NETHERLANDS. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol today began work on a major renovation and expansion of Departure Lounge 3, with space for retail and food & beverage set to increase by over +20%. Work is scheduled to finish by the autumn of 2011.
The lounge handles around 5.3 million passengers a year, and has a floor space of 8,400sq m.
Schiphol Group said: “The design of Departure Lounge 3 is intended to create an environment in which passengers not only feel at home and can relax but also a place where they can work and enjoy shopping. The key words are spacious, uncluttered, white and light.
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Lounge 3 at Schiphol will feature +20% more space for commercial activities once completed |
“The design incorporates steel elements, while at the same time preserving a warm ambience. A unique feature is the huge meeting square with a green glass house – The House of Tulips – spectacularly suspended in the air. The seating areas are surrounded by plants to further enhance the sense of calm and space.”
New to the lounge will be a shopping street with eye-catching food and retail concepts including Grand Café Amsterdam, Fine Food, East bar & bites, Bread, Pizza & Pasta di Mama and a fashion unit from Hermès. The airport’s See Buy Fly shops will also be a key feature, and a new XpresSpa outlet will open its doors to passengers.
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Amsterdam Airport Schiphol was profiled in the October 2010 issue of The Moodie Report Digital Print Edition |
Speaking to The Moodie Report during a recent tour of the airport, Managing Director Business Area Consumer Otto Ambagtsheer said: “Lounge 3 won awards when it opened, but the facades look old now. It’s Schiphol’s ambition to be Europe’s preferred airport, and to achieve that we have to upgrade our commercial facilities. And there is a lot more we can do in Lounge 3 from a revenue point of view.”
The company said in a statement: “Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is more than simply an airport. It is a dynamic hub where people and worlds meet, just like a modern city. It provides a range of facilities suited to all target groups to enable passengers to spend their time at the airport in an inspiring and pleasant manner. The renovation and expansion of Departure Lounge 3 perfectly reflects both Amsterdam Airport Schiphol’s strategy to be Europe’s preferred airport and its brand values of inspiration and hospitality.”
The shops in Departure Lounge 3 will remain open during construction. Work will be carried out in phases and during the evening as much as possible, said Schiphol Group.
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