From lunch spot to hot spot

The restaurant is divided into two recognizable zones: the dining room and the living room. That homely approach makes the space more accessible and invites versatile use. The dining room is for lunch and working with laptops; the living room effortlessly transforms from a workspace into an event space. Large green elements, art on the wall and natural materials such as wood and marmoleum add character and atmosphere.

And it works. "We expected 250 lunch guests originally. But we sometimes hit the 400 mark now’, says David Kulen, creative director at Powerplant. “The restaurant is more popular than expected." That hustle and bustle does have an impact though. “The food dispensing area is actually too small. Additional furniture has been installed in the meantime to better match peak demand”, project manager Anouk Solleveld adds.

Always on the move

The water bar - just one of the smart choices - keeps the space active. Not a classic coffee corner, but a place that invites movement and encounter. The restaurant is also well-frequented outside the peak times. “You never get lonely sitting on your own in an empty restaurant”, says Anouk. “Even in the middle of the day, it is a pleasant place to sit down for a while.” And that was exactly the idea: a space that is busy and lively all day long, with a continuous service offer ranging from coffee to the self-service food pick-up station.

Adapting during construction

During the construction process, some in-situ solutions turned out to be needed. “The final tweaks can make or break a project,” says Anouk. “Like a tiled item of furniture that unexpectedly needed ventilation. Gielissen reacted immediately and adapted the furniture to the new requirements without changing the design. The quality of workmanship remained excellent, despite the minimum amount of time available for the work.”

Smarter design approach, collaboration at an earlier stage

For subsequent projects, Powerplant is thinking more about reuse and modular design. “That makes the design more flexible as well as more sustainable”, David says.

“Gielissen understands what a custom interior design project needs - not only technically, but also in terms of its atmosphere. They contribute ideas and expertise, expedite quickly and it feels like we are all part of the same team. That makes working together easy and fun.”
David Kulen, creative director at Powerplant

“We are known for our hospitality design vision and are often requested to do that type of work, but what people may not know is that we also design complete office concepts - from strategy and concept to final realization.”
Anouk Solleveld, project manager at Powerplant

The approach to collaboration is also changing. “If it were up to us, the interior designer would get involved from day one. That way you can initiate action earlier, fine-tune choices and avoid surprises.”

Exactly as intended

"When I first visited after completion, I saw people having conversations, working at their laptops, getting coffee and so on”, says Anouk. “Exactly as we intended.” A recognizable, accessible place that is used daily.

And that has whetted people's appetites: Powerplant and Gielissen are now working on a follow-up project for KPN in Groningen.

👉 View the complete project here.