The exterior façade is notable for its 819 moving aluminium panels that react to the outdoor climate and tothe guests present in the respective rooms. The panels provide additional insulation and also generate solar power, cutting energy consumption by more than half. Floor-to-ceiling windows and an atrium reduce the need for artificial illumination, thus reducing pollution. Located 70 m below ground level, the hotel energy storage system provides hot water in the colder months of the year.
Environmental sustainability at the QO also extends to its cuisine. On the 22nd floor the hotel loft houses a greenhouse where vegetables and fruit are grown for use in the innovative "Persijn" restaurant and "Juniper & Kin" bar, both operating as separate businesses. The perch breeding tank forms part of the self-sufficient ecosystem: the fish waste is used as biological fertiliser and the water in the fish tank is filtered by water plants. During the hotel’s construction natural, locally-sourced materials were used in the hotel rooms as well as in the events rooms and conference halls.
"Our idea was for the QO to stand out from other luxury lifestyle hotels”, says General Manager, Inge van Weert. “We don’t believe that guests should have to choose between luxury or sustainability. With the QO Amsterdam, we wanted to demonstrate that both criteria are not mutually exclusive".
Winners of the 2018 Hotel Property Award, the QO Amsterdam managed to win over the jury thanks to its "consistently sustainable concept". According to Andreas Martin, MD Hotelforum Management GmbH (the organisation responsible for the annual awards), "the building is a 'living organism’, so to speak, adapting to its surroundings like a chameleon. It also meets the highest standards in terms of CO2 emissions, water, energy and waste management". At the Hotelforum competition held last October, the ADDITIVE partner, Hotel Schgaguler won the "2019 Hotel Property of the Year" Award.
Here you can find a virtual tour of the hotel.
Discover here more about the QO Amsterdam Hotel.
