Indoors and outdoors merge in a feat of transparency

Solarlux SL 70e folding glass door

In the past few years the district of Zuidoost, outside the historical heart of Amsterdam, has seen the emergence of a busy new city centre right beside ArenA Amsterdam, home ground of Dutch record-holding champions AFC Ajax, and the Heineken Music Hall, a venue for events which attracts people in their thousands. As part of a project to expand the entire area around Arena Boulevard, the City of Amsterdam called upon the property owners and operators to invest in high-quality enhancements to make the district a more attractive place. 
The redevelopment of the JinSo Loungebar, with which the renowned Delft-based architects’ office cepezed were commissioned, is part of the response to this call. The bar and adjoining restaurant offers Oriental cuisine, including Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Korean dishes. JinSo caters for 500-600 diners over two floors and on the terrace outside. 

A glass sculpture right in the middle of the urban landscape

Cafe Jinso, SL 70e geöffnet In the architects’ vision, the exposed site of JinSo Loungebar called for a clear structure and an unusual form. The distinctive structure of the glass solitaire deliberately strikes a contrast with the surrounding ribbon development. Its basic form is an oval with a surface area of 30 metres by 43 metres, and a height of 12 metres. The ground floor perimeter is inset by two metres, creating an overhang above the terrace. The upper floor consists of a perimeter gallery more than four metres wide.

Transparent and flexible façade design

The upper façade consists of cold-bent double glazing, which is what gives the outer skin its curvature. The roof is constructed of transparent ETFE foil air panels with integrated pneumatic sun protection louvres, which regulate incident sun and light. As the air pressure inside the chambers changes, the louvres shift position.

On the ground floor, the façade opens up to create a wide, threshold-free opening. Folding glass elements facilitate direct, physical communication between the bar/restaurant and the public space. Continuing the theme of the outdoor paving stone inside JinSo reinforces the effect of the seamless transition between indoors and outdoors. In total, 76 glazing elements were used on the ground floor.

The segmented SL 70e glass folding door from Solarlux, the market-leading system developer and manufacturer from Bissendorf in Germany, enables the façade to be opened out wide, despite the radial floor plan. The high strength of the elements and their ease of use facilitate flexibility in how they are used. For example, the structure adapts to the weather and the temperature outside. When the façade is closed, the building is mechanically air-conditioned. In warm weather, opening the façade out wide allows fresh air to circulate.

The circumferential glass façade affords an unobstructed view of the boulevard, while the flood of daylight creates an open and transparent ambience indoors. Here the diner is comfortably sheltered without being cut off from the world outside. By night, when JinSo Loungebar is all lit up, the glass oval is transformed into a shining beacon, drawing admiring looks from passers-by.