Not too long ago, the entire support organisation of PostNL (a Dutch mail, parcel, and e-commerce corporation) moved to one brand-new headquarters in The Hague. Although, brand new: the ‘Stationspostgebouw’ is a national monument that dates back to the 1940s and has its own unique character, which also plays a role in PostNL’s corporate history. In the past, mail trains were in fact loaded and unloaded there. The big challenge for the organisation and the architect was how to realise a hypermodern office while preserving the character of the building. PostNL asked DSPH to capture the renovation in a video. As a kind of time document, a mini-documentary for itself, its own employees, but also to the outside world. Stationspostgebouw: the making of.
The big challenge for us was of course: how do you squeeze an enormous renovation of over one and a half years into an engaging and digestible video of about six minutes? Through variety, and a strong story. Images of the ongoing construction are interspersed with talking heads. Dirk-Jan Postel, the interior architect, Herna Verhagen, CEO of PostNL, and Nikaj van Hernon, manager of real estate, facilities, and vehicle fleet at PostNL, are featured. We conducted the interviews and directed the content. This is how the video builds strongly towards the end result: a modern, green, healthy, social, and sustainable head office in the middle of the city.
