INTERVIEWconnecting both sides of Zuidas will be completed 2025-2027: Expansion of station Zuid completed 2028: Zuidasdok project completed The €1bn project involves widening the

E V E RY T H I N G W T C A M S T E R DA M - AU T U M N 2 0 1 7

INTERVIEW‘The first thing I did was buy a bike,’ says Denso’s

PATRICK KELLY

DIARY DATESEssential WTC

events this autum

ZUIDASDOKHow much do you

know about the plans?

CAUGHT ON CAMERAFrom IN Amsterdam

to Zuidas Culinair

E X P A N S I O N

2 WTC TODAY - AUTUMN 2017

ZuidasdokES SENTIAL F ACTSNext year, preparatory work will start on the

massive Zuidasdok project. Disruption, particularly for commuters, is inevitable, as road, rail and

public transport routes are overhauled.

2017-2018:Finalisation of the plans, preparatory building work

2019: • Start tunneling and

widening southern stretch A10 ring road

• Start expanding station Zuid• Start major road works on

Amstel and Nieuwe Meer motorway junctions

2024-2026: • A10 tunnels and

expansion completed• Amstel and Nieuwe Meer

junction road works completed

• The Minerva station passage will be widened

2021-2022: New passage

connecting both sides of Zuidas

will be completed

2025-2027: Expansion of station

Zuid completed

2028:Zuidasdok

project completed

The €1bn project involves widening the southern stretch of the A10 ring road and placing it partly underground and expanding the station into an important regional transport

hub. Here’s a summary of what is going to happen:

Now that summer is over and the major

Strawinskylaan and De Boelelaan road works

are complete, or almost complete, things should be

getting back to normal for drivers. And that, as

we all know, means traffic congestion and jams.

Because jams on the A10 ring road also have an

impact on the De Boelelaan, we are looking into

setting up an alternative car park option for

commuters at the RAI exhibition centre. If the

scheme goes ahead, drivers would be able to park

at the RAI (for half the price of the WTC parking

permit) and then walk the few minutes - or take a

rush-hour shuttle bus - to the office, so avoiding the

last or first- and often most congested - part of their

car journey.

Actually one of the biggest challenges facing us in

Zuidas is getting more people to leave their cars at home

and travel to work by bike or public transport instead.

When work starts in earnest on the Zuidasdok project,

we will need to make sure that a further 1,500 people

(some 25% of car commuters), leave their vehicles at

home to stop the district seizing up. However, lots of us

WTC NEWSArts and crafts

EVE OF DISRUPTIONYour ideas about Zuidasdok

ZUIDAS NEWSCourt under construction

CAUGHT ON CAMERAOut and about at WTC events

DIARY DATESWhat’s on this autumn

4

14

6

12 15

WTC SERVICESThe final part of our services

10

A U T U M N

are not really aware quite what an impact this massive

development project is going to have. Find out more on

pages 2 and 10.

Earlier this year, we gave our backing to an

experiment with a travel card to see if a financial

incentive would encourage people to do just that. In

total, 250 people took part in the Zuidas pass pilot (130

of them from the WTC), which allowed them to travel

to work by public transport without paying a cent. The

pilot definitely worked well and we are now looking to

see if we can come up with a similar project for WTC

tenants.

Cycling to work has all sorts of other benefits as well

as busting traffic jams and reducing air pollution,

so it is good see so many people biking to the WTC

over the summer months – so much so that at times

there were long queues to get into the underground

bike park. We are working hard to overcome this

problem. For example, a new bike park is currently

being built on the other side of the Strawinskylaan

(underneath Vijfhoek). You may also have noticed

that bike racks are being removed from close to the

WTC’s Beethovenstraat entrance. This is because work

is now underway on readying the land for the D tower

expansion. There will be a dedicated bike park for the

WTC under D tower which will be finished in 2020,

but we are looking for another solution to tide us over.

In the meantime, if you have any other ideas to help

keep Zuidas moving, do please let me know.

