The Atlantic Huis of Atlantic House is the monumental conclusion of the stately Parklaan. Most buildings in the area date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and have richly decorated neo facades. The Atlantic House was completed in 1930 and is richly decorated in Art Deco style. Especially the lettering, the decorations and the towers are characteristic of this style.

The Atlantic House is one of the first multiple occupancy buildings in the Netherlands and thus a forerunner of the Groothandelsgebouw. There were office, retail and storage space for various companies, a central reception area, and room for shared maintenance and monitoring. Modern features in the building were the concrete skeleton, the paternoster lifts and parking garage in the basement. Access to the basement for ninety cars is located on the narrow Houtlaan.

The building has a U-shaped plan. The ground floor housed a café, shops and several showrooms. Since 1988, the original café area is filled in by grand-café Loos.. The four floors offer office spaces situated on the front of the building. The upper layer has a gable roof and served as an archive and storage space. Two round corners frame the central part of the main entrance. The ground floor has a stone facade, the entrance to which is put up. The floor facades are clad with brick. Heavy black concrete strip give a horizontal accent. The original steel frames have been replaced by synthetic material. The facade is decorated with port symbols.The two reliefs on either side of the entrance by sculptor Willem Brouwer picture Hermes, the god of trade and Neptune, the god of the sea. Many of the stained-glass windows in the interior picture stylized ships, trains and factories as a portrayal of the modern Rotterdam.

 

Restauration

 

The Atlantic-huis was given a second life as an apartment complex. Between 2007 and 2009 the building was restored and adapted to the new housing function. There are 40 apartments and 10 maisonettes realized. Architect Jeroen Hoorn even made the attic suitable for habitationThe first floor still houses offices. The central entrance has been reconstructed.

Literature:

• Bouwkundig Weekblad 1932 p. 94
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1890-1945, 1991
• H. Baaij, J. Oudenaarden - Monumenten uit Rotterdam, 1992 

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The Beurstraverse an underground pedestrian passage that connects the Lijnbaan and the Hoogstraat. The result is a better route for pedestrians between the two major shopping centers, reducing the number of pedestrians on the busy Coolsingel. Furthermore, it made the metro station Beursplein more accessible. The Beurstraverse offers direct access to the basements of some existing chain stores such as Bijenkorf, V&D, Hema and C&A. Popularly the Beurstraverse was soon renamed the "Koopgoot” (shopping gutter).

During the constructing of the Beurstraverse the original department store between Beursplein and Bulgersteyn had to be demolished and only a few shops on the Korte Hoogstraat were spared. The building of C&A (J.A. van der Laan, 1949), the Warehouse Kattenburg (H.A. Maaskant , 1951) and Hema (A. Alsace, 1952) were all demolished.

The new building for the Hema and C&A also contains a shopping arcade. This new passage, marked by a yellow conical shape, is narrow and high, but has little of the allure of the famous pre-war Passage of the architect Van Wijk. A parking garage is built above the shops, because the basement is part of the shopping area. Next to the garage block a high residential building was erected, the Schieland tower..

 

Simultaneously with the construction of the Beurstraverse the shopping centre Vroom & Dreesmann was substantially renoovated by the original architects. After the building was provided with a modern glass facade in the late fifties, architects Kraaijvanger gave it a facelift once again. On the Leeuwenstraat a garage has been added. The construction of the Beurstraverse provided 7000 square meters of additional retail space and two parking garages for 800 cars in the center of Rotterdam.

 

Funshopping

 

The interior of the sunken passage has been designed by the famous American architect Jon Jerde, who realizes many themed shopping centers in the United States. This "guru of fun shopping" decorated the sides with Italianate arches. The pavement is of natural stone, and a few trees have been planted and there are so-called “impostor-fountains” for the children. The recessed areas are curved shape and mirrored on the Coolsingel axes. Emphasized by two winding steel canopies. Pedestrians are guided down by two easy steps and ramps on both sides. The Beurstraverse has been commercially successful since its opening. Possibly affected by the introduction of Sunday opening hours introduced around the same time.

Literature:

• Bouw 1995-3; 1997-2
• Architectuur Bouwen 1996-10
• l'Arca 1998-9
• Architectuur in Nederland. Jaarboek 1996-1997
• P. Groenendijk - Thuis in Rotterdam, Rotterdam 2001

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The Rotterdam skyline is almost impossible to imagine without the green oval tower of the World Trade Center. This striking business card for Rotterdam, marked the end of the building stop in the center and was the impetus for the second wave of high-rise buildings in Rotterdam. To construction such a tower above the existing stock exchange (J.F. Staal) was interesting, to say the least.

Stock Exchange

 

The history of the WTC goes back to 1598 with the establishment of the Rotterdam stock exchange. The low-rise of the current WTC has been designed by architect J.F. Staal and built from 1936 to 1940. During the bombing of Rotterdam on May 14, 1940 the stock exchange took a number of minor hits, but the damage could be repaired quickly. The building houses numerous functions in addition to many offices, trade shows, meeting rooms, a conference space, shops and bars.Grand cafe Staal is located next to the entrance. The newly renovated former meeting room of the Chamber of Commerce over the entrance hall is now called Zaal Staal and is in use for weddings and parties. Architect Francine Houben (Mecanoo) designed the new Business Center, the main entrance and emergency room in 2004.

 

WTC

 

The realisation of a World Trade Centre in Rotterdam in 1986 had taken quite some time. Since 1968, there had been plans for a World Trade Center, initially in the Leuvehaven. One of these designs for the WTC of the hand of the American architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, later appeared in modified form as the Europoint towers at Marconiplein. The WTC is an international concept, in fact it is a rentable office space for lunch and meeting rooms. The Chamber of Commerce issued a private competition between three architecture firms in 1982 and the architectural firm of Groosman Partners won.

 

Architect R. van Erk and A.H. Veerbeek designed a 90 meter high tower of 20 floors with 20,000square feet of office space above the existing hall. Only the concrete core of the high-rise and eight steel columns cut through the arched roof of the exhibition hall. The base of the tower is built in concrete and functions as a kind of open air foundation. With a rate of one floor per day, the concrete core was erected by using a sliding formwork. The rest of the construction consists of prefabricated elements: concrete TT slabs, steel columns and glass panels. Because the existing building had to keep functioning, the work had to be extremely clean, during construction the event in the main hall continued uninterrupted. The construction was also complicated by its location in the city center. Works on the underground parking garage and the foundation was largely “hand-carried”.

 

Facade

 

De gevel is bekleed met zonreflecterend glas in een grijsgroene kleur. De glasdikte varieert van 6 mm tot 10 mm, waarmee een abstract raster over de gevel van het gebouw is gecreëerd. Daar waar de twee gebogen gevels bij elkaar komen is het glas verspringend geplaatst. In de spitse punten zijn gekleurde neonlijnen aangebracht die het silhouet 's avonds benadrukken. Vanuit alle kantoren heeft men door de lichtgebogen gevels een fraai uitzicht over de stad.

 

The facade is clad in sun reflecting green glass. The glass thickness varies from 6 mm to 10 mm, creating a abstract pattern on the facade of the building. On the sharp edges colored neon lights were applied to highlight the silhouette in the evening. On November 25, 1987 the new building was inaugurated, making history of the office building-stop announced in 1978 and the ban on high rise in the City Centre. The success of this building stimulated the second high-rise wave in Rotterdam.

Literature:

• de Architect 1983-3
• de Architect 1987-6
• Architectuur Bouwen 1987-5
• Bouw 1987-11
• Archis 1994-9
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1970-1995, 1995

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The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen owns a large collection of old and modern art as well as a large collection of arts and crafts. The monumental, traditionalist design by architect Adrian van der Steur expanded several times since its opening in 1935.

Realisation

 

The collection of Frans Otto Jacob Boijmans was previously housed in the Schielandshuis. The construction of the new museum was partly funded by the industrialist and benefactor Van Beuningen. In 1958, Van Beuningen donated his art collection to the museum and his name was added. In 1928 the director Hannema commissioned architect Van der Steur for the design. Important demands were clarity and enough light for the interior. A rose garden with a monument to engineer G.J. de Jongh was realized at the back of the building.

An expansion of the museum by architect Bodon was built between 1963 and 1972, and added a contemporary manner to Van der Steur’s austere brick building. In 1991 a new pavilion at the rear of the Van Beuningen-De Vriese collection was realized by the hand of architect Henket. Bodon designed a new entrance in 1991, including a bookshop. This has now disappeared in the expansion of the Belgian architects Robbrecht and Daem, wich opened after a difficult implementation process in 2003. In front of the new wing, Sylvette was placed, a sculpture by design of Picasso and performed in concrete by his friend Carl Nesjar. The museum’s entrance is back to its old position and the garden pavilion was converted into a cafe. With the construction of the Netherlands Architecture Institute and the Kunsthal, Boijmans now is part of the Museum park art cluster.

