KLM Crown Lounge: Dutch design at Schiphol

The renewed KLM Crown Lounge has opened at Schiphol. An impressive lounge of some 6,800 m², for which we delivered the bespoke interior.

The lounge consists of several worlds, each with its own atmosphere and character. The Polder, City, Dutch Mountain, Sea and Sky give travellers different places to work, relax, eat and meet.

For us that meant a substantial bespoke project with a wide variety of materials, shapes and interior elements. From bars and cabinetry to large timber structures and fully integrated bespoke solutions: many different disciplines came together here.

One of the eye-catchers is the Dutch Mountain: a large, stepped oak structure connecting the different levels. A good example of the scale and technical complexity of the bespoke work within this project.

Building at Schiphol

Realising a lounge of this size at an international airport brings challenges you won’t quickly meet on an ordinary building site.

The work takes place behind customs and in the middle of an airport that stays fully operational. Access to the work area, people, materials, transport and activities are therefore bound to strict procedures and permits.

That calls for preparation. A great deal of preparation.

Materials have to be available at the right moment, transport has to be planned carefully and our people need to know exactly where and when they can work. At the same time, many different disciplines are working alongside each other.

Throughout, safety always comes first. Not only in carrying out our own work, but also in how we deal with logistics, access, other parties and the unusual environment we work in.

Schiphol just around the corner

One big advantage is that Schiphol is literally around the corner for us. From our site in Lisserbroek we are at Schiphol in about 15 minutes.

That allowed us to produce the bespoke work close to the project site and organise our logistics efficiently. Our project management and fitters could also respond quickly whenever that was needed during installation.

The short distance also helps keep the number of transport kilometres between production and project site down. That lets us work efficiently and, where possible, limit transport movements and the associated CO₂e emissions.

For a project of this size, that combination of local production, short lines and flexibility is an important advantage.

The KLM Crown Lounge brought together almost everything we like working on: technically demanding bespoke work, high-quality finishing, complex logistics and collaborating in an environment where there is no room for last-minute improvisation.

A remarkable project in a remarkable place — and fortunately, for us, just around the corner.

View the KLM Crown Lounge project