Pels Rijcken, The Hague, NL

GROUP A is responsible for the interior design for Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn attorneys and notaries. The interior for the firm where the state advocate is a partner, is both timeless and contemporary and features a rich and harmonious use of materials. In order to create an open work environment, and to subdue the effect of the dividing walls, transparent glass partitions were frequently used.

In the design for the interior for Pels Rijcken, GROUP A was faced with a number of dilemmas that asked for an appropriate answer. The office is located in the New Babylon building, next to the main railway station. The official main entrance is located on the 2^nd floor. Pels Rijcken however longed for an entrance at the Bezuidenhoutseweg, connected with the reception desk on the 2^nd floor. GROUP A have responded to the clients wish with a spectacular curved staircase and a panorama lift to the more than 8 meters higher reception.

The exceptional solution that GROUP A resolved for the inadequate amount of daylight in a part of the office was the answer to another dilemma. As a part of the offices faces a dead wall, over a height of four storeys, it was impossible to use it as a regular office floor. GROUP A chose this area for the location of the library, situated on three levels, visually connected by voids. The bookshelves continue through the voids, emphasizing the verticality. The library is used to house the antiquarian book collection, for studying but is primarily a visible source of knowledge.

On the office floors the supporting functions are located between the cellular offices, in the open office areas that function like small squares. Pels Rijcken has its own auditorium, which is used for external as well as internal meetings. This auditorium can be enlarged or scaled down by the clever use of curtains. Specific meeting areas, like the bar and the restaurant, can be recognised by a different, distinctive use of materials and colours.