 

Traditionalism

 

The design of architect Van der Steur is inspired by Scandinavian architecture. The building bears some resemblance to the Stockholm City Hall designed by architect Östberg. The building looks like a real temple of the arts. Van der Steur chose a traditionalist design, with a tower and monumental entrance, and traditional materials like brick and copper cornices. In comparison, the white villas on the other side are built almost simultaneously. In 1941 the museum exhibits Netherlands Builds in Brick: 1800-1940. It should have been a great triumph for the traditionalist architects, but the time (during the occupation) and the place (in the ruins of Rotterdam) were against them.

The museum was build around a courtyard and had two wings, the second wing having an open courtyard. Bodons extension closed off the second garden. The design was considered an extension towards Westersingel. The facades are largely made of brick, The substructure consists of light yellow sandstone on a plinth of granite. To counteract reflections, the facades of the courtyards are clad entirely in sandstone. Light green copper cornices and glass in almost all light shades complete the exterior. The main entrance is marked by the tapered light tower (with workshops and storage) with a copper canopy and a round entrance hall.

The use of daylight is very successful in the new museum. The upper rooms have natural light from skylights and the ground floor from the large windows of the facade.

 

The various expansions react in different ways on the original building. The expansion of Bodon (1963-1972), in fact the successor to Van der Steur DSBV, follows the main structure with its brick walls and skylights in the form of so called ‘shed’ roofs. The garden pavilion of Henket (1989-1991) is an open glass building with aluminum blinds, which contrasts with the closed walls of the existing building. The most recent extension of the Belgian architects Paul Robbrecht and Hilde Daem (1997-2003) aims to connect the tradition of the building, but contrasts with its large windows and green translucent panels. By the demolition of a villa on the Westersingel the museum aimed to expand the cultural axis of Rotterdam with a new U-shaped wing around the Bodon building. Giving the library a prominent place in the new museum as a "knowledge tool".

Literature:

• Bouwkundig Weekblad 1929 p. 177, 1935 p. 269
• De 8 en Opbouw 1936 p. 106
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1890-1945, 1991
• F. Huygen - Het museum Boymans, 1992
• A. Gielen - Ad van der Steur, 2002
• Architectuur Bouwen 1991-4
• de Architect 1991-4
• Bouw 1991-9
• Architectural Review 1991-7
• Architecture d'Aujourd'hui 1991-10
• Bauwelt 1991-37
• Domus 1992-1
• Jaarboek 1991-1992
• Archis 1998-2, 2003-4
• de Architect 2003-7/8
• Bauwelt 2003-23

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The City Building is the first completed project in the urban renewal plan of the Laurenskwartier. With the disappearance of the railway viaduct, the refurbishment of the Binnenrotte square and demolition of obsolete buildings new conditions were formulated for this now very open city district. The residential building with its unusual shape represents an initial impetus for this area.

Design

 

By building more houses in this district, the area would become more vibrant. The already existing facilities such as shops and restaurants would also benefit. The area behind the Savings Bank by architect J.J.P. Oud in 1957 had remained vacant since the bombing in WWII. The residential building stands in line with the neighbouring blocks. The U-shaped building has a slanted roof that climbs to 50 meters height. One leg of the U leans in from the courtyard of the Savings Bank. This gives the building an interesting changing silhouette.

 

Materials

 

The building has an almost all-glass facade. This makes it immediately clear that this is a residential building. On the ground floor premises and shops are situated. The glass facade is detailed as flat as possible. The outdoor areas of the houses are like loggias behind the facade. The roof consists of aerated concrete slabs on a steel construction, finished with stainless steel foil. The building has a precast concrete frame with supporting side walls and bearing partitioning walls in the middle. Ground-state V-shaped concrete pillars support the double-height ground-floor.

Literature:

• de Architect 2003-2
• Detail in Architectuur 2003-3

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The new headquarters of Unilever Bestfoods was built on the site of the Blue Band factory on the northern tip of the district Feyenoord. Because the building was built as a bridge over the existing complex, the nearby site of the former brewery Oranjeboom was kept empty. The Merchant City district (Koopmanstadwijk), planned here, will contain about three hundred houses designed by architects JHK and West 8.

Besides a smart idea to save space, the bridge building is a spectacular example of prefabrication. To not to disturb the production of the plant the building was erected 200 meters away on the Oranjeboom grounds. Subsequently, the steel skeleton was driven with hydraulic lifters to its final location in September 2003. It also had to make a rotation of 22 degrees because the volume is set diagonally above the existing buildings..

Transport company Mammoet was previously involved in moving their own completely prefabricated office building 'The Bolder' of the site in Zwijndrecht to a location in Schiedam.

The 2500 ton carcass was already equipped with a permanent foothold. The other V-shaped steel column and a gutter were build in their final place. The supports consist of steel tubes 1.2 meters thick . The steel also contains gutter risers and sanitation. The office building is 130 meters long, 33 meters wide and four stories high. The 15,000 square foot open-plan space can accommodate 750 to 800 employees. The lowest floor is 25 meters high. The whole construction is of steel, only the floors are made of concrete.

All components have been prefabricated. Besides Aronsohn, construction company Hollandia had a large share in the design. The steel construction is succinctly present where the diagonal linkages are visible behind the glass facades. The building is inspired by the nearby railway bridge, rising above the existing buildings and offering a fine view on the bend in the river.

Literature:

• Bouwwereld 2003-17
• Stedenbouw 2003-10

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De Hef is a constant source of inspiration for poets, filmmakers and architects. Of the few lift bridges in The Netherlands De Hef is the most spectacular: a pure example of engineering art. By constructing the railway tunnel under the river Maas, the bridge was made redundant. After fierce protests against the proposed demolition the bridge was declared a monument.

Lift Principle

 

The lift principle was developed in the nineteenth century in the United States. The first vertically movable bridge in the Netherlands was the railway bridge at the Poldervaart near Kethel in 1847. Other lifts in the Netherlands were mainly built between the Two World Wars, as the Barendrecht bridge, the Spijkenisserbrug and the three bridges over the Gouwe. In a lift bridge, the ‘fall’, moves up and down between two towers. The ‘fall’ is connected by cables with two concrete counterweights centered in the towers.

 

De Hef

 

The largest and most famous lift bridge, De Hef of Rotterdam, was designed in 1927 by an engineer of the Dutch Railways, Peter Joosting (1867-1942). The swing bridges over the Port Royal in 1877 were too narrow and difficult to open for the busy shipping traffic. In 1924 it was decided to replace them with a lift for rail and a bascule bridge for normal traffic.

The nearly 70 meter high towers of De Hef are locally constructed on concrete foundations, the moving part (52 meters long) was built in Rotterdam in the factory of a German contractor. And using barges transported to Rotterdam and hung by four floating cranes. Many avant-garde architects admired the pure construction of the bridge. The moving wheels, cables and counterweights were not hidden behind facades or non-functional decorations. The lift was a feat of pure engineering.

The nearly 70 meter high towers of De Hef are locally constructed on concrete foundations, the moving part (52 meters long) was built in Rotterdam in the factory of a German contractor. And using barges transported to Rotterdam and hung by four floating cranes. Many avant-garde architects admired the pure construction of the bridge. The moving wheels, cables and counterweights were not hidden behind facades or non-functional decorations. The lift was a feat of pure engineering.

Literature:

• A. de Boode - De Hef, 1985; Architectuur Rotterdam 1890-1945, 1991

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For a long time architect Dudok’s third building in Rotterdam led an anonymous life. By the conversion of the office for the life insurance company “De Nederlanden” (1845) to cafe-restaurant, Dudok became a household name in Rotterdam.

In 1949, Dudok commissioned a new office building to replace the building destroyed during the bombing at the Place de la Bourse. Already in 1951 Dudok was a traditionalist within the reconstruction plan of Witteveen.

The building on the corner of the Meent and Westwagenstraat contained an office area on the bottom two floors and four residential floors. The office consisted of a double high facade recognizable by large glass doors to the west and east. On the east and north facade a mezzanine was installed. The offices on the mezzanine were separated from the large office room by glass walls. The entrance was at the corner of Meent and the Westewagenstraat and has a monumental staircase.

The superstructure of housing has a brick facade. The double walled galleries in the west facade provide entry to eight maisonettes. The entrance to the houses is located in the south wall. The east facade, which extends into the water, has small balconies. The building has a curved concrete roof and round windows , a feature detail in postwar work of Dudok. In 1991 the office converted into a grand cafe-restaurant Dudok. The interior now has the original ceilings and no more partitions, and the original space from 1953 with its eight concrete columns is kept intact. The mezzanine is also in use as a restaurant, with the bar located next to the central glass wall. In the whole much attention is given to authentic interior elements.