Christiaan Huijg, Managing DirectorWorld Trade Center Amsterdam

INTERVIEWDenso senior manager

Patrick Kelly

8

WTC TODAY - AUTUMN 2017 3

C O N T E N T S

Bike sharing under attack?Amsterdam city council has been getting tough on bike sharing schemes recently, but the WTC’s own e-bike project is not affected. The city says many of the bikes are taking up valuable public bike parking spaces and wants them gone. The WTC scheme, oper-ated by mobility startup Urbee, is not affected because our e-bikes are kept on our own turf and are returned to either Beethovenstraat or Zuidplein after use. The cost is from as little as €1 per hour, €5 for a day or €10 for a whole weekend. Company subscription schemes are also available. WWW.URBEE.NL or contact [email protected]

CHE BUONO IS A GOOD THINGYou may have noticed that the WTC’s popular Italian trattoria has had a new name since the summer – Che Buono – which roughly translates as ‘it’s good’. The decision to keep an Italian eatery in the heart of the WTC was taken following con-sultation with tenants and the TAO Group, which also runs Mylk and Ox & Bucks. Che Buono has the same kitchen crew as Corso Como, so you can expect the same high standards. Familiar face Jurgen de Ridder, who has worked at the WTC for seven years, moving from Nooon to Corso Como, has been appointed general manager of Ox & Bucks, Mylk and Che Buono. WWW.TASTEWTC.AMSTERDAM

This November WTC Amsterdam Business Club will be visiting the international PAN Amsterdam art fair in alliance with asset man-ager Oyens & Van Eeghen. The event on No-vember 20 will start off with a reception at Oy-ens & Van Eeghen’s offices. Guests will be then taken by minibus to the RAI exhibition cen-tre for the main event. ‘There will be drinks,

snacks, networking and, of course, a chance to pick up some art at the same time,’ says club manager Godfried Schölvinck. Make a note in your diary too of the traditional New Year drinks party on January 11, at which three spe-cial guests will debate the economic prospects for the coming year. WTCAMSTERDAMBUSINESSCLUB.COM

The business of art


W T C N E W S

The circle is roundThe new exhibition in central hall features zinc sculptures by Hetty Huisman, welded together from zinc plates. Often exhibited outdoors, the grey of the zinc circles forms the perfect frame for falls of light, offering holes to peep through for a different view of the world. WWW.HETTYHUISMANSCULPTURES.NL

AS ONE DOOR CLOSES…Work will start at the end of October on updating the main entrances to the WTC from Zuidplein. The revolving doors are being replaced by a new system known as ‘circleslide’ which will give visitors more room to enter and leave the building and is better suited to people with limited mobility. Work starts on the entrance to H and I tower on October 23 and at the main building on November 13.

WTC tenants all over the Netherlands can now take part in a seven-part course in doing business with the US. The course, which will be taught in Dutch, tackles such subjects as product liability and the PCI-DSS standard and aims to make sure businessmen and women are properly equipped to understand the specifics of the American mar-ket. The classes are being taught at the WTC in nearby Almere and the final lesson, on Decem-ber 18, takes place at the new American embassy in Wassenaar. WTCAMSTERDAM.COM/NL/NIEUWS/MASTER-COURSE

Masters of the US

WAITING FOR SPRINGAutumn may be with us now, but next spring you’ll really notice a lot of changes in the flower beds on Zuidplein. Some of the beds were rather tatty and now a new planting scheme has been implemented based on ornamental grasses, purple asters, oak-leaved hydrangeas and ground-covering bergenia. The watering system for the trees has also been renewed.


W T C N E W S

Change On the HorizonThe world of the WTC keeps turning, yet there are plans afoot for big changes in the immediate surroundings. The Zuidasdok is a 10-year project to transform Zuidas into a real transport hub for the south of the city. So, how much do the workers of the WTC know about the project and how it may impact their working lives?

NATHALIE LEGGER ENI INTERNATIONAL

‘I heard about it yesterday, actually... because our office was shaking! So, then I heard that they were building some new things. But what exactly the plans are I don’t know. If it’s going to get greener and to make life easier, that’s good. I take the metro and not having to stand too long in the queue is always good, in my opinion!’

