The Amstelveen Theater is located to the south of the city of Amsterdam and the original building dates back to 1975. The renovation project focused on transforming the Theater Tower into a magnificent performance space, doubling the height of the old building to allow for more internal capacity for stage design. The bold and daring architectural vision for the new Theater Tower was masterminded by Anja Blechen at the internationally-renowned Dutch firm, Benthem Crouwel Architects.

The design called for a gold-coloured, pimpled-like facade made from 500 aluminium composite panels. According to ECCA collection: “The choice of material was made after the architect and client had examined several types of material. Determining what to use was a challenge, says Benthem Crouwel, given the project’s rigorous cost, durability, sound-proofing and weight requirements.” Equally challenging was the creation of the dramatic ‘pimpled-like’ effect that the architect had envisioned.

For the outer skin of the Theater Tower, Benthem Crouwel decided to use etalbond^® aluminium composite panels with a fire retardant core. These panels were subsequently coated with a 3 layer PVDF coating for enhanced weather resistance and finished in Gold Metallic. To achieve the pimpled-like effect, each 1.5 x 1.5 metre aluminium cassette (featured a 13cm-deep hydro-formed hemisphere in its centre) was shaped by using a mould and highly pressurized water.

Completed in 2013, the substructure of the new Amstelveen Theater Tower consists of precast concrete slabs supported by a steel frame. The etalbond^® panels are supported by a hanging ventilated façade system that allowed for a speedy installation and full air recirculation (improving overall energy performance) without compromising the golden architectural vision. The result is a striking and reflective cube, a new city landmark with theatrical flair that seems to shimmer during the day. With Elval Colour’s help, Amstelveen Theater has become a sparkling jewel in the heart of old Amsterdam.