Literature:

• Wonen-TA/BK 1980-5/6
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1890-1945, 1991
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1945-1970, 1993
• G. Stuiveling e.a. – Willem M. Dudok, 1954
• H. van Bergeijk - Willem Marinus Dudok, 1995

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The Erasmus Bridge is the third bridge across the river Nieuwe Maas and is an extension of Coolsingel between Leuvehoofd and Wilhelminaplein. On September 4, 1996, Queen Beatrix opened the new bridge. Soon the Erasmus Bridge, designed by Berkel & Bos, became the signature of the new Rotterdam. Because of its graceful shape she was popularly nicknamed the Swan. The Erasmus Bridge is an endless source of inspiration for photographers, filmmakers, advertisers, and even poets. A prettier picture than an aerial photograph of the bridge with marathon runners is hardly imaginable.

Kop van Zuid (South Bank)

 

The construction of the Erasmus Bridge played a decisive role in the development of the “Kop van Zuid”. For easy accessibility of this area a bridge to the center was of vital importance. Teun Koolhaas’ urban design in 1987 already included a. By initiative of Riek Bakker, the city council declined a design by city-architect Maarten Struijs and opted for a more expensive design by the Amsterdam architect Ben van Berkel. He was assisted by the experienced manufacturer Arie Krijgsman of ABT.

Iconic for the Erasmus Bridge, is the slender 139 meter high steel pylon, that rests on either side of the bridge deck. Two sets of sixteen cables run to the deck, and two thick cables anchor the pylon at the rear. The fixed part of the bridge is 284 meters, and the movable part to the south is 50 meters long. Much of the space of the 31 meter wide bridge is occupied by tram rails and wide bicycle and pedestrian lanes. Construction in concrete was too expensive, so they opted for steel. The pylon was built in Dordrecht by Grootint and sailed in on a barge in 1995.

 

Critisism

 

Besides praise there was also criticism on the bridge design. Not only the extra costs were criticized, but also the similarity to a bridge by the Spanish engineer Santiago Calatrava in Seville, where Van Berkel worked for some time. One month after the official opening on November 4, 1996 a combination of rain and wind started to sway the cables and the bridge had to be closed off. With shock absorbers, the problem was solved.

 

Detailling

 

The detailing of the fencing, lighting and stairs continue the themes and formal language of the bridge design. The landings and the new “Spido” office are also designed by Van Berkel. The bridgehead on the north shore houses a cafe and restaurant since 2003. The remarkable bridge operator house on the south bank is designed by architect Peter Wilson, who also designed the new Luxor Theatre.

Literature:

• de Architect 1991-12
• Bouwen met Staal 1995-11/12
• l'Arca 1993-7/8
• Architecture + Urbanism 1995-5
• El Croquis 1995-72
• Architecture d'Aujourd'hui 1996-9
• Domus 1996-12
• Archithese 1997-3
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1970-1995, 1995
• Jaarboek 1996-1997
• UN Studio - Move, 1999

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Between 2005 and 2018 the hospital complex of the Medical Faculty, the Sophia Children's Hospital and the now outdated Dijkzigt Hospital, will be transformed into a largely new built Erasmus Medical Center (Erasmus MC).

Dijkzigt Ziekenhuis

 

To replace the Coolsingel Hospital, which was destroyed during the war, a location on the long left uncultivated land of Hoboken was chosen. A central location and easy access to the south (via Maastunnel) were important here.

Hoofdopzet

 

The building was designed take in a 1000 patients. After study trips to the United States it was decided to give the building a double corridor. The patient-rooms ended up on the two facades leaving the service rooms for the nursing staff in the central zone. The disadvantage of this approach are the indoor rooms, the benefits are the short distances for the nursing staff, and the building height that could be limited to 13 levels.

Perpendicular to the main building are two low-rise wings where the rehabilitation department and teaching rooms are located. Because the wings somewhat diverge, the main entrance was naturally created onto the Wytemaweg. The functional design of the building is also reflected in the facades.

 

Medical Faculty

 

In May 1965 the government decided to set up a seventh Medical University in Rotterdam. The Medical Faculty was to be build next to the existing hospital Dijkzigt to maximize exchanges. The building area was a bit small. Besides educational facilities a parking garage (for 1500 cars) and research laboratories also had to be build. The size of all the components was not yet known at the start of the design. The architects Choisy, Hagoort and Martens of OD 205 therefore developed a flexible, prefabricated structure that later could be permanently filled.

The complex is dominated by the 117 meters high laboratory building of 25,000 square meters. Every six floors (ground floor, fourth, eleventh, eighteenth, and twentyfifth floor) there are complete installation floors. The laboratories are based on a modular system with standard features and a flexible layout. The concrete core of the high rise was erected as sliding formwork. In a short construction period an industrial approach seemed logical. The rest of the concrete skeleton consists of precast columns, beams and floors. The facade is built with industrial elements. The white sandwich panels designed by the French architect and designer Jean Prouvé are factory manufactured and assembled on site. The interior walls and ceilings are prefabricated. The Medical Faculty has long been the tallest building in the Netherlands. The white laboratory building remains visually dominant in the skyline.

 

Sophia Children'a Hospital

 

A third major part of the medical complex was realized in late eighties at the Dijkzigt terrain on the former playing fields of Unilever. The Sophia Children's Hospital was once again designed by OD 205. With the careful connection to the Museumpark the random location of the Medical Faculty is somewhat undone. The patients pavilion lies adjacent to the park. The facade consist of tiled panels.

 

Erasmus MC

 

Between 2005 and 2018 the hospital complex around the now outdated Hospital Dijkzigt will be transformed into a largely new built Erasmus Medical Center (Erasmus MC). In a continuous process of renovation, demolition and new construction, a complex of 300,000 square meters will be realized. During construction, the hospital continues normal operation. The main entrance will be located at the Burgemeester Jacobsplein near the metro station. The parking for 3,000 cars will be accessible from the Westzeedijk. The main structure was designed by EGM Architects, an office traditionally specialized in hospitals. A new education center has been designed by Claus and Kaan Architects, and the public space was drawn by landscape architects Juurlink and Geluk.

Literature:

• Bouw 1952 p. 782
• Bouw 1958 p. 1186
• Polytechnisch Tijdschrift Bouwkunde 1971 p. 967
• Bouw 1972 p. 38
• TABK 1972 p. 453
• A. Oosterman - Arie Hagoort, architect, 1991
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1945-1970, 1993

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The Euromast, built in 1960 for the Floriade, has long been the symbol of Rotterdam. The buildings altitude record of 107 meters was eventually lost to the encroaching high-rise buildings in the center and the symbolic function of the Erasmus Bridge. After a turbulent period the renovated building started a new life in 2004.
Floriade

Floriade

 

In 1960, Rotterdam was the scene of the international horticultural exhibition Floriade. It was after Ahoy E'55 the third public exhibition in the adjacent Park. One of the major attractions of this first Floriade was an attraction tower 107 meters high, the Euromast. From the Euromast visitors had both a good view on the Floriade, the rebuilt city and the port. By the eccentric location near the port and busy roads, the Euromast is an iconic element in the city centre.

 

Construction

 

The building consists of a circular concrete mast or core of nine meters in diameter. Three hung pavilions: a circular entrance pavilion on the ground floor, a sort of ship's bridge at 30 meters altitude and an asymmetric top crow's nest are hung around it. The core was build in a speed of 15 to 20 centimeters per hour using a sliding formwork. In 23 days, they finished the core. Simultaneously, the components of the steel pavilions were constructed. The crow's nest was build at the foot of the mast and hoisted up in five days. The entire ship's bridge was constructed elsewhere. Finally, the circular base, finishing construction in a total of fourteen months. On March 25, 1960, the opening day of Floriade, the Euromast opened to the public.

 

Spacetower

 

In 1968, the Euromast lost its altitude record to the 114 meters high Medical School. For C'70, the last major exhibition in Rotterdam, the Euromast therefore was extended with a Space Tower. The Space Tower was made by a Swiss company Bühler AG Willy. It consists of a steel mast with a diameter of 2.50 meters, around which a circular booth circles.

Normally such masts are placed on the ground floor. Research showed that the Euromast was strong enough to bear this additional structure. It was also possible to anchor the mast properly. For the construction of the Space Tower a 140 meters high crane was used. The components of the Space Tower were placed in nine days. On June 5, 1970 the Euromast reopened for visitors and was with its 176 meters high, again the tallest building in Rotterdam.

Literature:

• Bouw 1959 p. 288, 1970 p. 1766
• Bouwkundig Weekblad 1961 p. 375
• La Technique des Traveaux 1961 p. 39
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1945-1970, 1993
• M. Provoost - Hugh Maaskant, 2003

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In 2003, the Wholesale Building, one of the symbols of the reconstruction, celebrated it’s fiftieth anniversary. Between 2001 and 2005, the building has been restored. The design of architects Maaskant and Van Tijen was and is still the largest commercial building in the Netherlands: 220 meters long, 85 meters wide and 43 meters high. The building has three courtyards and a 1.5 km walk way on three levels. The building is dominated by expressive design of precast concrete.