BAS VAN RAVENSBERG & JAN KOETS BRISTOL GLOBAL MOBILITY (EUROPE)

BAS ‘I know quite a bit, because I bike to the WTC every day and I see the develop-ments. I also notice the lack of space for my bike at the moment! I know that it’s work in process. The potential is huge and I know you have to go through a certain development process to get it right. I respect that.’

JAN ‘I think it’s necessary, we all need to work to a point that congestion is avoided as much as possible; and over the last several years there was just too much con-gestion around this area. So, I think it’s a project that needs to happen and we’ll just have to live with the construction for the time being. It can only get better.’

SJORS HEMMEN & TAMIM KARIMI MONEX EUROPE

SJORS ‘The highways and the station are being rebuilt and why not? It’s always busy here, a lot of traffic jams, a lot of people in the station, so it’s probably going to be good for the area. I come to work by bike most of the time but sometimes by public transport.’

TAMIM ‘I just saw some pictures, it looks good, a lot greener. I think it’s good for the area. As long as the train stops here, I’m happy.’

V O X P O P U L I

Find out more about the Zuidasdok plans on page 2 or visit www.zuidas.nl


CHARLOTTE MUTSAERTS & ELKE GOZELING ROBERT WALTERS

CHARLOTTE ‘I have absolutely no clue about the plans! I don’t know if I like them or dislike them, because it’s going to mean the area is busier afterwards. Of course getting around will be easier in a way, but on the other hand, I like a calm, peaceful environment, so there are downsides and upsides. I don’t live in the city

centre because it’s just too busy. I come by car. My boyfriend got a NS Business card to try it out and see if it’s easier to come by train. It’s kind of a pilot study they’re running.ELKE ‘I live in Leiden, so with the traffic I think it’s OK; it makes sense. I come by train so I haven’t really had any problems.’

MELIS NILGUN & GIOVANNI VRIESDE MICHAEL PAGE

MELIS ‘It could be good in the end but I think there’s going to be a lot of construction here, so I’m not sure how it’s going to affect things. I take public transport and there’s already a lot of traffic in the mornings. For me, coming here with the bus is super fast (I come from Haarlem), but as soon as I arrive near the Zuidas it takes like fifteen minutes to get to the stop.’GIOVANNI ‘It’s going to be dif-ficult for everyone who’s working here because there are a lot of traffic

jams already. So, if they’re going to do something like the A4 or the A10, it’s going to be even worse. I’m already in traffic jams for 20 minutes in the morning. The results will be nice but in the meantime I wonder how they’re going to handle it while the work is ongoing because you’ve still got the same amount of people going to work. Maybe some extra information, some alternative route suggestions, would be good; that would be highly appreciated, I think.’

DAN NGUYEN & ANOUK VISSER WALTERS PEOPLE

ANOUK ‘What do I know about the Zuidasdok? Nothing actually! Normally we get a newsletter about the building and what is happening and occasionally email updates which let us know about roadworks, but I haven’t heard anything about that specifically, no. I guess it will be more attrac-

tive for companies to come here, which will provide more work, more work space, so I think that would be a really good develop-ment, absolutely.’DAN ‘I do think it’s a good idea because it’s going to be bigger, more companies, more money for Zuidas too.’

PATRICK GROEN N.D.I. ICT SOLUTIONS

‘I think it’s really cool actually. It’s pretty interesting what they’re doing and how they’re going to do it. I think the first part is changing the road, the highway. They have to put the road under the ground somehow, and I’m curious to see how they’re going to

do that. I think the impact on the area is gonna be hell! You see over there on the Beethovenstraat. They’ve been working on the road there for months and it’s already a big drama to get here by car, so I have no idea how they’re going to do that.’

V O X P O P U L I


PHOTOGRAPHY: ANNE LAKEMAN


I N T E R V I E W

Patrick Kelly CYCLES TO WORK IN TEN MINUTES

Around half the people working in WTC Amsterdam are internationals. Denso senior manager Patrick Kelly was posted here in March.

