Inntel Hotels Zaandam

The city of Zaandam has been working on a new centre - Inverdan - for some years now. The city’s urban development plan stipulates that any designs for new buildings must reflect the character of the area straddling the river Zaan. Various unusual buildings have been constructed over recent years, but Inntel Hotels Zaandam Amsterdam really stands out. This is a building that not only appeals to the Dutch but also internationally, as it serves as a breathtaking example of the architectural style of the region and will continue to do so for many years to come. Anyone who sees the building gapes in amazement at its exterior, admiring its exceptionally unusual yet harmonious stack of characteristic facades, each with its own features. Anyone taking a closer look will be able to count a total of 68 house fronts, each one on top of another.

A great deal of attention was paid to engineering in advance of the building project in order to ensure that everything was done properly. For example, the construction had to be windproof and waterproof.

Construction method

The skeleton of the building consists of a combination of cast-in-situ concrete walls and columns on the lower floors and prefab walls for the vertical structure. Wide slabs were used for the floors. The exterior walls are made up of prefab timber-frame construction elements, finished with Eternit cladding. Metal stud walls were used for the interior, with a great deal of care having been paid to the construction of walls and joints in order to meet the requirements of organisations including the fire brigade and to comply with sound insulation requirements.

Building above a busy road

The conference rooms and other generally accessible spaces that are part of the hotel were built above a provincial road. As this is a very important thoroughfare and needed to remain in continual use, a full logistic plan was drawn up so that the work could be carried out in a carefully planned and safe way.