Building for the future

"If you work well with all involved, you see that you can carry out very complex work with great pleasure." According to Project Manager Gerwin Port of Salverda Bouw, this certainly applies to one of the largest and most complex renovations of the Heineken Experience. For this, the company worked closely with Ideal Projects, which had a designing role and is responsible for project and process management.

"We work with established partners on special projects," says Port. "These projects have become bigger and more complex. This is precisely why it is important to see the same dot on the horizon and not work against each other. Cross-project collaborations ensure that the various parties and individuals know each other's working methods well. The client benefits greatly from this."

Project manager at Ideal Projects Carola Menken: "We have already supervised several renovation projects for Heineken Experience. Because of its work on the Anne Frank House, Salverda also came our way. We are pulling together to further develop and design the building." According to Menken, this is a challenge. "The building has a rich history. In addition, the diversity of building parts from different construction years also plays a role. The building is partly monumental and is located on Stadhouderskade, surrounded by residents."

Indoor entrance and improved routing

As with the Anne Frank House, the safety of waiting visitors is another reason for the (re)construction work at Heineken Experience. "More and more visitors are coming to the Heineken Experience and leaving them on the pavement is not desirable or welcoming," Menken said. The horse stable in the courtyard has been demolished to make way for a new entrance area. Visitors can enter the new indoor entrance area without a ticket and visit the Store, even without taking the regular tour. "Internally, good routing was missing, which we are now improving," he says.   

Strengthening character

Architect Marlies Boterman: "It's a very nice assignment. The buildings already have a lot of character, thanks to the boilers and silos, for example. We want to strengthen the characteristics in each building section. For instance, the boilers will be restored and allowed to be seen more. Visitors even walk through one boiler. In the brewhouse, we looked for tiles that match the old ones. The new part is more modern, so you clearly experience which building part you are in." Salverda has ensured a realistic plan in which quality is maintained. Heineken itself is also closely involved and the Heineken colours green and red can be seen everywhere.

"We are dealing with a lot of factors here," says Port. "The Heineken Experience remains open and there are a lot of local residents." Salverda is doing all it can to limit the inconvenience. "There are weekly consultations with stakeholders to be able to respond quickly to complaints." Ideal Projects is very happy with the cooperation. Boterman: "I am very happy with the attitude of Salverda, which actively thinks along and goes for quality. That makes the project more enjoyable and leads to a nicer result. We are also very proud of the craftsmen and craftswomen doing the work. Their craftsmanship is going to be reflected."