Amsterdam is the second foreign posting for American Patrick Kelly, who has worked in hu-man resources for Japanese car parts maker Den-so for 16 years. The first - to Japan itself - was in 2003, early on in his 16-year career with the com-pany. ‘Practically the first thing I did when I got here was to buy a bike,’ he says, seated in a small glass cubicle at the company offices in the I tower. ‘The Dutch bike culture is really unique. It’s not just the bikes themselves. In Michigan, where I come from, we don’t have all those bike lanes, the infrastructure. You don’t have that privilege as a biker to ride in your own lane. Even in Detroit, the largest city in Michigan, they don’t have dedi-cated bike lanes.’Patrick has an old fashioned omafiets with two locks. ‘That is what everyone told me to do,’ he said. ‘I’ve been told you need at least two locks and you need to lock it to something. Everyone I know seems to have had two bikes stolen. An ac-quaintance of mine had seven stolen. They were all second hand. Now he has a beautiful brand new one and insurance.’ The bike ride from Patrick’s home in Amsterdam’s Museumplein area takes him 10 minutes if he cycles fast. ‘It’s such a nice thing to be that close,’ he says. And if you saw him cycling off to work, you would not see him as anything other than an Amsterdammder in trousers and polo shirt. Denso may be a Japanese company located in Zuidas, but it’s not a nine-to-five, suit-and-tie sort of place.

NO SUITS‘The company is moving over to flexible schedul-ing and a more flexible dress code,’ he says. ‘A lot of upper management might wear suits to work but we are dressing more, well, New York Times. In Michigan [where he was based] it has changed drastically. You can wear whatever you want. As long as it is not shorts. I did notice a lot of suits in Zuidas, but I think that is the financial sector. But I haven’t worn one yet. That’s one of the nice things about being here. Depending on your style, you can wear virtually whatever you want.’Most of Denso’s operations in the Netherlands are still based in Weesp, the pretty little harbour town just south of Amsterdam. The I tower of-fice in the World Trade Center is a new depar-ture for the company, which normally locates in rural areas.

‘Being in the city, in a tower, is a complete change,’ Patrick says. ‘We’re undergoing a bit of a cultural shift within the company. Zuidas is easy for our customers to reach and to be in more of a corporate setting. We’ve got plenty of space and many of our high-level meetings are held here.’ He gestures around the office, which is flooded with late summer light. ‘I know that when they were looking for new offices, they wanted a view, a lot of windows and more sunlight,’ he says.

COMFY CHAIRSI tower’s new lobby is also ‘pretty amazing’, he says. ‘You would think that the seating is more for aesthetics than for comfort, but one day after lunch we tried out all the pieces of furniture in the lobby. And a lot of the chairs,’ he laughs, ‘are very comfortable indeed.’The international atmosphere is also a plus. ‘Eve-ryone is speaking different languages and there is a lot of interest about where you are from and where you are travelling to. Our own workforce is very diverse… we have folks from Italy, Spain, the US and Germany… actually the list goes on. And we have a good number of Dutch folks as well.’Denso is a global group and, says Patrick, the world’s number one or number two car parts sup-plier depending on what you are after. It’s a huge company, with some 154,000 employers all over the globe and booked operating profit of $2.9bn on revenues of $40bn in its most recent tax year.

Patrick’s tips for new arrivals

Get a bike as soon as possible

Walk around to find out where you would like to live

Get a bank account straight away

Find a doctor and dentist before you have an emergency

Don’t live in an expat bubble

The Zuidas office is the company’s corporate centre for Europe with around 40 employees. In Weesp, the workforce numbers around 200.

