Case study: Rotterdam DS office

As part of the strategy to optimize the Netherlands office footprint by improving effectiveness and efficiency, the Rotterdam office, as one of the Randstad locations, was identified as a key location following the upcoming closure of the Rijswijk office.

Relocation to a new building was compared to staying in the existing Weena 70 as the lease was nearing its end. It was seen as the most effective and least disruptive way to obtain a new office experience that drives organizational cohesion and collaboration. This is a strong business need, and a new office design would best be able to integrate Shell’s Future of Work in the current post-COVID-19 times.

The new location will be Rotterdam Delftse Poort, which is less than a five minutes walk to the existing office, and will occupy approximately 8,000m2, spread over three towers and across seven floors. There will be a sky bridge linking the trading department on the seventh floor of the two Towers. This project was initiated in June 2021 with the completion of works planned for Sept/Oct 2022, with the final office move in Q1, 2023.

The project has faced the consequences of the political situation and the geopolitical gl in the material markets creating uncertainties over materials availability and lead time. Through good collaboration with the design team and the appointed general contractor, the project team worked on building flexibility into the design and processes leading to a solid setup for finalizing the construction in the last six months of the project.

Despite rising inflation, construction is strengthening in most sectors in Continental Europe. The Netherlands and particularly Amsterdam continues to be a magnet for international business with the likes of Uber and Amazon delivering major fit-outs in this market in recent years. The latest quarterly figures from the international construction survey show that the commissioning of office space in the Netherlands in the first quarter of 2022 amounted to 185,000 square meters, on par with Q1 2021, showing the sector’s ongoing resilience.