Pontsteiger Amsterdam: SELVE motors move the screens

It is an architecturally extraordinary and a striking building that dominates the Amsterdam skyline and attracts many glances. In the new Houthaven district, Pontsteiger, with its open block shape, rises more than 90 m into the sky and combines residential, hospitality, including a hotel, and commercial spaces under one roof. Screens from project sunscreen manufacturer Schellekens & Schellekens provide sun protection for this futuristic-looking building. They are operated with SELVE drive technology, specifically with hundreds of SE Plus drives.

For Amsterdam's former timber port, located on the IJ, where the ferry leaves for the NDSM site and the Distelweg, Arons and Gelauff Architects have conceived and realized a 26-story residential building that many believe gives the city a new perspective. The imposing volume of the Pontsteiger building is visible from a great distance and towers high above Amsterdam's old city center. It offers unparalleled views not only to the occupants of this strikingly designed building, but also to the people who work there and visitors. This striking building, which has become a new landmark of the city, includes more than 300 apartments. 

Impressive building

Beneath the building, raised as it were to a height of seven meters, there are pavilions for catering, among other things. Above this rises the building designed as an open block shape that is folded in two, as it were, with one half lying and one half standing. 

The impressive large-scale building is structured as follows. Above the plinth with the pavilions, the horizontal part of a total of six stories high forms a base of 85 by 85 m. On top of this, at two corners, there are towers, each eleven stories high. These are spanned by a building block almost 50 m high that has eight floors. 

"This particularly beautiful and special building in a prominent location was realized by a large project team and a large number of construction companies and suppliers were involved in the realization," says Operational Manager Geert Kersten of Schellekens & Schellekens. "Not for nothing was the BIM Award, an internationally recognized prize, presented for this striking building. This award is given to the most impressive construction projects worldwide."

Sun protection specialist

There is no doubt that the innovative spring jetty is also a special reference object for Schellekens & Schellekens, headquartered in Beuningen. Years of experience and solid knowledge in sun protection projects have made the company a leading project sun protection company on the Dutch market. Schellekens & Schellekens, part of the Hunter Douglas group, manufactures and realizes custom-made sun protection solutions. In addition, the company offers a wide range of services that range from installation to maintenance. 

"With about 90 employees, we are fully committed to delivering quality," Kersten said. "That is one of the reasons why Schellekens & Schellekens has been a SELVE partner for many years. A large number of professional sun protection systems that we have supplied for a wide variety of large buildings - from utility buildings to apartment complexes - are motorized by us with drive technology from Lüdenscheid. SELVE was again the perfect partner for us for the Pontsteiger project because the company always delivers good products at the right time. In addition to its product quality 'made in Germany', SELVE also distinguishes itself with fast decision-making and short delivery times." 

The SE Plus moves the screens

A total of 826 SE Plus drives from SELVE were applied to operate the screens custom-made by Schellekens & Schellekens for the Pontsteiger project. According to SELVE, as an all-rounder, this motor type is suitable for all types of blinds, including roller blinds and thus screens, as well as shutters. "All the advantages of SELVE's standard drives with electronic limit switching are found by both sun protection specialists and end users in the assembly-friendly SE Plus," believes SELVE managing director Andreas Böck. 

This universal engine has now also proven itself at Schellekens & Schellekens. "It was therefore the perfect solution for the large Amsterdam project," concludes Geert Kersten. "The SE Plus meets all the requirements for reliably lowering and raising screens with their heavy bottom slats."