The Starbucks Concept Store, Amsterdam

A new breed of Starbucks shines in the heart of Europe – The Starbucks Concept Store, Amsterdam

Attention Starbucks lovers! Your favorite coffee maker is taking your favorite coffee house to the next level.  Always at the top of their game, their relatively new and proclaimed “laboratory”, the Concept Store, is sure to be a hit.  Recently launched in Amsterdam, the largest Starbucks in Europe is an example of what we hope to see around the world.  The setting and interior design reflects local heritage and talent, and provides to its customers state of the art brewed coffees, baked goods and other amenities prepared on site.

The Amsterdam Starbucks brilliantly kicks off this  new concept in Europe by occupying a former bank and landmark building dating to the 1920s,  Amsterdamsce Bank in Rembrandt Square.  The Concept Store overtakes the former vault of the bank,  whose large open space and high ceilings  offer optimal flexibility in interior layouts.  The Starbucks team successfully sought to create “spaces within a space” , thus allowing for a variety of cultural uses.  A seriously creative team of local artisans and designers led by Concept Director Liz Muller,  transformed this former bank vault into  a one of a kind visually entertaining feast.

Starbucks at The Bank, located in an area prime for pedestrians, fronts the similarly historic Rembrandt Square.

Starbucks’ longtime commitment to social responsibility and the environment were not left out of the Concept Store equation.

The use of existing and sustainable building materials runs wild and free throughout the store.  Finish materials include reclaimed Dutch oak, the always beautiful antique Delft tile, and recycled bicycle tires.   A floor to ceiling mural honors Dutch coffee traders over the centuries. Original construction such as exposed concrete structural elements and stone flooring, remain exposed and are integrated into the design. As they should be.

The timeless beauty and everlasting appeal of early Delft tiles. For details on this age old material see our presentation in Research and Design.

Though not officially certified, the design and construction was held to measurable sustainability standards, under LEED (Leadership in Energy  and Environmental  Design).  As with all Starbucks  stores worldwide, environmental policies relating to operations, also  apply to the  concept stores.

If the Amsterdam Concept Store represents the shape of things to come, then bring it on! Who better to raise the bar on Starbucks than Starbucks themselves.  As Starbucks refers to Amsterdam Concept Store project as a test space,  we say congratulations, you passed. And you can take that to the Bank…