Joint venture acquires OMA's huge stacked Amsterdam hotel
by Kim Megson | 20 Apr 2017
The eye-catching design will see three twisting triangular volumes stacked together
Global finance firm AXA Investment Managers - Real Assets has joined forces with Denmark’s largest pension fund, ATP, to acquire a 650-room lifestyle hotel in Amsterdam designed by the architectural practice of Rem Koolhaas.
The four star Nhow Amsterdam RAI Hotel – which will feature conference facilities, a wellness centre, skybar and restaurant and its own TV studio – is being built on the southeastern edge of the RAI Expo Centre, which is one of the largest of its type in Europe.
Visualised by architects OMA, the hotel will be the biggest in the Netherlands. The eye-catching design will see three twisting triangular volumes stacked together, preserving the dense flows of pedestrians, cyclists and automotive traffic traversing the site and “creating a unique presence on Amsterdam's skyline.”
In a statement, AXA said it will “become an international hub for business and leisure travellers” when it opens in the second half of 2019.
Construction on the project, which will be BREEAM Excellent certified, started in September 2016.
“Amsterdam RAI needed a new urban presence,” said OMA partner Reinier de Graaf when the project was first launched in 2015. “A prominent [twisting] advertising pillar next to the site provided inspiration for the hotel, which is both a part of the new context and an extension of the Amsterdam RAI itself.”
Real estate developers COD and Being Development have overseen the project so far. A division of AXA has partnered with ATP in a joint venture to acquire the development by way of a forward purchase.
The hotel will be operated by Nhow, part of the NH Hotel Group, which has signed a pre-let on a long-term lease.
“This acquisition demonstrates AXA IM - Real Assets’ capabilities to underwrite significant development projects across a diverse range of sectors, with the goal of generating attractive returns on behalf of our clients,” said Nathalie Charles, the company's regional head of asset management and transactions for Southern Europe.
“Amsterdam is one of Europe’s fastest growing and most dynamic cities and we are excited about growing our hotel footprint, following soon after the refurbishment inauguration of the NH Collection Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in April 2016.
“It is an ideal location to build a large-scale and high-quality hotel, that is attractive to both corporate and leisure guests, alongside an operator who has established a market-leading reputation managing hotels across the region.”
AXA IM - Real Assets’ now has a portfolio of over 80 hotels, across eight countries, that it manages on behalf of clients. According to the company, the combined value of its properties is €2.6bn (US$2.8bn, £2.2bn).
OMA Amsterdam AXA Investment Managers - Real Assets Nhow RAI Expo Centre Nhow Amsterdam RAI Hotel Rem Koolhaas11 Jan 2017
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Global finance firm AXA Investment Managers - Real Assets has joined forces with Denmark’s largest pension fund, ATP, to acquire a 650-room lifestyle hotel in Amsterdam designed by the architectural practice of Rem Koolhaas. The four star Nhow Amsterdam RAI Hotel – which will feature conference facilities, a wellness centre, skybar and restaurant and its own TV studio – is being built on the southeastern edge of the RAI Expo
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