New Lounge 1 extension opens at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

Amsterdam Schiphol has opened a new section of Lounge 1, offering an 5,000 additional square metres of space for passengers flying within Europe.

The Dutch gateway notes that “the extra space is an important milestone in the improvements being made to the airport”, adding that “it sets the standard for the new Schiphol that is spacious, modern and offers a better passenger experience.”

Over the coming months work will continue in Lounge 1 on new amenities, including catering establishments and shops. This renovation is part of the investment plans to improve quality at the airport.

More than 20,000 square metres of passenger area in Lounge 1 is being redeveloped and made future-proof.

The technical areas and systems are also being tackled. With the additional 5,000 square metres, Lounge 1 is visibly larger and has a more spacious look and feel. With a new walking route, the extra space will improve the flow of passengers travelling to European destinations.

The airport notes that the new plaza offers more seating for passengers and room for new amenities such as a host of new catering outlets and shops, which ESAP (a construction consortium of Equans and SPIE Nederland) is going to be working on over the next few months.

Sybren Hahn, Schiohol’s executive director for Infrastructure, says: “The finished plaza is a new part of Schiphol to be proud of, and an important step in the redevelopment of the airport. It is the transformation of the oldest part of our airport into a modern, bright space, while also replacing fundamental parts. Literally and figuratively a strong piece of work.

“This new area sets a new standard for how we want to welcome passengers, with more space, comfort and modern facilities. It’s one example of our efforts to align the space available at Schiphol with passenger numbers.

“We continue to work hard on making Schiphol future-proof, with quality and experience being the focus.”

Efficient use of scarce space 


This additional space was created by transforming a car park and parts of four existing buildings into a new passenger area. Connecting the building parts together created a spacious plaza with lots of natural light.

Three large trees of four to six metres provide a natural, calming atmosphere. For the interior, more sustainable materials such as bamboo wall panels were chosen, and grass cut at Schiphol was incorporated into the seating.

Major investment plan

The redevelopment of Lounge 1 is an important milestone on the way to more quality at the airport, which will involve Schiphol investing €6 billion in enhancing its facilities in the coming five years.

With the largest investment plan in the airport’s history, Schiphol aims to improve infrastructure, working conditions and services for passengers and airlines. Hundreds of large and small projects are planned throughout the airport area, including the renewal of Pier C and Lounge 2.