts happy hours on Friday evenings, encouraging a mix
of work and play.
"We needed far more space for seminars, business events, and
social interaction," says Cosima Stroeve, BarentsKrans's director of
operations. "We wanted a fresh look with a warm, friendly feel."
The welcoming tone of the office is set by the elliptical, light-oak
reception desk inside the entry, and the dramatic black steel staircase
that spirals up to the fifth-level penthouse. Hofman calls this helix "the
DNA of the building" and justified the cost and difficulty of installation
by explaining to the client that it would ensure the central meeting
areas were fully used. He was proved right: Most BarentsKrans
employees prefer this vertical link to the elevators and conventional
staircases at the front and back of the building.
The low-ceilinged reception area is furnished with Vitra
sofas and a changing selection of art rented from a private gallery,

and serves as a portal to the soaring volumes on either side. "In
architecture, there are four things people are looking for," Hofman
says. "They need to breathe, so there has to be air and light; they crave
protection and quietness; they want to be in touch, and, on occasion, to
be surprised. They constantly seek a balance of these four elements."
Open plan versus private offices
When designing space for a respected law firm, the challenge is
to balance innovation and legacy-without mistaking legacy for
stodginess. "We tossed tradition into a ravine," Stroeve says. "What
matters to us is that the office works as well as it looks." Hofman was
surprised to discover that older staff members were in favor of an open
plan that would encourage people to work in teams, while the younger
lawyers were looking for the status of a private office.
After much discussion, it was agreed that partners would have
individual, glass-fronted rooms to achieve a mix of transparency and
enclosure, and associates would share a double. Each was invited to
choose chairs, finishes, lamps, and colors from a menu the architects
compiled, and to make their own choice of art. Clerical staff members
work in flexible workstations. "I would have welcomed more diversity,
but the client wanted rooms that would work for new partners when
the old ones left," Hofman says.
The neutral tones of the walls and marble floors are warmed by
the extensive use of oak and other natural woods, especially at the core,
and upholstery adds splashes of bright color. Bands of acoustic plaster
and perforated ceilings absorb sound in the atriums and open meeting
areas. There is an easy flow of space up and across, so that users feel
they are moving through one expansive cocoon, sheltered from the
elements but open to the sky. c

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Contract - May 2014

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