The Collective

 

Door het bombardement was in Rotterdam 388.000 vierkante meter bedrijfsruimte verloren In the bombing of Rotterdam in WWII, 388,000 square foot office space was lost. Partly by the good experiences with the emergency shopping centres the idea of a collective building took a foothold: shops and businesses share one building and therefore facilities. It gives them a better appearance and better facilities (shared use of meeting rooms, canteens, entrance, lifts and stairways) for a lower price. Moreover, flexible business space in a turbulent time. For many entrepreneurs constructing and owning a new building was also too costly.

In 1944 entrepreneur Fritz Pot came with the idea of a building for wholesalers, a sort of beehive for wholesalers, near the Groenendaal street. W.F. Lichtenauer of the Chamber of Commerce and Kees van der Leeuw, animator of the reconstruction, supported the idea. Shortly after the war, the plans were commissioned to architects Maaskant & Van Tijen. Architect Maaskant experimented first with two smaller buildings on the industrial Oostzeedijk (1941-1946) and the Goudsesingel (1945-1949) and oriented himself in America.

 

The largest structure in the Netherlands

 

On May 17, 1947 a symbolic first pole was put in the ground. Between 1948 and 1953, the implementation of the building works started. The Wholesale Building is a building of superlatives and large numbers: 445,000 square meters in eleven floors on more than 3000 foundation piles, et cetera. The design of the building is largely determined by the concrete structure and the repetitive prefabricated concrete elements, such as the blinds in the facades. The collective use and flexible nature of the spaces, the office walls are consciously in a neutral design. The expressive design of the entrances, stairwells, and roof structures enliven the building.

 

Services

 

Apart from the main entrance on the side of the train station there are four other entrances. There are showrooms on the street side and warehouses s and freight traffic possibilitiessituated on to the courtyards. Two large communal canteens were placed on the roof.

Special facilities were a bank, a post office, a hairdresser, a cafe, a restaurant and a cinema, Kriterion, in the roof pavilion. After the show the cinema screen was pushed aside and visitors could enjoy the beautiful view of the city. Since 1996 the wholesale building is called ’Groot Handelsgebouw’, and restored mostly to its original looks and glory..

Literature:

• L. Ott – Van luchtkasteel tot koopmansburcht, Rotterdam 1968
• P. Bulthuis, C. Dijk – 50 jaar Groot Handelsgebouw. Icoon van de wederopbouw, metafoor van Rotterdamse daadkracht, Rotterdam 2003
• M. Provoost - Hugh Maaskant. Architect van de vooruitgang, Rotterdam 2003  

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In 1897 two brothers, GH and HM van der Schuyt, had a plan for a "grand office building in the American spirit “. The White House, by architect William Molenbroek (1863-1922) has a striking resemblance to the office for the San Francisco Examiner in 1890 by John Root. With its height of 45 meters the eleven-story office building was for a long period the tallest in Europe.

Construction

 

Most American skyscrapers were built with a steel skeleton. The White House however is a traditional construction with load-bearing brick walls. The two bearing walls in the middle of the building have a thickness of 1.40 meters in the basement. The top floor wall are 40 cm thick. Due to its weight, a lot or iron is incorporated into the flooring. Building skyscrapers was made possible by the introduction of the lift. Gas, electricity and a central telephone system were other modern touches to the building.

 

Architecture

 

Even architecturally seen the White House was of little innovation. The classic building with Gothic and Romanesque motifs knew only a contemporary element in the Art Nouveau decorations. The facades are made of white glazed brick. The substructure is stone. In the niches on the first floor six statues of Simon Miedema are posted that symbolize Labour, Progress, Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Marine. During the Battle of the Williams Bridge in May 1940, the Labour statue was destroyed by shrapnel. The Marine statue moved so an empty niche remains in the Wijnstraat.

 

With the redevelopment of the Oude Haven (Old Port) and the purchase by the Westermeijer Groep in 1977, the White House has gotten the renewed attention and appreciation it deserves. The building is thoroughly refurbished and the adjacent Wijnhaven Estates were torn down and rebuilt sbrick by brick for the construction of the railway tunnel.

Literature:

• de Architect 1982-2
• F. Faro - Op het Witte Huis sta je hoger, 1978
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1890-1945, 1991
• J. Boddaert - Het Witte Huis 1898-1998, 1998
• Zooiets Amerikaansch, 100 jaar hoogbouw in Rotterdam, 1999

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The Wilhelminapier has been an important part of the Rotterdam Southbank (Kop van Zuid) since the early nineties. Founded in 1873, the Holland-America Line had set its headquarters here since the late nineteenth century. The former headquarters of the HAL was turned into Hotel New York in 1993. The arrivals hall is now in use as an event space, restaurant and cruise terminal. Las Palmas, the workshop building the HAL now has a cultural destination.

Holland-Amerika Line

 

IIn 1978 the Holland-America Line left Rotterdam for Seattle. The HAL has originates in the firm Plate, Reuchlin & Co from 1871. In 1873 the company of Antoine Plate and Otto Reuchlin was renamed to the Netherlands-American Steamship Company. Only in 1896 the Holland America Line was added.

 

In 1891, the site of the Wilhelminakade (or -quay) came into use. In 1901 the office building at the head of the Wilhelminapier was built. The office had previously been located at the Yacht Club (now World Museum) and the Poortgebouw. Besides the cargo trade mainly emigrants to America gave sufficient revenues. For these emigrants even a separate hotel, Urania, was built, which was demolished in 1972. The impressive passenger ships Statendam and New Amsterdam came to Rotterdam in the sixties and gave the city an unprecedented energy.

 

Head office

 

The office building from 1901 was designed by the architects J. Müller and C.M. Droogleever Fortuyn. The building soon proved too small and was expanded in 1908. In 1916 the building was expanded again, this time by Muller and Sons in association with CB van der Tak, a son of the former city architect. The octagonal tower on the north side was built then. In 1919 there was a final extension of the completion of the south tower and the construction of a new facade on the western front. On the front of the building Holland America Line was placed in big gold letters.

 

In an attempt to maintain a certain unity in the various extensions the same color red brick and stone plinths and decorations were used. Especially in the later extensions influences of art nouveau are visible. The façade decorations refer to the marine and exotic destinations: Indian, Egyptian and Arab figures in costumes, a wind vane in the shape of a sailing ship and two dock workers who support the bay. The interior was beautifully arranged, with wood paneling, cast iron columns and decorations. After the departure of the HAL the building stood empty for years and in 1993 it was given a second life as a hotel and café-restaurant, New York. The hotel and restaurant are furnished by Dorine de Vos maintaining the atmosphere of the maritime past.

 

Arrivals

 

Along the quay there were once warehouses with a total length of 700 meters. Many were destroyed in the Second World War both by planes and in the end by the departing nazi’s. Only the departure hall built in 1938 by architects Brinkman & Van den Broek was spared. Shortly after the war the same architects realized the arrivals hall. Built in 1949 the hall is dominated by the characteristic concrete shell roofs, each with a 18 meters span. The glass facade extends over the entire length of 135 meters and offers an impressive view over port and city. Since 1988 the arrivals hall has been in use as a space for exhibitions, trade shows, conferences and parties. The arrivals hall was restored and is now known as the cruise terminal and houses among others the Cafe Rotterdam.

 

Las Palmas

 

The storage and workshop building (1953) of HAL is situated in the middle area of the pier. Several other buildings like the Leidsche Veem from 1898, and the warehouse Celebes Borneo Sumatra Java of Pakhuismeesteren from 1941 are preserved. These have been in use for domestic purposes, the workshop building will have a cultural destination.

 

The three story building is a good example of the functional architecture of architects Van den Broek and Bakema. The ground floor has an underpass where cars could enter. There are three vertical lifts, including a car lift with a lifting capacity of three tons for internal transport. The building has a concrete skeleton and is dominated by the precast concrete walls. Only the glass staircase is different. The heavy concrete construction offered many opportunities for new uses.

 

Las Palmas was converted into a multipurpose cultural complex by Benthem Crouwel Architects. Main occupant is the Netherlands Photo Museum. There is also a cultural stage LPII, the SKVR picture factory and a restaurant. On the roof, a penthouse houses the office of property developer OVG.

 

Literature:

• Havenarchitectuur, 1982
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1890-1945, 1991
• H. Baaij, J. Oudenaarden - Monumenten uit Rotterdam, 1992
• Bouwkundig Weekblad 1939 p. 3
• Forum 1953 p. 162
• Architecture d'Aujourd'hui 1952-4

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The Blaak forest contains 38 cubic houses, several shops and three large cubes situated on a pedestrian bridge over the Blaak. It was one of the attempts to enliven the downtown area and to shift the focus from office buildings and traffic flow to housing and recreation. The Cube Houses and buildings around the Oude Haven (Old Port) were designed by the Amsterdam architect Piet Blom (1934-1999), who had previously designed similar experimental housing.

