V8 Architects

Heliport Dordrecht

A motorway is not a city square, shopping street, or road leading to a train station. A motorway crosses through the landscape, touches cities, and above all offers visibility and accessibility. Why then do we often see office buildings alongside motorways that look as if they are part of the urban fabric? Why do they have the front door on a pavement, with a picnic table behind a sound barrier and a large logo on the roof for recognition? We think this can be done differently and better. Heliport in Dordrecht was founded on these ambitions.

Comfort at the side of the motorway

The new Heliport maximises the potential of the location by creating a green imprint on all sides and by doing so enhancing the landscaped edge along the motorway. Our design provides a workplace for people. A place to meet, concentrate, work together and be inspired.

The green terraces provide comfort, heat-shielding, privacy and a pleasant work environment.

Hybrid shell

The dual character of the Heliport is expressed in the construction of the building. A steel and concrete frame forms a flexible shell in the substructure and makes large, column-free spaces possible. The glass superstructure has a fully wooden construction and is fitted with a glass facade. Both structures have not been further finished. The motto ‘rough is finish’ makes a comfortable interior and an expressive interior. The wooden structure creates a beacon of warmth on the motorway during the evening hours.

Billboard

The top of Heliport enhances the iconic character of this new building. As a delicately transparent volume, it shows a contemporary workplace to the many thousands of passing motorists where technology and comfort go hand in hand. Founded and rooted in the green strip along the motorway.