02. Mai 2011 
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MVRDV transforms Dijon Mustard laboratory
The city of Dijon and Teletech International have chosen MVRDV to transform a disused Dijon Mustard laboratory completed in 2004 into an innovative call centre with an education centre, incubator and social program. For MVRDV it represents an exemplary project: Transformation through reuse is one of the contemporary issues in European architecture since the current crisis. Completion of the 6,000 sqm refurbishment is planned for 2012.
All over Europe buildings are empty and waiting for a new future. Transformations are usually all about the preservation of historically or architecturally significant parts of a building. In this case the building is almost new, it was completed in 2004, and the preservation act directed towards reuse. The disused building is a former Unilever Dijon mustard laboratory and closed in 2009. The building is in a good state but due to its wide volume not suitable for traditional work spaces. The construction budget is too low to exchange the façade or make serious alterations to the structure. A fine balance is needed between intervention and intelligent re-use of the existing.
The Teletech call centre which will occupy the building has rush hours in the morning, afternoon and early evening, only at these moments the building will be fully occupied by its workforce. For these short periods work places can be used which would not be suitable for eight hour shifts. For this reason the former mustard factory became an interesting alternative to a more traditional office space. The transformation strategy is adapted to this irregular use of the building. The inside is turned into a work landscape and the 600 young call centre operators will have flexible spaces: they can log in anywhere they want inside this work landscape. Different qualities such as silent, open or secluded places are offered. The way young people often work, with a laptop on the sofa or bed, was an inspiration for the interior design: the space needs to appeal to the operators to work the way they like, the space will be informal and furnished with homely objects to provide a fun and creative working environment.
All over Europe buildings are empty and waiting for a new future. Transformations are usually all about the preservation of historically or architecturally significant parts of a building. In this case the building is almost new, it was completed in 2004, and the preservation act directed towards reuse. The disused building is a former Unilever Dijon mustard laboratory and closed in 2009. The building is in a good state but due to its wide volume not suitable for traditional work spaces. The construction budget is too low to exchange the façade or make serious alterations to the structure. A fine balance is needed between intervention and intelligent re-use of the existing.
The Teletech call centre which will occupy the building has rush hours in the morning, afternoon and early evening, only at these moments the building will be fully occupied by its workforce. For these short periods work places can be used which would not be suitable for eight hour shifts. For this reason the former mustard factory became an interesting alternative to a more traditional office space. The transformation strategy is adapted to this irregular use of the building. The inside is turned into a work landscape and the 600 young call centre operators will have flexible spaces: they can log in anywhere they want inside this work landscape. Different qualities such as silent, open or secluded places are offered. The way young people often work, with a laptop on the sofa or bed, was an inspiration for the interior design: the space needs to appeal to the operators to work the way they like, the space will be informal and furnished with homely objects to provide a fun and creative working environment.
