Renovation of the central bank of the Netherlands: a pioneering project in the field of sustainability

Breda, 21 February 2025 – SPIE, the independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications, has managed, as the main contractor, one of the most ambitious transformations to date of an existing property in the Netherlands: the renovation of the Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) in Amsterdam. Recently completed after five years of extensive modernisation work, the project has resulted in an energy-neutral building that is fit for the future. Thanks to an innovative and circular approach, SPIE successfully integrated sustainable solutions, including the complete recycling of concrete and the use of local materials, while respecting the logistical and technical constraints of a project in the city centre.

“This was a renovation project of the highest order,” explains Bas Woldman, Design & Build Manager at SPIE Nederland, who led the project for SPIE from concept to execution. The original structure of the DNB central bank building, built in 1814 in the heart of Amsterdam, reflected a different era: a closed design focused on protecting gold reserves and money. “The relocation of this reserve was a perfect opportunity to refresh the building completely and make it contemporary again,” says Woldman. “The task was not only to make the building sustainable and deliver it as a smart building, but to make it a circular operation as well”.

Renovations to the new facility meet the BREEAM Outstanding Sustainability Standard and were awarded Platinum-level WELL certification, guaranteeing an environment that offers the highest standards of quality and well-being for the more than 2,300 employees who work there.

During the tender phase, in which SPIE was selected as the main contractor, Woldman and his colleagues convinced the DNB renovation team by focusing on SPIE’s innovative and circular approach. “We scored most of our points with our circular proposals for both demolition and rebuilding,” he comments.

Circular

One of the biggest challenges was to dismantle and store at another location in the city the iconic 70-metre-high round tower, originally built in the building’s basement. To maintain a circular approach, all construction-related waste had to be evaluated for re-use suitability.

Woldman recalls some surprising discoveries: “During the demolition of the building, a contractor ran into the break room to say he had discovered a beautiful wooden construction. Instead of throwing it away, we reused it for a wooden roof structure. The structural engineer had to recalculate certain things, but the result was well worth it. It’s great to see how circular thinking is now present at all levels of the organisation”.

Recycled concrete

The concrete removed from the building during the renovation was completely recycled: reduced to cement, sand and gravel and then used as concrete again, in the construction of the quay along the Singelgracht canal, for example. Recycled concrete aggregates were even used to store captured and liquified CO2 from water treatment plants. The carbon footprint of the cement was significantly reduced by accelerating the natural carbonation process of recycled concrete aggregates. Another part of the concrete was reused in 80 social housing units in Amsterdam. The boulders that lay around the building will be re-used as climbing and scrambling objects in a sports park on the east side of Amsterdam. 

“It shows how we, together with the market, are developing techniques and getting better at preserving existing buildings and making them completely sustainable. The old gas-fired boilers were replaced with low-temperature heating combined with solar panels to run the heat pump systems”.

Innovation and investment

“Thanks to creative solutions, we stayed within budget despite the additional investments that turned out to be necessary,” Woldman says. One example is the 6,000-square-meter wooden ceiling: “We went to great lengths to create a circular ceiling with wood locally sourced in the city of Amsterdam”. 

Logistics also played an important role. To reduce traffic pressure in the city centre and thereby reduce CO₂ emissions, many materials were shipped and delivered by water. Such choices supported the goal of carrying out the project in the most sustainable way possible.

Creative

On a technical level, the renovation was complex. The building’s cramped original design of the past now had to accommodate much larger air ducts. Where once a 150-mm pipe sufficed, modern 600- by 300-mm rectangular air ducts now had to be installed. “The rooms also needed to have high ceilings. It was an enormous conundrum at times,” Woldman reflects.

For this reason, a 3D scan of the entire building was made in advance to resolve any potential issues during the design phase. In practice, however, improvisation and creativity proved indispensable nevertheless to overcome challenges.

Impact and future

This sustainable approach to the renovation of the DNB building has considerably reduced the project’s carbon footprint. By preserving the existing structure, rather than demolishing it completely, the project’s CO₂ emissions were reduced by two-thirds.

Woldman is convinced that many more buildings of this calibre in the Netherlands could be transformed with similar impact. “Despite the logistics and technical challenges of this inner-city project, the highest standards of sustainability were ultimately achieved.”

Facts and figures

• 67,000 sqm total area, of which 4,800 sqm in The New Treasure Room
• 16 floors above and 3 floors below ground level
• 1,380 solar panels installed on several roofs of the building
• 70,000 tons of building materials saved by opting for renovation instead of new construction, with a 50% lower total environmental impact as a result
• New offices that meet the BREEAM Outstanding Sustainability Standard
• A DNB awarded Platinum-level WELL certification for an environment that offers the highest standards of quality and well-being for the more than 2,300 employees who work there
• Wood from old and diseased poplar trees from Amsterdam repurposed into ceiling slats
• Rainwater collected and reused
• Concrete from the renovation repurposed for social housing projects in Amsterdam
• A total of 5,200 square meters of greenery added in and around the building, contributing to biodiversity