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CUSTOM LOGISTICS AT HIGH VISIBILITY LOCATION ON THE A44
On the outskirts of Sassenheim, a new distribution center for Wesseling Logistics has risen in recent months. The building was designed by STOL architects from Lisse and includes a transshipment hall, office space, car wash and truck fueling area. “A nice and appealing project in a high-profile location,” says Wesseling.”
Family firm Wesseling Logistics and STOL architects have a long history together. Thus, the architectural firm also made the design for the old office building and the nearby industrial halls. Project Manager Dennis Elstak of STOL architects: “At Wesseling's current location in Sassenheim, there are several connected industrial halls with separate offices. This was less efficient and with the growth of the company, the need arose for a new distribution center for the transshipment of goods at one central location.” The first step was to search for the right spot. That was found after several detours at a high visibility location on the A44 motorway. The plot is more than 36,000 m2 in size.
The client's wish was a unique building. A custom solution was therefore chosen. The hall had to provide enough space for future expansion with many docks for loading and unloading. The length of the lot was ideal to accommodate the desired amount of docks.
Says Elstak, “The design took into account the length of the trucks, which must be able to drive in and out easily to the road that runs around the building. We also had to consider parking for a large number of trucks and for staff cars.”
The new distribution center was completed in late 2025 and will be in operation in March 2026. The hall has an area of more than about 7,000 m² and has 75 loading docks. In the design of the hall, efficiency came first: the architect chose a structural design with large spans and a minimum number of intermediate columns. There was also an indoor truck wash. The office section, where Wesseling Logistics“ headquarters will be located, was architecturally the most work, says architect Raya Yousif. ”The office section is along the Rijksstraatweg and of course had to be representative. It has become a combination of brickwork, lots of glass and aluminum facade bands in a beautiful pearlescent color. The building has multiple functions that are reflected in the facade. For example, it is clearly visible where the main entrance is and where the drivers' entrance is. The main entrance occupies two floors with a void. The driver's entrance is located in the armpit between the main office and the transshipment hall."
STOL Architects supervised the entire process: from the initial site surveys and zoning process to the design of the interior and surrounding outdoor space. Elstak is pleased with the creation of the project. “It's an appealing and fun project in a high-profile location. The zoning process was complex, but through intensive consultation with the municipality, the Water Board and local residents, and by substantiation with the right studies, we were able to carefully embed the plan. The long-term cooperation with Wesseling Logistics made it possible to design a building that is fully in line with its ambitions and desire to remain in Sassenheim.”
