SLA has redesigned the former naval base in the heart of Amsterdam. Building 27E, which used to train sailors, will be the venue for European Council meetings, as the Kingdom of the Netherlands has been selected to chair the EU Council for the first half of 2016.
Work on the project began in June 2014. First, SLA specialists had to strip the three-story building down to a concrete skeleton, and then cover it with glass-fiber-reinforced concrete panels. Triple double-glazed windows were installed in the huge (3.5x3.5 m) window openings, and for one of the facades multilayer window frames were provided, which in their geometry resemble the flags of European countries. Acetylated wood served as the material for their manufacture. On the other side of the building, three rows of windows were left uncovered.
The renovated building is adjacent to the Museum of Shipping and
The NEMO Museum, designed by Renzo Piano. For a long time, the territory of the naval base was closed to civilians, and not so long ago it was decided to turn the security facility into a public space. The renovation of Block 27E was the first step towards this goal. The sailors will completely leave their base in 2018.
