Internationally acclaimed for its work in graphic and motion design, Dutch studio thonik has turned its hand to architecture in the form of a new multipurpose building in Amsterdam. Designed by thonik’s co-founder Thomas Widdershoven in collaboration with Arjan van Ruyven of MMX Architects, the studio’s first foray into three-dimensional design is a striking building home to a sake bar, a Japanese restaurant, thonik’s offices and an event space open to Amsterdam’s creative community.Echoing the striking striped facade, the interior has many graphic-led features including a staircase with a bold pink pattern, a series of bespoke rugs designed by thonik and a beautiful tapestry/acoustic wall created by Dutch designer Simone Post.“Designing and building your own workspace is still an experimental alternative in the current economic reality,” explains Thomas Widdershoven. “For thonik it meant operating within a tangle of rules and constraints and having to soften up institutions and experts to get the right support. And it required a completely different attention span to a communications campaign. In fact, the process, from start to finish, took 12 long years.”“We couldn’t have done it without Arjan van Ruyven of MMX Architects, who proved to be an ideal sparring partner,” continues Widdershoven. “We put so much care and attention into the design,” says Nikki Gonnissen, thonik’s co-founder, who was in charge of the interiors alongside Widdershoven. “A building is not like a poster, it has a much longer lifespan.” Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 01 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 02 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 11 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 03 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 04 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 05 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 06 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 07 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 08 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 09 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 10 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 12 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 13 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 14 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 15 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 16 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 17 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 18 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 19 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 20 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 21 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 22 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 23 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 24 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 25 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 26 Studio Thonik Amsterdam Thomas Widdershoven Mmx Architects Photo Ossip Yellowtrace 27 Celebrating thonik’s graphic roots, the lines on the facade refer to Mexcellent, a typeface designed for the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. The combination of horizontals, verticals and diagonals attests to radical simplicity. The graphic cladding consists of 10 mm panels of Trespa® Meteon® Lumen mounted directly on to the insulation material.“This sheeting consists of impregnated paper produced by a company in Weert in the southeast of the Netherlands – so it’s truly Dutch manufacturing,” says Widdershoven. “Trespa® is undervalued as a construction material yet it outperforms traditional brick. It is light, fully recyclable and has an undeniable graphic quality.”The mixed-use development is home to thonik’s new office space arranged over two floors alongside a sake bar on the ground floor leading to a Japanese Omakase restaurant on the first floor. An event space dubbed ‘the thonik loft’ is located on the top floor and a rooftop terrace, open to the public, offers 360-degree views over Amsterdam’s inner city and the financial district.The large windows make Studio thonik stand out from its neighbours, welcoming curious pedestrians inside. An external staircase, balconies and corner windows project onto the street, connecting the interior and exterior. Studio thonik is an all-electric and zero-emission building – its floor-to-ceiling windows are triple-glazed and layered with a special UV coating while the indoor temperature is regulated with an air source heat pump. The space also features additional solar and wind energy, high-quality insulation and smart ventilation. [Images courtesy of Thonik. Photography ©️ Ossip.] Share the love:FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPinterest Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