Our Newest Store in Amsterdam: Mingling Tradition with Innovation
Only a few months ago I was standing with our design team inside a cavernous concrete shell below the beautiful city of Amsterdam. We were inside “The Bank,” a landmark building in Rembrandt Square, and were about to transform the empty 1,400 square foot bank vault into the biggest single space for one of our stores in all of Europe. It had to honor the existing architecture and culture of the city, but is also had to feel just like your neighborhood Starbucks.
We started with a deep study of Dutch design. The Dutch have a strong sensibility of using open spaces with clean lines – a simple aesthetic combined with functional ingenuity. But this is also a culture rich with trade history that influences an inviting, intimate and relaxed old world aesthetic, and no one knows this more than our Dutch-born Concept Design Director Liz Muller and her team in Amsterdam.
It was important to employ local artists and use indigenous materials as much as possible – decisions in direct support of our commitment to sustainable building using LEED practices. Exposed stone walls and repurposed Dutch oak picks up the aged beauty of blue and white Delftware tiles, a local art form dating back to the 16th century, while a cartographic mural celebrates the history of 17th century Dutch coffee traders. And should your eyes wander up, the ceiling features an undulating relief composed of 1,876 hand-cut and stained wooden blocks forming the face of our Siren.
This is a store that breaks new ground for us in Europe. It’s the first store in Europe to feature Starbucks Reserve® coffee via the Clover® brewing system, and our first store equipped with its own in-house bakery. The experience that is brought to life in this store - new design aesthetics, amplified coffee theater, and the depth of connection to the culture of this place – sets the stage for our future across Europe.
“My vision was to bring the space to life by celebrating local history and tradition,” says Liz, “while looking to the future by giving it a sense of theatre and discovery.”
Next time your travels bring you to Amsterdam, we invite you to stop in and explore this innovative coffeehouse – a place where history and possibility merge into one.
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Yea for Starbucks - I travel to Europe from Alaska at least once a year or more and I look forward to visitng the newest Amsterdam store - thank you. When will the European stores ever accept the Starbucks card - it would be a great help.
Hoera! Schitterend!, as we say in Dutch.
I'm a Dutch citizen partner living in Los Angeles. I came across this article while looking over my Sbux card account. What a store this is, I can't wait to visit next time I'm in Holland.
Well done, Liz Muller. Gefiliciteerd en succes d'r mee!
We were just in Amsterdam and lo and behold, there was Starbucks. Yippee!
This is a great move for Starbucks! It has such a warmer, local hangout spot feel to it than the vast majority of them here in the US. But it still has a stylish and contemporary feel to it that has usually become synonomous with the company. Well done Starbucks, and I must say that if you recreated a similar feel in all our stores in America your stores would be very busy all day long, not just mainly during the morning commute.
I live near Amsterdam.....New York. When I saw the headline, I was all excited to think that there was going to be a new store there, until I saw that it was Amsterdam, Holland. Funny.
Anyway, it's a beautiful store. One can always hope.
Elephant in the Room People: Will they serve POT? REFER, Mary-J? The headline was very misleading with the word "tradition".
Starbucks ....legacy of beans
Hard work and tribulations
Healthy and social ethical treatment of farmers
And peoples of the land.
Great thank you to starbucks.
Since you mention the ceiling it would be nice to see a good image of it.
Also, why the big conference table? Is that part of the Dutch tradition , too?
What a warm, inviting space. What is appealing to me is that it doesn't look 'commercial', but more like a living space (ie: loft). Perhaps our East Coast venues will have makeovers ? Also, the Clover method of coffee making is awesome. Perhaps the cost will come down at some point and become more available in other store locations in Eastern Queens (please).
Awsomee :)
would love to see this open clean concept in US stores...refresh the image
When can we expect to see a few of this type store in U.S?
Too many U.S. Starbucks' focus on "in and out", with little space for those who want a coffeehouse experience.
I have been a Starbuck's customer since 1977 and want more a more casual, sitting experience.
Amersterdam has it!!!!
I'm getting rock fever... Wish I leave Hawaii and go to Amsterdam to visit.
How about more info about Starbucks in Europe...Scandinavia, France, Slovenia, anywhere? What about columns or blogs written by customers (moi? famous writers, artists, whatever).
Some of the Starbucks stores here are really UNinviting, such as the
closet in the Costco/Hawaii Kai shopping mall.