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A new head office: Mizuho to the core, with a Dutch twist
assignment
The building that housed Mizuho Bank was given a new purpose. This meant the bank had to move to a new building. Mizuho Bank commissioned us to design Mizuho Bank's European headquarters in the Zuidas district, Amsterdam's lively international business centre. The office building had to tie in with the corporate look of Mizuho offices in other world cities.
result
global Mizuho Bank identity, but with a local touch
layout: open plan yet discreet
designed for European and Japanese customers
fully compliant with bank security and privacy requirements
client
project
category
scale
Mizuho Bank
project
Mizuho headquarters
category
office
scale
1.800 m2
our approach
Without losing sight of the look and feel of Mizuho Bank, we created a fresh design that blends Japanese refinement and cutting-edge Dutch Design statements: 'Japan meets the Netherlands'.
The colour palette is based on warm greys with dark and light wooden elements. These colours form the backdrop for the corporate colours of Mizuho Bank: red and blue. We added two new hues to this basic palette: pink as a reference to Japanese cherry blossom trees and orange, the Dutch national colour.
The Japanese have a preference for refined wood species. Therefore, we mixed light, fresh ash with warm walnut. We transformed the door handles and contours of the brightly coloured furniture doors into bold design statements that the Netherlands is known for. The plank supports in the entrance hall and the waiting areas have been finished with refined details. The planks are folded to expose the blue colour. Red metal wire was threaded through the planks for additional stability.
Morning dew is very common in both the Netherlands and Japan due to high humidity and cold temperatures. The concept of morning dew formed the inspiration for offering visual privacy to the meeting rooms. The dew-patterned window film adds a beautiful, soft element to the corporate environment.
The office building boasts an entrance hall, several meeting rooms with open-plan and enclosed office spaces, and a lunch area with coffee corner. Each space has its own identity depending on the function, which is expressed in the chosen colours and materials. Calming colours and texture-rich materials pull the different areas together while preserving their distinctive nature.
The colour palette is based on warm greys with dark and light wooden elements. These colours form the backdrop for the corporate colours of Mizuho Bank: red and blue. We added two new hues to this basic palette: pink as a reference to Japanese cherry blossom trees and orange, the Dutch national colour.
The Japanese have a preference for refined wood species. Therefore, we mixed light, fresh ash with warm walnut. We transformed the door handles and contours of the brightly coloured furniture doors into bold design statements that the Netherlands is known for. The plank supports in the entrance hall and the waiting areas have been finished with refined details. The planks are folded to expose the blue colour. Red metal wire was threaded through the planks for additional stability.
Morning dew is very common in both the Netherlands and Japan due to high humidity and cold temperatures. The concept of morning dew formed the inspiration for offering visual privacy to the meeting rooms. The dew-patterned window film adds a beautiful, soft element to the corporate environment.
The office building boasts an entrance hall, several meeting rooms with open-plan and enclosed office spaces, and a lunch area with coffee corner. Each space has its own identity depending on the function, which is expressed in the chosen colours and materials. Calming colours and texture-rich materials pull the different areas together while preserving their distinctive nature.
As a design statement we used bright colours for the handles with a special detailing that runs into the frame of the doors.