Ellipse Utrecht is an iconic new destination connecting coworking with nature, health and wellbeing, housed in the former Mercedes building in Papendorp Utrecht, an iconic landmark in the heart of The Netherlands. It was originally designed by Dutch architect Marc Ibelings. When Mercedes Benz decided to move out of this iconic building after 16 years, it was both an opportunity and a challenge: How to convert this large icon with its spacious atrium into an innovative business community attracting new tenants and making it resilient for the future.

We enhanced the intrinsic building qualities in the new design and transformed the atrium into a space that breathes relaxation. This is accomplished by the use of clear views, abundance of light and nature and the use of well-designed and modern coworking facilities. A sense of community is created with the addition of ‘stoepen’ in front of each office that border the coworking atrium. These semi-public terraces allow employees to sit and work ‘outside’ their office as if on an Italian town square. In collaboration with ARC Real Estate Partners and Ditt Officemakers, we transformed the building from a car showroom into the perfect home for the most innovative companies to collaborate and concentrate.