Philips Global Headquarters, Amsterdam [NL]

EeStairs + Fokkema & Partners Architecten

In Philips’ Amsterdam headquarters, a multi-storey atrium acts as an internal street, lined with glass-fronted workplaces and planted terraces. Set beneath a skylit roof, the space is anchored by a generous timber tribune for informal meetings, while a pair of helical stairs rise through the void as a luminous wayfinding marker.

For EeStairs, the brief demanded architectural clarity with day-to-day robustness. The tribune is carried on a concealed steel frame, its oak-faced platforms and treads detailed as joinery, with American Elm HPL to risers and side linings for hard-wearing, colour-consistent surfaces. The main challenge was marrying tight geometry to extensive glazing and integrated lighting, so interfaces were templated and joints positioned to disappear within the rhythm of the balustrades.

The helical stairs are formed from powder-coated steel plate that doubles as structure and guard, finished with seamless EeSoffit soffits and colour-tunable LED channels. Composite stone treads and brushed stainless-steel handrails provide durability, while FSC-certified timber underscores responsible craft.