MENDO opens new store at Hotel De L’Europe
The new MENDO
Sketch of the exterior entrance to MENDO's new location at Hotel De L'Europe.
The word is out: in March, MENDO will open a new store at Hotel De L’Europe in Amsterdam. Here’s how the design, created by our friends from Nicemakers, came to be.
A new design, with a familiar vibe
Like in our store in the Berenstraat, the basis for our new store at Hotel De L’Europe is books. The space, formerly known as the Johannes van Dam chamber, already had an impressive collection of books that will be transferred to a library in the hotel and replaced with MENDO books. However, the bookshelves are the only thing that will be the same, the rest has been completely redesigned by our friends from Nicemakers.
Nicemakers redesigned the space with the past in mind, but also added bespoke elements to make it uniquely new. New furniture, custom made lighting, and redesigned doors will turn the former event space into a cozy new library that makes you feel comfortable as well as inspired.
When Hotel De L’Europe asked Nicemakers to restyle their entire hotel, Nicemakers thought of MENDO as one of the new brands to be a part of it. For Nicemakers’ Head of Design Lotti Lorenzetti, the essence of Hotel De L’Europe is its Amsterdam identity. “We wanted De L’Europe to be a hotel in Amsterdam for the people in Amsterdam,” she explains. “MENDO is so quintessentially Amsterdam and represents a popular destination for so many people from Amsterdam. Over the years, MENDO has become a part of Nicemakers in both our professional and personal path, so we didn’t have to think twice about who we wanted to involve in the project.”
Nicemakers
Joyce Urbanus and Dax Roll. Interior designers and founders of Nicemakers. Photo taken by Iris Duvekot, for our book The Workshop.
‘We are looking at De L'Europe's history, its place in this city, but also the future of it.’
That project is immense. Next to the new MENDO store, the interior of the entire hotel is being treated. Within less than a year, all 111 rooms and suites as well as the lobby and the new wing are being modernized in accordance to De L’Europe’s legacy and future. “We are looking at its history, its place in this city, but also the future of it,” Lotti says. “De L’Europe is a place with a very rich history, with its incredible views and windows over the Singel canal. We aimed to elevate the interiors that were already there to bring back the feeling of uniqueness. Some elements that remain are given a whole new context whilst the new elements may appear to have always been there.”
Sketch of the interior of MENDO's new location at Hotel De L'Europe.
As one of the new elements, MENDO indeed will appear to have always been there. The new store is inspired by the feeling of an old library. “We pushed the design to be a little more “living room” and a little less “shop,” Lotti explains. “We took the base of the room and the experience of MENDO in the Berenstraat, and combined them with the modern MENDO twist. We worked closely with Roy and Joost to make sure that all the elements of the MENDO experience were there. Design-wise the two destinations will be very different, but hopefully we’ve managed to create something equally innovative in terms of the “typical” book shopping experience.”
A lot of work is still left to be done before the opening, but within a few weeks the new store will open its doors in the Nieuwe Doelenstraat. A new design, with a familiar vibe. Opening March 15th.
Hotel De L'Europe in Amsterdam, a hotel with an unprecedented legacy.
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