CONTEXT: Westfield Mall of the Netherlands is a first and one of a kind in the Netherlands. With over 280 shops, restaurants, entertainment centers and free parking, it offers visitors a unique mall-experience. Westfield Mall of the Netherlands sets a standard for customer-experience and architectural design that has not been seen before in the Netherlands. Additionally, it benchmarks an ambitious BREEAM sustainability certification through extensive recycling practices, smart lighting systems, the use of 100% renewable energy and underground thermal energy storage.
The store sits at a prime corner location within the heart of the shopping center. The golden wire mesh façade is flanked by two seven meter high entrances that optimize customer flow and that open invitingly towards both the South- and West-sides of the store. The golden wire mesh façade is decorated with a large detail of the tails of the Starbucks Siren. In front of the façade, there sits a curved bench with ten round tables and twenty seats.
The interior café area seats 45 customers. The bar is set diagonally to allow for optimal spatial use and the positioning of a five meter tall merchandise rack at the North-end of the plan. Two bespoke, golden gates are used to close the store in the evening, and which fold away during the daytime. Behind the bar is a functional and spacious back-of-house area, with a staircase leading to an office and employee restroom on the first floor.
TEAM: Alsea Starbucks; Starbucks EMEA; Starbucks Coffee Company Netherlands; Strata Shopfitting Solutions; Taymill Building Engineering Services; Igma Imaging; Retail Bouw Nederland; R4a - Room for Architecture.