Rotterdam, CENTRAAL STATION (****– 2013) Architect: Team CS met Maarten Struijs 1 Address: Stationsplein 1 ZEECONTAINER RESTAURANT (2005) 15 Architect: Bijvoet architectuur & Stadsontwerp large and small Address: Loods Celebes 101 HOGE HEREN (2005) RED APPLE (2009) Architect: Wiel Arets Architects Address: Gedempte Zalmhaven 179 Despite the current recession in the Dutch building industry, Architect: KCAP Architects & Planners 10 construction – of both the large-scale high-rise projects typical 6 Address: Wijnbrugstraat 200 of this city and more modest ‘infill’ architecture – continues apace in Rotterdam. ACHTERHAVEN (2011) THE NETHERLANDS — TEXT: Emiel Lamers, photography: Sonia Mangiapane, Illustration: Loulou&Tummie Architect: Studio Sputnik 16 Address: Achterhaven otterdam is one of the few old cities line. Since the construction of the Erasmus No one arriving in Rotterdam by train can is regarded as a monument of the post-war n der Hoek in Europe characterized by massive Bridge in 1996, the centre has expanded miss the massive reconstruction of Centraal reconstruction of the city. If all goes according A rd v KUNSTHAL (1992) high-rise in the centre of the city. In across the river to the poorer, southern part of Station (1). The original station hall de- to plan, it will be integrated with the new mu- A R All Architect: Rem Koolhaas, Fumi Hoshino OMA SCHIEBLOCK (2011) one night of heavy bombing on 14 May 1940, the city where two new districts, Kop van Zuid signed by Sybold van Ravesteyn in 1957, has nicipal offices (4), scheduled to open here in Address: Westzeedijk 341 CULTUURCENTRUM WORM (2011) 11 at the beginning of World War II, Rotterdam and Wilhelminapier, now boast some impres- made way for a much more spacious, raked March 2015. The soaring block-shaped design Architect: ZUS (Zones Urbaines Sensibles) lost its entire historical city centre. After the sive high-rise buildings. Hundreds of square concourse. The elegant concrete platform is by Rem Koolhaas (OMA), who won a con- 2 Address: Schiekade 189 Architect: Architectenbureau Kühne & Co 7 Address: Boomgaardsstraat 71 war, it was decided not to restore the dam- metres of office space continue to be built roofs have also been demolished and replaced troversial design competition from four other aged buildings, save for three structures – the here, even while elsewhere in the city many by a single glass canopy of almost 30,000 m² Dutch architectural firms in 2009. The ground late medieval Sint Laurens church, the 17th- office buildings stand empty. The Schieblock with integrated PV cells. The whole structure floor will contain a public arcade and coun- century Schielandhuis and the monumental near Centraal Station provides one example was designed by Team CS, an ad hoc consor- cil services, while the two towers will house town hall built in 1920. The rest of the rav- of how that problem is being tackled. tium made up of Benthem Crouwel, Meyer en some 90 different apartments, the more ex- aged centre was demolished and cleared In some areas the city is an aggregate of Van Schooten and West 8, working with city pensive with generous square terraces. Until away. What the city authorities had in mind big, discrete buildings. This still patchy co- architect Maarten Struijs. The public trans- construction actually starts, the future build- for Rotterdam was a new and modern city. herence at the level of urban design is a focal port interchange]is scheduled for completion ing site has been laid out as a neighbourhood The canals were filled in with rubble from the point of Rotterdam’s architectural policy. The in late 2013. playground and meeting place to a design by bombed-out buidings in order to make room city is investing more in the design of public Not far from the central post office build- 2012Architecten, who also designed a tem- OT-THEATER (2004) LIJNBAAN (1953 / 2012) for a generously laid out street plan. Since space and prioritizing small-scale interven- ing renovated by Claus en Kaan, stands the porary ‘vertical garden’ on the rear elevation Architect: Franz_Ziegler LE MEDI (2008) the reconstruction plans, drawn up by urban tions. And, despite the crisis, housing projects Schieblock (2), an empty 1950s office build- of the Stadstimmerhuis. Architect: Van den Broek Bakema / Quadrat 12 Address: Sint-Jobsweg 3 designer Cornelis van Traa, could not be im- are still being built in the city centre in an ef- ing that is in the throes of a temporary trans- Between the St Laurents church and the 3 Address: Lijnbaan Architect: Geurst & Schulze Architecten 17 Address: Oaseplein plemented all at once, the centre was for fort to bring more people and vitality into the formation initiated by Architectenbureau Delftsevaart waterway lies Grotekerkplein. In decades a open expanse dotted with build- city, which tends to shut down at the end of ZUS and supported by both the owner and an attempt to liven