Zeekr concept store – ADC

Hackney-based Unknown Works has completed a technologically advanced concept store in Amsterdam for Zeekr, a global electric vehicle brand. The project, located within the historic Vroom & Dreesmann building, offers 2,000 square meters of retail space and marks Zeekr’s first European flagship store. The design melds the 19th-century heritage of the site with modern, open-plan showroom, creating an immersive “automotive experience” in the heart of Amsterdam.

The store occupies a prime location at the intersection of Rokin and Kalverstraat, Amsterdam’s main shopping thoroughfare. Respecting the area’s protected façades, Unknown Works has turned the interior into a sleek, engaging space that exhibits Zeekr’s latest vehicles as well as the story behind the company.

At the centre of the store is an audiovisual installation, known as ‘The Central Moment,’ which features a Zeekr car surrounded by a large-scale transparent LED screen. The installation occupies the void left by the former department store’s escalator, with the space being repurposed as the showroom’s focal point. Here, a bright orange car lift draws further attention, also allows vehicles to be moved between the ground floor and basement, creating a flexible environment for events, demonstrations, and lectures.

The installation is also the first of its produced kind outside China and provides a platform for simulating a test drive through various landscapes. The display has been created in collaboration with BAFTA-winning studio Factory Fifteen and highlights the car’s potential by depicting journeys through urban and rural settings.

Given the store’s location, effort has been made to draw the attention of passersby on foot, by bicycle, and even from those going by boat along the canal. The corner facing Kalverstraat showcases Zeekr’s performance models, while the rest of the store includes educational areas with large screens, car configuration zones with interactive displays, as well as a café and bar.

Bespoke industrial design elements have been developed by Unknown Works for the store, including a stainless steel display system and modular tables with embedded technology, with these elements designed to be flexible and ensuring the space remains adaptable.

White terrazzo floors and exposed concrete columns reflect the building’s retail history, while a textured render adds depth, with the lighting system – a grid, set above an open mesh ceiling – adds a sense of depth to the tall space and allows the space to be customized for special events.

The basement continues the design language of the upper floors, with a darker, acoustically treated space suited for projection mapping and further audiovisual experiences.

“This flagship store in Amsterdam is a bold statement for Zeekr as they enter the European market,” said Theo Games, director at Unknown Works in a statement. “We aimed to create a space that not only showcases the advanced technology and comfort of Zeekr’s vehicles but also conveys a sense of movement and energy within a static environment.”

Fellow director Kaowen Ho added: “Our design prioritises transparency, ensuring that Zeekr’s technological narrative is visible from both the shopping district and the canal-side, drawing in passersby and inviting them to explore.”