TRAVELHe travels a lot for his work, particularly to Ger-many and Britain, so having Schiphol airport so close is also a plus. ‘Schiphol airport is so amaz-ing, actually. It’s so convenient, especially with public transport. You take the train, go up the escalator and you are ready to go.’Patrick also sings the praises of IN Amsterdam, the expat centre downstairs, which helped him settle and, he says, have dealt with every ques-tion he has had with unassuming competence: ‘I think that is probably one of the reasons expats do so well here and adjust so quickly. That place

‘ EVERYONE IS SPEAKING DIFFERENT

LANGUAGES AND THERE IS A LOT

OF INTEREST ABOUT WHERE

YOU ARE FROM’

is exceptionally friendly. There has not been one question they have not been able to answer.’ Patrick and his wife, a teacher by profession, ex-pressly wanted to come to Europe and are using their Amsterdam base as a springboard to visit as many places inside and outside the Netherlands as they can. They’ve already developed a network and have a favourite bar ‘with great music’ and local shop. ‘It’s been an easy transition,’ he says. ‘Back home a posting to Netherlands is known as ‘Europe Light’. Quite honestly, the culture is not that different. I’m pretty like the Dutch. I’m direct. It’s been easy for me to move here. But it is very easy to get yourself involved in Little America if you are not careful. You have to sur-round yourself with Dutch folk and folk from other countries.’


ABN AMROThe refurbished ABN Amro branch next to the

Strawinsklylaan entrance in central hall offers full banking services. The bank’s International Client Department works closely with IN Amsterdam

to help newcomers open a bank account, take out insurance and personal loans, and get used to online and mobile banking. The can also advise with other financial matters, such as investment and mortgages.

WWW.ABNAMRO.NL/EXPAT

PARTOU CHILDCAREPartou offers a warm, welcoming and safe

environment for children up to the age of four, within the confines of the WTC. The bright and airy daycare centre has fully-trained staff and focuses on all aspects of child development, with the emphasis

on small groups. Music, story-telling and movement are central. Opening hours are Monday to Friday

7:30 tot 18:30. More information: WWW.PARTOU.NL/STRAWINSKYLAAN

QBIC HOTEL You may well not be aware that there is an 82-room hotel housed within the walls of the WTC, but the Qbic has been an essential part of the complex for

11 years. The hotel has a quirky style, friendly staff, good breakfasts and great links to the rest of the city

or airport and train stations.

WWW.QBICHOTELS.COM/AMSTERDAM-WTC

There is a lot more to the WTC complex than offices. Here’s the final part of our round-up of WTC service providers, from childcare

to webcasting.

The WTC as a high street


S E R V I C E P R O V I D E R S

MYPUPThe MYPUP service in B2 opposite the showers

offers a great way of dealing with your post - without stepping outside. The locker-based system, which is free, allows you to receive, return and send

post - including express deliveries and registered letters - all over the world. You can also send insured

parcels and use Freepost numbers

WWW.MYPUP.NL

COMPANY WEBCASTWebcasts and webinars are fast becoming essential

tools in every major company’s communications plan and WTC clients can put together their own with the help of Company Webcast, located in the corridor off central hall. Company Webcast produces webinars for commercial clients at its professional webinar studio

and is part of Euronext, the pan-European stock exchange and business services group.

WWW.COMPANYWEBCAST.COM

HB HAIRSTYLERSThe HB Hairstylers team has been cutting and

styling hair in World Trade Center Amsterdam for over 23 years. The team prides itself on its hospitality and expertise, so you can return to

your desk or head off home revitalised and looking your best. Conveniently located in

central hall and open from Monday to Friday.

WWW.HBHAIRSTYLERS.NL

NDINDI provides IT services to more than 800

companies throughout the Netherlands from its three branches nationwide. NDI is a preferred

partner to the WTC and offers a comprehensive package of services, ranging from cloud services to

workplace support, and from cabling to internet and telephony. Expect a fast, expert service, in 12 languages, where tailor-made solutions are key.

WWW.NDI.NL


E V E N T S


IN AMSTERDAMPHOTOS: WILLHELM NAVARRO

The old expat centre has a new location and a new name – IN Amsterdam – so a good reason for a double celebration in I tower. The centre, which helped over 12,000 new

arrivals last year, is sharing the premises with the city’s InBusiness department.


