Platform on new construction, renovation, restoration and transformation
RED Bouw is a multidisciplinary construction company with a decades-long track record of innovative and pioneering projects. Its success story began in the late 1990s, when the family-owned business was commissioned to undertake Europe’s largest construction project: the reconstruction of Berlin. “This soon proved to be a great springboard to the Netherlands,” says director and owner Enes Djerlek. “Starting out under the name Ensan, we experienced rapid growth, which was crowned in 2010 with a new name: RED Bouw. Our first project in the Netherlands was the parking garage next to Arnhem Central Station, which extended a full four stories below ground.” It turned out to be the starting point for an impressive series of projects.
“As an organization, we thrive on complex projects in unique locations, with distinctive designs and challenging construction,” says Djerlek. “From residential to non-residential construction, where integrated project management is our top priority. We take care of everything for our clients—from consulting and design through construction to completion. In doing so, we create added value that goes beyond just building. Our core values—future-proof, forward-thinking, and innovative—are always at the forefront of what we do.”
An absolute highlight in the history of RED Bouw is the completion of the nhow Amsterdam RAI hotel, which, with 650 rooms and two underground parking levels, is the largest hotel in the Benelux, according to Djerlek. “The hotel is characterized by impressive architecture and complex construction. For example, the superstructure consists of three stacked triangles, each at a different angle. This creates impressive cantilevers of no less than 16.5 meters. All the structural forces of the 24-story building are absorbed by the core, which contains eleven elevator shafts. Because of the clean lines, quality, and appearance of the concrete work, the architect chose to leave the surfaces of the hotel room ceilings exposed.”
With the completion of the nhow Amsterdam RAI hotel, RED Bouw has firmly put itself on the map. “So much has been written about this project that suddenly everyone was familiar with our company,” says Djerlek. “And that certainly hasn’t hurt us. In the Zuidas alone, one out of every three high-rise projects is (partly) the work of RED Bouw—from the New Amsterdam Court House to The Pulse of Amsterdam. Other notable projects include The President and New Babylon in The Hague.”
RED Bouw is currently involved in the construction of projects such as Dialogue in Amsterdam, Cartesius in Utrecht, LEAD in Leiden, and The BaanTower in Rotterdam. “This last project in particular is special because we’re carrying out the development and construction as a single general partnership (VOF) with developer RED Company, architect Powerhouse Company, and construction firm RED Bouw,” says Djerlek. “This allows us to achieve significant project speed while greatly reducing failure costs. We’re so pleased with this approach that we’ll also be using the same partnership to build RISE in Rotterdam, which—with three slender residential towers standing 286 meters tall—will be the tallest residential project in the Benelux. The same applies to the 220-meter-tall Codrico residential tower in Rotterdam and Think District in Amsterdam, which will include over 1,300 homes, 6,500 workspaces, and 8,000 m² of commercial space.”
In keeping with the collaborative approach, the design of The BaanTower is also noteworthy. As an example, Djerlek cites the five iconic 18-meter-high column arches that form the foundation—both literally and figuratively—of this striking building.
