Synthetic materials supplier Bolidt is due to officially open its Innovation Centre at the beginning of October.
Forming part of the Bolidt Campus, the centre is a new hub for collaborative product development and testing that will take flooring and decking design using synthetic materials to a new level.
Bolidt has already anticipated demand for more sustainable products from the cruise sector by becoming the first supplier to replace teak with the synthetic patented Bolideck Future Teak.
The 15 m-high building’s structure features a partly transparent shell, which is echoed by extensive use of interior glass to create the sense of openness and collaboration that is core to the centre’s work.
The building’s design themes, developed by a consortium, including Luchinger Architects, Kossman.dejong and RoosRos Architects, are evident throughout, as on entry, visitors pass through a glass gallery, which offers a view of a large exhibition floor where materials are being tested. Using a transparent lift, they then ascend to a rooftop terrace where Bolidt’s outdoor applications are on display.
“The building will provide a focal point for us to showcase the products we can offer to a wide range of industries, but also to interact with partners to drive forward our research and development work for years to come,” explained Michel van der Spek, Bolidt Marketing and Experience Director. “We expect the memory of a visit to the Bolidt Center will last a long time as visitors will not only be able to see, feel and experience how materials are created, but can also try their hand at developing materials of their own in the R&D Centre.”
“The building is bursting with moments and places where the visitor is part of the innovation formula,” Van der Spek added. “In the R&D Centre you can put together your own samples or conduct experiments under the supervision of specialists. This gives visitors a live experience of all the possible uses for Bolidt’s know-how and materials.”
Furthermore, a climate chamber and accelerated weathering laboratory to test materials in harsh and extreme environments has been added.
Jacco van Overbeek, Bolidt Maritime Division Director, explained. “We are working on a number of Polar and expedition cruise vessel projects at the moment and these facilities will be put to good use developing materials that meet the needs of shipowners and passengers on board.”
Another building on the same site includes a logistics and product warehouse area and a pre-fabrication production facility.