E V E N T S

ZUIDAS CULINAIRPHOTOS: LOTTE DE GRAAF

Zuidplein again hosted the annual food festival at which the district’s great selection

of restaurants – including Mylk and Ox & Bucks - could show off their wares. DJs and

live music completed the line-up.

Z U I D A S N E W S

Banking on foodThe sixth edition of the Zuidas food collection campaign for the Zuid food bank takes place from October 9 to October 13, and the WTC is also call-ing on tenants to support the project. Requested donations this year include cornflakes, instant coffee, peanut butter, shampoo and shower gel, canned fish and vegetables, and fruit in syrup. The Green Business Club Zuidas, which organises the food drive, is also using the event to encourage companies to reduce food waste within their own operations. WWW.GBCZUIDAS.NL

MARATHON MEN AND WOMENThis year’s Amsterdam marathon takes place on Sunday, October 15. Once again, the WTC stretch of the Beethovenstraat and part of the Boelelaan will be on the route. Some 45,000 runners from

Jelmer Juering, www.jjperspectives.com

100 different countries are expected to take part. The marathon both starts and ends, appropriately enough, at the Olympic stadium.WWW.TCSAMSTERDAMMARATHON.NL

Hello Zuidas members meetingThe Hello Zuidas organisation, which is the driving force behind efforts to make Zuidas a more lively and vibrant city district, held its 2017 members meeting at new Zuidas hotspot CIRCL on Sep-tember 18. Hello Zuidas now has over 220 members, ranging from the WTC to individual shops and even a church. Among the Hello Zuidas projects in the pipeline: a scheme to bring an interna-tional library to the district, an alliance between the Rialto Cinema group and the VU University to screen films for lo-cal residents, and plans to launch the Zui-das’s very own beer.

Law and orderNow the demolition work has been com-pleted, you may have noticed the large empty space at the end of Strawinskylaan, where the former Amsterdam law court complex was located. This huge site will soon be alive with cranes and builders, as

work starts on erecting a new court complex known as NACH – New Amsterdam Court House. WTC Amsterdam tenant McQuarie Capital is financing the new complex, which was designed by KAAN Architecten, and is scheduled to open its doors in 2020.


D A T E S F O R Y O U R D I A R YW T C E V E N T S

WTC TODAY is published quarterly by World Trade Center Amsterdam. You can also download WTC Today from the website www.wtcamsterdam.com. WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO WTC TODAY? Please email [email protected].

TEXT Zuidas Text and Translations PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY Anne Lakeman, Willhelm Navarro, Lotte de GraveDESIGN Vindustries, Ouderkerk a/d Amstel

PRINT Drukkerij Aeroprint, Ouderkerk a/d Amstel. WTC Today is produced in a CO2 neutral production process and printed on 100% FSC certified paper.

CREDITS


THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5

OX & BUCKSSample the best gin and tonics

every Thursday in October

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29

WTC BUSINESS CLUBDrinks, networking and culture at the PAN Amsterdam art fair

MONDAY, OCTOBER 9

GREEN BUSINESS CLUB

Start of week-long campaign to collect food for the local food bank

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14

CHRISTMAS MARKET Get into the spirit of

Christmas and pick up some gifts

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3

GREEN BUSINESS CLUBThe five month project Green Business Challenge kicks off

MONDAY, OCTOBER 9

WE CANTEENPop-up store Peejay’s

Doughnuts – proper Canadian doughnuts and coffee all week

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29

SINTERKLAAS St Nicholas visits WTC

Amsterdam for a children’s party

THURSDAY, JANUARY 11

WTC BUSINESS CLUB

New Year’s drinks with leading economists debating

the prospects for 2018

WINTER WISDOMNEXT ISSUE: get healthy in the WTC, the latest on D tower, and key diary dates

WTC TODAY IS OFFERED TO YOU BY

Documents

INTERVIEWconnecting both sides of Zuidas will be completed 2025-2027: Expansion of station Zuid completed 2028: Zuidasdok project completed The €1bn project involves widening the