Old Port

 

In 1977 Piet Blom got an assignment to study the area around the Old Port, which lay fallow since World War II. The development plan called for a high density urban living combined with other functions. The architecture had to be playful and was intended for the less well off. In the late seventies the progressive city council, installed 1974, gave priority to social housing and the revitalization of downtown.

The Amsterdam Provo architect Piet Blom (1934-1999) worked for years on the 'Living as urban roof’ plan. . It is living in high density on a high level, so the ground remains available for various urban activities. Blom previously realized the Kasbah Hengelo(1973) and several cube houses and a theater in Helmond (1976). Blom thought that a plan for the Old Port was viable only if - a pedestrian bridge over the busy Blaak street would be build, so this area would be linked to the market and the library. The bridge would be like a Ponte Vecchio and enlivened by houses and shops. The cube houses form a canopy over the pedestrian bridge

 

Pencil

 

Three days before the first pole was driven in the ground, the client withdrew. In an amended plan of the original 55, only 38 cube houses were realized. To compensate, a residential tower was built, called the “Pencil.” Later Blom also designed the buildings around the Old Port, a social housing estatewith 250 houses combined with cafes and restaurants along the quay. The whole was realized in a high density and Mediterranean forms.

 

Tree or Pole house

 

The cube houses, also called tree or pole house, consists of a tilted wooden cube with a point on a concrete hexagonal core. In this core the entrance and the stairwell are located. The cube has three levels: the "street house” with kitchen and living room, the "heavenly house” with the bedrooms and the “leaf hut” at the top. The core walls are the only vertical walls you’ll find, the rest of the walls are slanted.

 

Bridge

 

Bridge The area around the Old Port, partly due to the excellent orientation to the sun, has become a popular entertainment center for tourists and students. Despite this rush, this has not led to much liveliness and activity in the public space underneath the cube dwellings. The small shops were impractical. They were soon replaced by workshops and small businesses who do not have to rely on visitors. A resounding success is the Museum Cube House, a cube as a museum house attracts many tourists. .

 

The houses were renovated in the late nineties, including the public space. In particular, the replacement of the asphalt shingles on the roofs by a zinc roof has changed its appearance. For the two large cubes it proved hard to find a destination. The Academy of Architecture took residence in one cube in 1985. After the departure of the Academy and a few years of vacancy a perfect new destination was found in 2009: a hostel Stayokay. There are 49 rooms with 250 beds and private bathrooms. In the central atrium, with lift, a landmark 'interior cube' is hung. The interior is designed by Personal Architecture in collaboration with Kees van Lamoen.

 

Literature:

• Plan 1985-1
• Bouw 1985-20
• Architecture + Urbanism 1985-11
• J. Hengeveld - Het Rotterdam van Piet Blom. Nieuw leven aan de Oude Haven, Amersfoort 2009
• de Architect 2010-6
• S. Hiddema - Piet Blom en de Kunst van het Bouwen, 1984
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1970-1995, 1995

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The Kunsthal (Art Hall) is one of the most talked about buildings from the nineties. It is one of the first buildings in which architect Rem Koolhaas was actually able to realize his ideas. The building attracts architecture fans from around the world, but it remains both practical and structurally quite experimental in use.

The Kunsthal is not a museum with a permanent collection, but a building for temporary exhibitions in the fields of fine and applied arts. The building contains a number of neutral exhibition halls varying in size, but no depot. There is also an office area, a museum shop, an auditorium and a separate restaurant.

 

The building is adjacent to the embankment of the Westzeedijk. It is bisected by a pedestrian route from the Museum to the Westzeedijk and a service road down by the embankment. The building itself is actually all traffic space, a system of spiral ramps around a pedestrian route. The outdoor pedestrian route, which also has performed as a ramp, divides the building into two parts. This ramp bridges the difference in height of five meters between the park and Westzeedijk and contains the entrance halfway. On the east side is a 35 meters wide area in which the two large exhibition halls are located. To the west lies a narrow zone of 15 meters wide with a big ramp with an auditorium, and a cafe and restaurant underneath and a third smaller exhibition hall above.

 

Exhibition Halls

 

The two main exhibition halls, Hall 1 and Hall 2, are different in character. Hall 1 on the ground floor is a continuation of the Museum. With four steel tree trunk like columns s and a black painted ceiling. Hall 2 is a large column-free space with a transparent roof and a large window onto the busy road on the dike. Along Hall 1 and Hall 2 is a narrow strip gallery with a floor of steel gratings. Hall 3 is a smaller enclosed area where concrete columns are placed angled and perpendicular to the sloping auditorium floor. Through a small balcony one has a view on Hall 2.

 

Appearance

 

The travertine, tarred and concrete walls are used in varying combinations with large glass surfaces. Each facade is an autonomous unit. The facade of the Westzeedijk works as a showcase. To further promote the exhibition is the installation of roof mounted tower used as a billboard. Several contrasting materials, expensive and inexpensive, sophisticated and commonplace, confront each other. This unorthodox design leads to unexpected confrontations, but also to technical problems.

 

Museumpark

 

Koolhaas also designed the Museumpark (1985-1993), in collaboration with Petra Blaisse and the young departed French architect Yves Brunier. The part of the former land of Hoboken was designed as a park in the late thirties. Behind the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is a classic symmetrical garden with a pond, concluded with a monument for GJ de Jongh. The rest of the area was designed as a landscape park and included an Open Air Theatre.

 

The Museumpark connects the Kunsthal, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Natural History Museum and the Netherlands Architecture Institute. The park is organized into four zones: a museum area with the Kunsthal and Natural History Museum, a romantic garden, an elevated event area of black asphalt and a courtyard with a regular pattern of planted apple trees with whitewashed trunks on a base of white shells. The museum area and the romantic garden and monumental bridge functioned well but the rest of the park suffered from vandalism and neglect. This part has been out of sight for several years due to the construction of a by technical and financial problems ravaged garage . After the opening of the garage in 2010, this refurbished part of the park has also been taken into use again.

Literature:

• de Architect 1990-7/8, 1990-10, 1993-1
• Archis 1993-1
• El Croquis 1992-53, 1996-79
• Architecture d'Aujourd'hui 1993-2
• Domus 1993-3
• Bauwelt 1993-46
• Architecture + Urbanism 1994-8
• Jaarboek 1992-1993
• R. Koolhaas - S M L XL, 1995

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Lijnbaan was the new shopping area in the Reconstruction Plan west of the old town. It meant a revolution in urban reconstruction after the war. Instead of shops with apartments above on either side of a roadway, shops are located on pedestrians only streets like the later shopping malls. The stores are stocked from expedition streets at the back. Because later every suburb in Europe got a pedestrian mall in the sixties, it now seems hardly original anymore.

Emergency Shopping Complexes

 

De concentratie van winkels in noodwinkelcomplexen was in de oorlog heel succesvol gebleken. Ook de ervaring met verzamelgebouwen was positief. Hierdoor waren de winkeliers die bij het bombardement een eigen pand hadden verloren te interesseren voor een gezamenlijk winkelcomplex.

 

The concentration of stores in emergency shopping complexes during the war was very successful. Consequently, the retailers, having lost their shops in the war, were easily interested in a joint shopping formula.

In the Reconstruction Plan a traditional shopping center was considered, with courts on the ground floor and homes and offices above the shops. The revolutionary, but natural-looking design by architects Van den Broek & Bakema had some difficulty getting accepted by the retailers. A detailed scale model (1:100)made the initial resistance turn into enthusiasm.

Between 1949 and 1953 the Lijnbaan was built: the Short Lijnbaan between the Schouwburgplein and the Coolsingel crosses the long Lijnbaan between Weena and Van Oldenbarneveltstraat. Between 1962 and 1966 the Lijnbaan extended the stores to the Binnenwegplein, made possible by the demolition of the remainder of the Coolsingel Hospital. There are two squares: the Town Hall Square and the Lijnbaan square. Lijnbaan is named after the rope fabric located here in the seventeenth century.

 

Pedestrian area

 

The Hoogstraat (High Street) was nine meters wide and had a lane in the middle, the Lijnbaan is 12 to 18 meters wide and only accessible to pedestrians. A lot of care was put in the decoration through planting, sculptures and initially also aviaries. As a transition between interior and exterior, and as protection from sun and rain canopies were installed along the sides. Intersections and entrances also have canopies.

 

On October 9, 1953 the Lijnbaan was officially opened. The crowd came en masse, and the Lijnbaan became a household name. The traffic-free pedestrian street is standard in Dutch inner cities. Many consider the Lijnbaan as the highlight of the Reconstruction. Some critics, however, find the Lijnbaan a little too suburban and lacking a metropolitan feel.