up this somewhat bleak ings. Until 1981, for example, there was a the work day. the city council. It now houses a dynamic ‘city square, the city council commissioned Atel- large deer park opposite the city’s main train We begin our architectural tour at Cen- laboratory’ made up of mainly young busi- ier Kempe Thill to design a theatre pavilion. station. Rotterdam is still a spacious city by tral Station where, if you want to do it in true nesses in the creative sector. Architecture lec- The Urban Podium (5), built in 2009, stands Dutch standards, with a very un-Dutch sky- Dutch style, you can hire a bicycle. tures and debates are held in the ground-floor beside the water’s edge and directly opposite ‘Dépendance’. During the next Architecture the church tower. The slightly curved, precast Biennale (April–August 2012), provided suf- concrete roof spans a thirty-metre space be- KANTOOR & BEDRIJFSWONING (2009) Architect: Architectenbureau Kühne & Co ficient sponsors can be found, a temporary tween two service blocks. During perform- Address: Boomgaardsstraat 34 STADSKANTOOR (****– 2014) 8 pedestrian bridge will be built through the ances, a curtain can be hung from the rails Architect: Rem Koolhaas OMA JOBSVEEM (2007) Schieblock, linking the train station with the by way of backdrop. The pavilion is well lit at Address: Rodezand 4 Architect: Mei Architecten Hofbogen on the other side of Hofplein. A Mini night, contributing to the social safety of the 13 i.s.m. Wessel de Jonge Mall installed at one end of this disused rail usually deserted square. Address: Lloydstraat 138 viaduct in September 2010 was the first step Between the Boompjes and the Blaak, in the redevelopment of the entire Hofplein on the tip of a former finger wharf known as line viaduct. Wijnhaveneiland, stands an eye-catching Heading west from Hofplein along the red tower (see A10#29), nicknamed the Red south side of the Weena, one comes to the be- Apple (6). This 124-metre-tall apartment ginning of the Lijnbaan (3) the Netherlands’ tower plus residential/office block was real- VAN NELLE ONTWERPFABRIEK first shopping mall, designed in 1953 by Van ized in 2009 by Kees Christiaanse, KCAP. As (1929 / 2004) den Broek en Bakema. From today’s perspec- the building rises, the anodized aluminium 18 Architect: Brinkman v/d Vlugt , Wessel de Jonge tive, the small-scale pedestrian streets lined panels in front of the load-bearing facade col- Address: Van Nelleweg 1 by low-rise shops against a backdrop of tall umns become narrower and the areas of glaz- apartment buildings arranged around public ing become bigger. All the living rooms in the parks look more like a suburban shopping cen- tower are corner rooms with two fully glazed tre than the retail hub of a major city. Plans for walls affording spectacular views. the reconfiguration of the public space, drawn up by Paul Achterberg (Quadrat) are gradu- ally being implemented. The run-down town ‘Despite the crisis, hall square will in due course be redesigned to housing projects SCHEEPVAART & SPORTPAVILJOEN (2010) match the beautifully refurbished town hall. URBAN PODIUM (2009) WONING & KANTOOR (2011) TRANSPORTCOLLEGE (2005) Behind this town hall stands the old pub- are still being built Architect: MoederscheimMoonen Architect: Atelier Kempe Thill Architect: Architectenbureau Kühne & Co 14 Architect: Neutelings Riedijk Architects 19 Architects lic works office, the Stadstimmerhuis, which in the city centre.’ 5 Address: Grotekerkplein 27 9 Address: Boomgaardhof 73 Address: Lloydstraat 300 Address: v/d Duijn van Maasdamweg 601 58 A10 # 43 Eurovision Eurovision A10 # 43 59 the twenty-first century, the young monu- LP2 events space and a fish restaurant. The ment was converted into a multi-occupancy ‘penthouse’ structure that is raised above the building for the creative industry by Wessel roof surface on pilotis, is occupied by property de Jonge. Thanks to the clever way in which developer OVG. necessary changes to the building’s envelope Diagonally opposite the new Luxor Thea- (e.g. double glazing) have been carried out, tre on Rijnhaven stands the country’s tall- the characteristic slender steel frames have est office tower. Named after the river, the DE ROTTERDAM (2013) been largely preserved. 38,000 m², 44-storey Maastoren (25) was Architect: Rem Koolhaas OMA Next to Rotterdam’s airport, Zestienhoven, designed by Dam & Partners. The tower is Address: Wilhelminakade a suburb of the same name comprising over heated and cooled by a system that uses river 23 HOGESCHOOL INHOLLAND METRO STATION BLIJDORP (2010) (2000 + 2008) 1800 dwellings is currently being built. Be- water and underground thermal energy stor- Architect: Maarten Struijs / 26 Architect: Erick van Egeraat tween this new residential area and an adja- age. At the top of the building is a sky lobby- 20 Gemeente Werken R’dam Address: Posthumalaan 90 cent parkland, MoederscheimMoonen de- cum-boardroom.