Kossmann.dejong has designed the completely new interior of Lounge 2 at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. An international distinctive lounge, where travellers can relax, meet each other and where special storytelling design features deliver a surprising experience. The interior design of Lounge 2 is fully interwoven with the architectural design, which is created by Benthem Crouwel NACO, the supervision architects of Schiphol.
Immediately upon entering the lounge via the new entrance on the second floor, visitors have a phenomenal view on the platform, with taxiing, ascending and descending aeroplanes. At the same time, one can easily orientate oneself onto the 16,000 m2 space.
The design of the lounge comprises seven different thematic worlds surrounding a central square. The themes include Luxury, Family, Travel & Culture, Modern Dutch, See Buy Fly, Fashion & Lifestyle and Care & Wellness. Each thematic area contains integrated elements that include retail, food and drink, services and seating areas. Characteristic materials and details provide each area with its own distinct atmosphere and identity. Travellers will automatically be attracted to certain worlds and intuitively find their way without specific signage. The floor of large concrete tiles and the black-slatted ceiling combined with sustainable LED strips form the 'glue' that holds all different elements together.
The brief was to also make Lounge 2 into a 'social lounge,' with surprising elements and places for relaxed encounters. "We've tried to take the interior design of Lounge 2 to a next level through the integral design of interior and architecture together with Benthem Crouwel NACO architects," explained Herman Kossmann, creative director of Kossmann.dejong. "We've also added an extra layer to the interior by emphasizing storytelling. A wide range of exciting objects, like the monumental video clock by Dutch designer Maarten Baas, hordes of ceramic cows, real trees and a spectacular play object in the shape of a large aeroplane, offer surprising experiences, food for discussion and possibilities to meet each other. These storytelling elements provoke a lasting experience and make Lounge 2 part of the travel adventure."
Photography: Thijs Wolzak