SolidNature were recently involved in the craftsmanship of marble cladding and integrated onyx lighting for a series of public spaces at high-end office block, Locatellicade 1, Parnassus Tower in Amsterdam.
Founded in 2011, SolidNature – a brand celebrated for their passion for natural stone and the endless array of possibilities such materials offer – is intent on setting new standards for craftsmanship, design, innovation and construction. Alongside this, the brand champions forward-thinking concepts for refreshingly new, innovative applications for natural stone.
The office block, situated on the edge of Amsterdam’s financial district, is owned by developer Thodev who reconfigured the ground floor of the 1970s tower due to the obstruction of its entrance by another office block. By inserting an additional floor with an inviting new entrance lobby and slick meeting area which links to not only the basement floor but a mezzanine level above via a beautifully crafted spiral staircase, the space immediately feels more cohesive.
Open architects + planners’ interior designer, Joost Mulders was commission to craft a sense of fluidity throughout the interior of the project, especially across the different floors. Cladding the floor of the new lobby in marble, as well as the ceiling of the basement floor, his vision was to create the illusion of a single, massive block of stone for the office build. This elegant marble choice was also applied to the columns, staircase and walls to enhance this idea of a continuous, linked space. Carefully considered vertical lighting was also integrated across the build, not just to conceive a calming ambience but to draw the eye of visitors up to the other levels.
Instinctively opting for a Cream Vanian marble with an elegant, soft hue and subtle white veining on his visit to SolidNature’s showroom, Joost Mulders’ vision not only surpassed traditional options for a building of this kind (the use of natural stone on such a large scale in the Netherlands is rare) but due to the total weight of the marble tiles it required SolidNature to also think outside of the box. In response, the brand calibrated lightweight tiles for the project that were only 5mm thick – compared to the normal 20mm – with an extra-strong honeycombed backing.
Alongside his vision for the marble-clad walls, Joost requested SolidNature to craft an hourglass-shaped repeat pattern for the project’s floor tiles, which would be integrated across all of the different levels, meeting spaces and corridors. After casting his eye across the translucent properties of onyx he replaced the light fittings with strips of Snow Blossom onyx, noting that “the stone itself became the lighting element, and with no visible wires, it created a very clean design. I added a brass strip to animate the stone and add interest.”
In terms of service, SolidNature went above and beyond when it came to their craft. The client and interior designer were invited back to the showroom once the overall design and stones had been approved where, as Joost Mulders’ notes, “they had re-created a section of wall with the onyx lighting strips. The ‘dry lay’ was a complete surprise, and really helped the client to understand the final effect. Making such a big decision with just a couple of small samples is very abstract. This extra service is brilliant.”
Discover more regarding SolidNature’s service and natural stone options here.
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