 

Architecture

 

Starting point for the design of the stores is a flexible structure and a uniform system. There are two basic types, the normal type and the mezzanine type. The normal type has two retail floors. The mezzanine type has two layers on the front and three on the back in a split-level design. By use of the basement variants emerge. The entire plan is based on a measurement system of 1.10 meters in the longitudinal direction and 1 meter in the transverse direction. The facades are constructed of prefabricated concrete parapet elements and styles. The ground floor is dominated by large glass doors and windows. The walls are neutral and are now completely hidden from view by advertisements.

 

Housing

 

The total of 850 apartments are housed in two blocks around green courtyards. Surrounding the courtyard are a high-rise disc of thirteen and one of nine floors at right angles. A low-rise building with two floors and shops line the courts at the Karel Doormanstraat . Two discs of thirteen levels at the beginning and end of the Lijnbaan complement the urban design. The houses are connected by galleries on the north and east. The apartments near the head of the lifts and stairwells are slightly. Architect Maaskant was supervisor of the housingproject, which was developed by different architects. The Lijnbaan Flats are still an attractive urban residential area..

Literature:

• Bouw 1953 p. 783, p. 862
• Bouw 1954 p. 928
• Casabella 1954-8/9
• Bauen + Wohnen 1955 p. 55
• J. Joedicke - Architektur und Städtebau, 1963
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1945-1970, 1993
• Architecture d'Aujourd'hui  1959/60-12/1
• La Technique des Traveaux 1960 p. 161
• S.U. Barbieri e.a. - Stedebouw in Rotterdam, 1981
• M. Provoost - Hugh Maaskant, 2003

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A tunnel is basically a work of civil engineering and not architecture. The striking filter buildings, designed by city architect Van der Steur and that give access to the bike and pedestrian tunnel,, are among the most remarkable architectural appearances of the late thirties. The construction of the Maas Tunnel and the Maas Tunnel route is also an important intervention in the urban city. The Maas Tunnel was the first tunnel suitable for traffic in the Netherlands.

Second fixed shore connection

 

After the First World War, plans for a second fixed link between North and South became concrete. In 1929 the idea came for a tunnel between Park and Charlois, which would not interfere with shipping traffic. In 1935 the Department of Public Works had a preference for a 60 meters high suspension bridge. Due to technical and financial problems in 1937 a tunnel was preferred. The tunnel was designed by J.P. van Bruggen, Director of Public Works and city architect A. van der Steur. For the construction, a combination of four companies was formed, the Maastunnel N.V.. In June 1937 Mayor Droogleever Fortuyn gave the signal to start the construction.

 

 

Construction

 

The Maas Tunnel was built using the sink method: nine prefabricated concrete segments of 61 meters long, 25 meters wide and 9 meters high were sunk in a dredged trench between 1939 and late 1940. Next, the partitions were removed and the tunnel was finished. The tunnel is about one kilometer long, the deepest part is 20 meters below sea level. The diameter of the tunnel consists of two tubes of six meters wide with lanes for cars and two superimposed narrow tubes for cyclists and pedestrians. The tunnel connects with the Pleinweg in South and the tunnel traverse in the North. On the northside they built a a large roundabout at the junction with the Westzeedijk, the Droogleever Fortuynplein, named after the founder of the Maas Tunnel.

 

Access buildings, garages and the imposing ventilation building are the only surface evidence of the presence of the Maas Tunnel. The bike and pedestrian tunnel have a separate access via long escalators in the buildings. The curved walls both above the escalators are mosaics designed by Jaap Gidding. On the north, ships, cars and bicycles and on the south side mermaids, fish and waves are shown. In the garages all kinds of materials for the maintenance of the Maas Tunnel are stored. The ventilation buildings have a total height of about sixty meters: 34 meters above ground and 26 meters underground. They consist of a high concrete shaft and a lower part with a copper dome on the river side: the fresh air intake. The architecture of the buildings is related: copper roofs and walls partly of whitewashed concrete and partly with orange-brown fine stoneware tiles.

 

 

On February 14, 1942 the tunnel was officially opened. Destruction of the tunnel by the Germans in WWII was narrowly avoided.

Literature:

• Bulletin KNOB 1990-2
• A.C. Vreugdenhil - De Maastunnel, s.a. (1950)
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1890-1945, 1991
• A. Gielen - Ad van der Steur, 2002

 

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The Montevideo skyscraper was realized in late 2005 on the Wilhelmina Pier next to Hotel New York. Including the M on the roof of the tower, the building is 152 meters high, and that was for a long time the tallest building in the Netherlands. Montevideo represents the ambition of the city of Rotterdam for the urbanization of specific locations with specific projects, particularly in the area of housing.

Skyscraper

 

Architect Francine Houben of Mecanoo Architects was inspired by the classic housing high rise of New York. This theme is also reflected in history, the streets and buildings around the tower. The water tank on the roof of the apartments is a clear reference to this history.

The name Montevideo also refers to the past, when the Wilhelminapier had many warehouses that carried the names of cities with whom Rotterdam maintained a trading relationship. On the rooftop of the maintower a nine meter high letter M is placed, which also serves as a wind vane. This letter obviously refers to the name of the tower, but according to the architect is ambiguous.

Montevideo offers a wide variety of apartment types that bear the names 'Sky', 'Loft', 'City' and 'Water’. Each of these apartments is distinguished by several unique features and presented as different housing concepts. On the lower floors of the complex shops and restaurant facilities account for 1,900 m2. Also, 6,000 m2 of offices, an Excellent Health Club with swimming pool, fitness center and sauna for residents and users is realized.

The construction of the tower consists of both concrete and steel. The structure of the Water, and City Loft apartments in the lower part of the tower were cast in concrete, the spatial potentials of steel is used for the Sky Apartments above, located from the 27th floor and up.

 

Wilhelminapier

 

The tower Montevideo is the first of a series of high-rise residential buildings on the Wilhelmina Pier. A total of about 5300 homes are planned here. The building Rotterdam, between Belvedere and Café Rotterdam, was designed by OMA as early as 2001, and only started construction in 2010 . The building contains apartments, office space, shops, cafes, restaurants and a hotel is 150 meters high. On the south side of the “Wilhelmina Pier” a number of residential towers up to 150 meters high are planned. In 2010 the first building, the New Orleans by the Portuguese architect Alvaro Siza was completed. The ground floor of the building houses a cultural music and cinema center Lantaren/Venster. Between New Orleans and the Luxor Theatre, Havana is planned, two towers by the Spanish architects Cruz and Ortiz.

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The realization of the Netherlands Architecture Institute took some effort. After a real battle of cities Rotterdam was eventually appointed. The NAI would not be placed in the former library at the Botersloot, as originally planned, but in a new building in the Museumpark. After a competition among six architects in 1988 the Limburg architect Jo Coenen was chosen.

Battle of the cities

 

The Netherlands Architecture Institute was a merger of three institutions based in Amsterdam: the “Living” Foundation, Dutch Centre for Documentation of Architecture and Architectural Museum Foundation. Rotterdam is not only the architectural capital of the Netherlands, but was harshly endowed where cultural institutions and national museums are concerned. In 1988, the designer of this important building was chosen via an invited competition. Six architects made a plan, with Rem Koolhaas almost crowned, but Coenen tipped as surprise winner. The realization of the design was extremely difficult. Meanwhile, the NAI settled in a temporary space on the Westersingel in Rotterdam.

 

Archive Building

 

The design of the institute by Coenen houses the main functions in separate parts of the building: the archive, the exhibition space and staff. Each building has its own architectural characteristics and its own relationship with the environment. The elongated archive building follows the curve of the Rochussenstraat and thus separates the Museum Park off the busy traffic route. The archive stands on concrete discs, creating an arcade and a visual connection to the park. In the evening the arcade is spectacularly lid by a sculpture by Peter Struycken. The archive building contains storage for archives and research spaces.

 

Exhibition Building

 

The exhibition building is a square volume of concrete, lined with brick. Besides a large and high exhibition hall, a gallery and a balcony room are made. The top floor sits between six concrete girders, and the floors consist of steel gratings so light can penetrate from the transparent roof into the main hall. Because of heights, these grids are now covered with carpet. The large, high exhibition hall can be used in many ways. The different floors are accessible via a ramp.

 

Glass midsection 

The high glass middle section contains offices and a library, an air-bridge connects to the study areas in the archive building. The construction consists of steel columns at the exterior of the facade, coming together in a steel pergola overhanging the building. In the base of two floors of this building are part of the central entrance and lobby. The entrance is accessible from the arcade, but also from the Museum via a wooden footbridge over the pond. In the pond a masterpiece by Auke de Vries was placed.

 

 

In the winter of 2010 the building was adapted to new needs and insights by the original architect Jo Coenen. The entrance area has been substantially renovated, the bookstore, the cafe-restaurant and educational functions have been given a more prominent place.

