The Amazon Web Services (AWS) business reopened its new office in Haarlem, the Netherlands in 2022; But the strange point of the story, which received a lot of attention on social networks this week, was that the said office is located in a former prison.
The prison in question is known as Koppel Prison or Harlem Dome Prison. This prison was opened in 1901 and closed in 2016. After its closure, Koppel prison was temporarily used as a shelter for Syrian refugees seeking asylum.
According to an insider reportAmazon uses the space on the third floor of Koppel Prison; This is because on this floor the prison cells have been converted into administrative offices and common desks are available for people. Two days ago, one of Amazon’s employees published a video of this space on the social network TikTok, and yesterday we saw it being published on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
The video shows several former prison cells with the Amazon logo plastered over them. TikTok users say that these rooms are decorated with office furniture and chairs and are used as meeting rooms.
Many people’s comments and posts refer to the ridiculousness of Amazon’s office in the former prison. Previously, extensive reports have been published about the high workload of Amazon employees, low salaries and even the inability of employees to use the bathroom due to not finishing work.
This prison is a dome-shaped building with several rooms facing the center. This structure is similar to full-screen prisons that do not allow prisoners to know whether they are being watched or not. These prisons are designed in such a way that the guard can easily observe the prisoners. Of course, in this prison, the guard towers are located on the sides and not in the center.
The fact that Amazon uses a panoramic style building is a remarkable occurrence. Because Amazon has been criticized for monitoring and collecting data on Ring home cameras and continuously collecting information on other products such as Alexa.
A few months ago, Amazon had to pay $30 million in damages related to two legal cases. The US Federal Trade Commission accused Amazon of violating privacy. In the documents related to one of the cases, it was revealed that Ring employees were spying on users.
Cupola XS is the company that manages office spaces in Cupola Prison. This brand hosts major financial companies including Rabo Bank and BCNL. Other parts of the former prison include a cafe, spaces for guided tours and study spaces for students.
Valerie WallenduckCoppola XS COO told Insider in an email that a lot of things happen in this prison. He announced that the company is building a technology camp using entrepreneurs and students. Cultural activities such as watching movies and orchestras are also held in this prison.
