FUTURE Designs, the international manufacturer of luminaires and bespoke lighting solutions, has completed the lighting for the new WPP Amsterdam campus. The campus, which was designed by BDG architecture + design and consulting engineers Hoare Lea, features the longest lineage of VANE luminaire in the world.

The Amsteldok building is part of WPP’s global co-location strategy which is to provide world-class spaces that bring together its people and agencies into one location, encouraging greater collaboration and giving clients easier access to all of WPP’s talent and expertise.

Located on the river Amstel just 3.2km south of Amsterdam city centre, at its time of completion (1973) it was the largest office building in Europe. The building resembles stacked boxes and was originally intended as the heart of a new business district that never transpired and became a residential area.


In 2014 the vacant building was purchased and the shell and core refurbished, shortly after in 2016 WPP deemed that it would be ideal for the Amsterdam co-location scheme. BDG then began its plans for the transformation of the interior to create a dynamic workplace to support the current and future aspirations of WPP.

FUTURE Designs worked closely with architects to create a cohesive lighting scheme to compliment the stunning space. A striking piece of VANE at over 60 metres in length utilises the area by linking the expansive and spacious (eight-metre-high) ground floor reception and café area reception and lobby area, creating an impressive arrival experience.

Other products used throughout the project include 1672 units of the BEEM downlight, and SEEL THE IP 65 rated fitting utilised in the kitchen’s food preparation and clean room areas.
In total FUTURE Designs manufactured and supplied:
• 6,500 meters of aluminium profile weighing 23,636kg were supplied on the project
• 3,279 led drivers feeding 29,511 LED boards
• 70,500m of cable supplied
• 183,760 fixing screws

The Amsteldok building brings together 15 WPP agencies, from 11 locations into a single location. The previously vacant Rivierstaete building (as it was formerly known) has been transformed from a large traditional office building into a 19,000m2, innovative and creative workplace to support the 1,500 people that work from it.

Redeveloping existing structures instead of constructing new buildings avoids the emission of thousands of tonnes of embodied carbon – equivalent to over 30% of the building’s lifetime carbon emissions. The new WPP campuses have been developed with sustainability at their heart and are aiming for a BREEAM rating of Very Good or higher.
VANE is designed to be sustainable by optimising exception lumen output whilst utilising minimum wattage. The energy saving lighting has low and easy maintenance, links with lighting control systems and power over ethernet.