 

Literature:

• Archis 1988-7, 1993-10
• de Architect 1988-7/8, 1993-12
• Architectuur Bouwen 1988-6/7, 1993-11
• Architecture + Urbanism 1992-11
• Architectural Review 1994-2
• Architectural Record 1994-3
• A. Duivesteijn - Het NAI, 1993
• Jaarboek 1992-1993, 1993-1994
• A. Oxenaar - Jo Coenen, architect, 1994
• GA Document 40

 

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In 1995 it was decided to build the new Luxor Theatre on the Wilhelminapier to replace the obsolete Luxor Theatre at the Kruiskade. Six architects made a design in early 1996; the German / Australian architect pair Julia Bolles and Peter Wilson got the final commission. The foyers of the bright red building surround a 1500 seats main hall.

The New Luxor

 

The Luxor Theatre is located in the heart of the Kop van Zuid area, adjacent to the main transport hub. Although the large building is quite insignificant compared to the towers of the Wilhelminahof and the KPN tower. The building adjacent to the water of the Rijnhaven and is visible from all sides. It’s materialization and visual language are a mixture of robust naval architecture and an intimate and festive theater atmosphere.

 

The theater, located on the first floor is wide and shallow and can accommodate around 1500 visitors. The seats and balconies are placed close to the podium for an intimate atmosphere. Wooden slats haven been used in the interiors.

The main entrance is as high as the stage tower. Around the main hall, a system of larger and smaller foyers, staircases and catering establishments overlook the water. The multi-story foyer Rijnhaven overlooks the southern ports and the Meuse Foyer on the fourth floor has a view of the Erasmus dridge towards the downtown skyline. On the ground floor restaurant Leipzig sits at the waters edge, with a jetty for watertaxis. Dressing rooms, offices and service areas are housed in a strip along the Posthumalaan. The facade has strip windows and a more office-like character. On the top layer on this side storage rooms and a studio are situated.

 

Exterior

 

The bright red exterior is dominated by round shapes. A large billboard makes the building visible from afar. The architectural treatment of the typography of the letters is related to Oud's Café de Unie. The facades are covered with red cement fiber that resembles wood. According to the architects it reminds them of shipbuilding and old wooden theaters. Dominantly present is a spectacular ramp for trucks, circling around the building and the facade. The roof of this platform is an attractive terrace

Literature:

• de Architect 2001-6
• El Croquis 1998-88/89
• Domus 2001-6
• Architectural Review 2001-9
• Bauwelt 2001-23
• Jaarboek 2001-2002
• F. Happel - Het nieuwe Luxortheater Rotterdam, 2001
• GA Document 48, 66
• Bolles + Wilson. Nieuwe Luxor Theater, Rotterdam, 2003

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The Paperclip is one of the most famous and perhaps notorious housing projects in Rotterdam. The building marks the end of the small-scale in Dutch architecture. The major block on the Rosestraat is also the prelude to the development of the Southbank (Kop van Zuid).

Large-scale

 

In the urban architecture of the seventies, the small scale housing was mainstream. It was a logical reaction to the monotonous high-rise and terraced houses of the sixties. One of the first architects who openly criticised the new small scale was architect Carel Weeber.

In Rotterdam, he realised a large number of housing projects.With the Peperklip he made an important statement. The almost 500 meters long housing block has, as the name suggests, the shape of an open paper clip.

 

Components

 

The Peperklip is an almost closed block of elongated strips of four levels with round ´heads´ of seven and nine floors. The round heads contain duplexes open to galleries, at the end accessible by lifts. The standard components are long blocks of flats. The building includes 555 public housing dwellings: 197-three, 134 four and 148 five bedroom houses and 76 hvat units (for youth). The houses on the ground floor are for the disabled and elderly. The inner area was intended as collective garden, but only contains a small green part . The private gardens and specially designed aluminium prefabricated sheds dominate the inner area.

 

Facade

 

The block has a concrete facade with coloured tiles in a cheerful pattern. The square tiles are 10 by 10 cm in six colours: white, grey, black, red, yellow and blue. The graphic patterns in the coloured facade elements are not related to the underlying apartments. The facade is an autonomous, abstract design.

 

Controversial

 

Since the presentation of the first plan the Peperklip was controversial. Architecture critics described the building as inhospitable, cold and merciless. Others praised the timeless, rational architecture, and saw the building as a liberation from the disastrous small scale. During the first year the building was often in the news, especially because of the many social problems among the residents.

The Peperklip was renovated in 1995. The gates to the infield were closed and the metal sheds were replaced by wooden sheds. In a second renovation in 2007 the building was not only updated, but also maintenance and lifestyles were addressed. After a competition among young architects the entrances were renewed by Henk Snoek.

Literature:

• Plan 1983-9
• Bouw 1983-14/15
• Architectural Review 1985-1
• Renovatie & Onderhoud 1995-12
• Stadsvernieuwing Rotterdam 1974-1984, 1984
• E. Taverne - Carel Weeber, architect, 1990
• M. Wallinga - Een tweede jeugd voor de Peperklip, Rotterdam 1995 de Architect 2010-6

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With the construction of the Shipping and Transport College, courses formerly spread throughout the city have been given a prominent place. The approximately 2,000 college and vocational students have a beautiful view of their future field of work from their blue-white checkered, periscope-like building.

The remarkable building, the particular location and attractive education, hopefully boosts the declining numbers of students in secondary and higher maritime education. The maritime education was previously housed in six different buildings, including the nearby Maritime School W. Dahlen at the Pieter de Hoochweg 129 and the Engineers School at the William Buytewechstraat 45 by architects BJK Cramer and C. Elffers in 1949. The Maritime Simulation Centre Rotterdam on the Wilhelminakade is also part of the course. The accumulation of all nautical and maritime knowledge aims at an international character.

 

Periscope

 

The building is not only because of its location and view closely related to the Rotterdam port and shipping. The building shape is also similar to a periscope. Furthermore in the interior, with the use of maritime materials and the many references made to the shipping in the detailing.

 

The building consists of an almost rectangular core, a sixteen-storey tower, where above and below a sculptural extension is applied. The substructure has three layers of general functions: the entrance, the central hall, an exhibition space, gymnasiums, a large cafeteria, a café and a bookshop and further workshops and simulation areas. The student cafeteria with terrace has a large window towards the river. In the basement two parking levels and a bicycle storageroom are located. The tapered shape at the top is a lecture hall. This hall for 350 persons has a large window on the west side overlooking the port. The hall is also used as a conference room.

 

Education Tower

 

The education tower consists of a secondary school in the lower layers, the college is above it and the training for the professionals is situated in the top of the building. The vertical transport of the students in the building is made possible by a system of escalators. For the staff there are elevators; emergency stairs and toilets are in the core. The floor plans are simple in design with classrooms on the east and west, and office rooms on the north and south sides, with a walkway around the nucleus. To avoid all the student congestions during breaks a few floors have loggias.

The concrete core gives stability, the rest of the structure is prefabricated concrete. In the overhang a steel construction is used. Part of the building is supported by a meandering structure of welded steel tubes filled with concrete. The lecture hall is a prefabricated steel structure and attached to the core by four large steel trusses. The facade consists of a checkerboard pattern of blue and white corrugated aluminum panels or glass. The elements are 3.60 to 3.80 meters. The rugged facade refers to containers, important to the harbor of Rotterdam.

 

Interior

 

For the interior materials such as wood, steel and canvas, and all kinds of nautical symbols are used. The central core has an orange color. The acoustics in the classroom are controlled by red cushions and black padded walls. The cafeteria’s ceiling is finished with a stretched canvas. The offices were fitted with portholes and ships wall boarding. The public areas have wooden benches, and the tables prints of naval charts.

Literature:

• Jaarboek 2005-2006;
• Aan het Werk, Neutelings Riedijk Architecten, 2003
• Bouwwereld 2005-22
• de Architect 2006-1

 

 

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The Sonneveld House stands adjacent to the NAI on the corner of Jongkindstraat and Rochussenstraat in Rotterdam. Built in the early nineteen thirties, it is one of the best-preserved houses in the Nieuwe Bouwen style, the Dutch branch of the International School of Modernism.

The Sonneveld House was designed by the architecture firm of Brinkman & Van der Vlugt, also known for the Van Nelle Factory and Feyenoord Stadium. The Sonneveld House opened to the public as a museum house of Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAi) in March 2001 following a period of intensive restoration and refurbishment. As a visitor, you can see for yourself what it was like to live in a hypermodern home in 1933. Audio tour and special children's audio tour are available.

 

Nederlands Architectuurinstituut (NAi)

 

The Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAi) has one of the world's most extensive architectural collections. The NAi offers educational programmes from its eye-catching building designed by architect Jo Coenen. The institute has its own library, study hall, bookshop and museum café. The Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAi), built in 1993 and designed by Jo Coenen, is more than just a museum. The NAi stores important archives and collections on Dutch architects since 1800, making them accessible to the public. The NAi opened a second location in Maastricht in 2007. The museum holds more than 15 exhibitions a year and has a library containing over 35,000 relevant books and magazines.

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In 1905, because of increasing lack of space, the council decided for the construction of a new Town hall. 15 years later, the neo-Renaissance building with Romanesque and Byzantine influences was completed. The monumental Town hall is not only richly decorated, it also houses a large collections of fine art.

By building a new Town hall on the Coolsingel Mayor Zimmerman was aiming to strike two birds with one stone. The old town hall on the Kaasmarkt was too small and would be replaced by a new building worthy of the city of Rotterdam. The new building would also give a start in the clean-up of the city. The Coolvest canal would be filled up and levelled and the red light district demolished in favor of the Town hall, post office and trade centre. After a controversial design competition architect Henri Evers was selected winner. The building was realized between 1915 and 1920.

 

Construction

 

In 1914 the preparatory work was concluded and on July 15, 1915 the foundation stone was laid by Queen Wilhelmina. In 1920, the neo-Renaissance building with Romanesque and Byzantine influences was ready. The monumental building is symmetrical in design, with a central entrance. The main halls and a balcony are on the first floor on either side of the central hall. The complex is crowned with a bell tower. The building is also built around two courtyards, which bring light in every room. A central road crosses the property. The building has a total area of 86 to 106 meters. The modern concrete structure of the 71 meter high bell tower is hidden behind sandstone. The blackened sandstone facade has been cleaned in 2000. The portion behind the inner street has skylights and houses public functions as the Civil Service. The publicly accessible courtyard has been designed as a park.

 

The Town Hall was restored between 2008 and 2010 by Putter Partners and interior architects Merkx + Girod. Many areas have been returned to their in former glory. Remarkable are the new spaces under the roof, which were previously used for storage. Here a restaurant and meeting rooms have been created. A new lift shaft is lined with steel wall panels with floral motifs.

Literature:

• Bouwkundig Weekblad 1913 p. 291
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1890-1945, 1991
• de Architect interieur 2010-35
• H. Baaij, J. Oudenaarden - Monumenten uit Rotterdam, 1992
• H. Timmer - Henri Evers 1855-1929, 1997

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Café de Unie has a striking facade with De Stijl colors and were the (neon) signs have been taken into the composition. The building formerly situated on the Coolsingel was destroyed in the bombing of WWII. In 1986 the facade was reconstructed at a new location between similar nineteenth-century buildings.

De Stijl

 

De Unie is together with the manager's hut on Oud Mathenesse one of the few buildings in which architect Oud sought to apply the principles of De Stijl. Oud had been involved in the creation of De Stijl in 1917 and was regularly published in the magazine.

 

Rebuild

 

From the late seventies, plans were made to rebuild De Unie. Initially on a location on the Oude Binnenweg.. In 1986 a reconstruction of the facade arose on the Mauritsweg. Behind it, a bar, offices and a hall for cultural activities. The reconstruction was also controversial again. Some critics were opposed in principle to reconstruct buildings, others feared that the aft firms would dominate the facade or that the location was not well chosen. However, soon it became impossible to imagine the streets of Rotterdam without Café De Unie.

In 2010, the interior was rebuild to better align with the new function for debates. The room has a separate entrance and lobby. Visitors for the lecture hall at the back don’t have to cross the restaurant anymore. The new interior of Peter Hopman Lakenvelder and graphic designers 75B is predominantly black. A chair design by architect Oud: O7B from 1934 was produced anew specifically for Café De Unie.

Literature:

• Bouwkundig Weekblad 1925 p. 236, 370, 397
• L'Architecture Vivante 1925-II
• H. Oud - J.J.P. Oud, 1984
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1970-1995, 1995
• Architectuur.nl 2010-9
• D. Broekhuizen - J.J.P. Oud Compleet Werk, 2001

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Behind the stately facade of the Maritime Quarter is the Westelijk Handelsterrein, an end-nineteenth-century warehouse complex on two floors with grass roofs. The complex was renovated in 2001 with a floating glass shade, the warehouses now house now trendy restaurants, cafes, galleries and clubs.

The Western Handelsterrein Society NV was founded in 1890 with the aim of 'building and renting houses and whole suit. Initiator was the director of Blaauwhoedenveem, John CA Hol, who lived in the house on the street until 1910. In the early years the only tenant was Blaauwhoedenveem, but after the turn of the century there were other tenants. In recent years, the warehouses were used for storage of smaller companies. 

 

The neo-Renaissance facades of the houses were designed to be representative. The facades of the warehouses were sober and rational. The complex was designed by the Rotterdam contractor / architect TL Kanters. Kanters occurs regularly as a designer of industrial complexes in Rotterdam: the warehouse St. Job, the Blaauwhoedenveem, the Katoenveem, the Moluccas and warehouse warehouse Santos JJ or Ph. Kanters. T.L. Kanters designed homes on the Westplein 11, Eendrachtsweg 35 and 52-54 and 13 houses on the Heemraadssingel.

 

Warehouses

 

The 36 warehouses are six meters wide, and on the left side have a depth of 25 meters and on the right side almost 40 meters. The warehouse complex is the only Rotterdam with a split-level. It was reached through a gate in the Van Vollenhoven Street that gave access to two ramps. The access originally consisted of three gates with steel fencing for horse and wagon. The entrance is enlarged to truck access. The roof of the upper warehouses was covered with a grass roof, reportedly made to the view from the bishop's house at the Queen Emma Square, not to spoil. For years there were grazing sheep on the roof. The floor of the open rijstraat at the highest level has an interesting profile structure of iron girders, connected trough concrete vaults.

The complex was renovated in 2001 with a floating glass top and transformed into a trendy entertainment district. At the central covered area restaurants, cafes, galleries and dance venues connect. The canopy was designed by Mick Eekhout of Octatube. The renovation of the complex is done by the architects Henk Klunder and Jan van der Weerd. The most characteristic elements as the heavy wooden doors, beamed ceilings, masonry and brick pavement are maintained. In October 2002 the complex was officially opened.

Literature:

• R. Daalder e.a. - Werkstad, 1985

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The former headquarters of the Nedlloyd at the Boompjes is officially named Willemswerf. Resting on a narrow strip of land the building is fully lined with concrete panels with white ceramic tiles. The design of Wim Quist reflects the kink in the road with its glass 'waterfall'.

Large Scale

 

HThe Willemswerf is about 100 meters wide and 90 meters high. It has been a massive boost for the riverfront, which initially seemed far too ambitious, but in fact it has been the first building in high rise scale that set the tone for the new Rotterdam. It is therefore akin to the White House, that eighty years before introduced a change of scale in Rotterdam.

 

The building was built mostly above the Hertekade street, that runs underneath the building. The building has four parking levels above the entrance, reached via a concrete "carousel" on the east side.

The most striking element of the building is inspired by the curve in the Maasboulevard. The crease in the building creates a diagonal in the facade, giving the building an abstract, graphic look.

 

Mainstructure

 

On the ground floor there is a monumental entrance. The parking garage is also accessible from the Boompjes. Above four parking levels, distinguished by the different window sizes, the office area starts. The first level of the office area has an extra floor height and contains the canteen and a few meetingrooms. The sixteen office floors have a central corridor and a room or open office layout. The lifts and stairs are housed in a core at the rear. The top two layers contain systems and rooms for the board. The upper levels are shaped like a cornice.

 

De parkeergarage is ook vanaf de Boompjes bereikbaar. Na vier parkeerlagen, in de gevel herkenbaar door de afwijkende hoogte en raamvormen, begint het kantoorgedeelte. De eerste laag van dit kantoorgedeelte heeft een extra verdiepingshoogte en bevat het bedrijfsrestaurant en een aantal vergaderzaaltjes. De zestien eigenlijke kantoorverdiepingen hebben een middengang en zijn indeelbaar als kamerkantoor of als open kantoor. De liften en trappen zijn ondergebracht in een kern aan de achterzijde. De bovenste twee lagen bevatten installatieruimtes, de kamers voor de raad van bestuur. De bovenste lagen zijn vormgegeven als een soort kroonlijst.

 

Construction

 

The building has a prefabricated concrete structure. A measurement system of 3.60 to 7.20 meters was used throughout the whole building. This measurement system is also recognizable in the facades. The columns are placed behind the middle of the concrete elements, so that the seams between the elements were easy to fill.

 

Facade

 

The facade consists almost entirely of prefabricated concrete elements of 3.60 to 3.60 meters, with white glazed tiles. The already completely glazed facade elements were delivered by ship and mounted directly against the building. The end walls are almost completely closed. In contrast to the closed walls of concrete, the 'waterfall' was made entirely of glass. At the rear of the building you find the garage with steel grates. The interior design consist of a lot of bare concrete and stainless steel. The floors are covered with carpet for noise reduction and comfort requirements. All ceilings are made of perforated metal.

Literature:

• Wonen TA/BK 1984-3
• de Architect 1988-9
• Archis 1988-9
• A. van der Woud - Wim Quist, architect, 1989
• Jaarboek 1988-1989
• Architectuur Rotterdam 1970-1995, 1995

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