Rotterdam in Development 2019

BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR THE PROPERTY INDUSTRY

I N D E V E L O P M E NT

DUTCH WINDWHEEL 82

ENERGETIC, PROUD, WELCOMING – SO ROTTERDAM | 66 FEYENOORD CITY: A HUGE BOOST FOR THE WHOLE OF ROTTERDAM | 18

2018

www.synchroon.nl

with courage and love

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IN THIS EDITION:

COLOFON Rotterdam in Ontwikkeling is published by Nexxt Media

Loggerstraat 12 1784 KK DEN HELDER 0223-694434

8 ROTTERDAM HAS THE WIND IN ITS SAILS

EDITING

12 ROTTERDAM THE HAGUE AIRPORT: A CONNECTING FACTOR IN THE REGION

18 FEYENOORD CITY: A HUGE BOOST FOR THE WHOLE OF ROTTERDAM

Ben Maandag Kees Hagendijk Iris van Klingeren Denise Vrolijk

MANAGEMENT Maikel van Mierlo maikel@nexxtmedia.eu Mob. 06-11766004

MARKETING MANAGER

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32 FOR STEBRU, A PROJECT CAN NEVER BE CHALLENGING ENOUGH

FROM PRISON COMPLEX TO THE GARDEN OF ROTTERDAM NORTH

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THIS IS THE TIME TO INVEST IN ROTTERDAM SOUTH

FENIXLOODSEN SYMBOLISE THE NEW KATENDRECHT

Harvey Blom

DESIGN BizzieBee Creative Communications Michel Sakes

PHOTOGRAPHY Jasper Hof Kees Spruijt

INFORMATION ON ADVERTISING/DISTRIBUTION

82 SPECTACULAR BUILDING A SOURCE (OF INSPIRATION) FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY

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68 HART VAN ZUID DOES NOT HAVE A HEART OF STONE

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THE GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST FOUNDATION

122 MAASTUNNEL GETS GRAND RENOVATION AFTER 75 YEARS

Maikel van Mierlo www.nexxtmedia.eu

PRINT Veenman+ Nexxt Media would like to thank Stadsontwikkeling Rotterdam for their support en cooperation.

ALSO IN THIS EDITION: Rotterdam Central District, Jos Melchers, BPD, Synchroon, Impact Vastgoed, Dura Vermeer, Woonstad Rotterdam, Sens Real Estate, Rotterdam Makers District, Dudok Groep, Syntrus Real Estate & Finance, Savills, Continu, Architectuur Maken, Public Domain Architecten, De Energietransitie

Nothing in this publication may be reproduced as a book, photograph, photocopy, microfilm or in any other form whatsoever without prior written permission.

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INVEST IN ROTTERDAM IT’S THE SMART THING TO DO. SHAPE THE NEW ECONOMY WITH SMART, SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS MAKE IT HAPPEN.

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Here, companies, government, residents and students together shape and influence the new economy with bold initiatives and smart, sustainable solutions.

Rotterdam is often the trend setter. The soon to open, first floating farm in the world and the architectural feats in the Kop van Zuid district are prime examples.

Rotterdam offers you all the space and opportunities needed to design and build your projects and showcase them to the world. Rotterdam. Make It Happen.

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Yet again, a few years have passed since the last edition of Rotterdam in Ontwikkeling (Rotterdam in Development) appeared. The world has not stood still since then – a lot has happened. Despite intense, bleak economic headwinds that have not passed the construction industry by unscathed, the city of Rotterdam has continued to build steadily, commissioning projects which, upon completion, have more than met their iconic expectations.

Rotterdam Central Station, the Markthal and De Rotterdam were all built in almost the same timescale, with significant consequences for the city. Rotterdam began to be featured in international media as the place to be, topped all the right lists and attracted a steadily growing stream of tourists, who all wanted to see with their own eyes what was unfolding along the banks of the Nieuwe Maas.

If an economic revival was going to appear anywhere, it was going to be in Rotterdam. Riding the wave of this international attention, the city also became more attractive to businesses and investors, who revealed their plans to raise the city to an even higher and more attractive level.

Since then, the city has been buzzing and bubbling with new initiatives, residential building projects and redevelopments of existing buildings that had fallen into disuse; these

initiatives are creating area developments on the most largescale the city has ever seen.

The time has come once more to pick up the thread of Rotterdam in Ontwikkeling. There is so much to write about, so many plans to highlight and developments to draw attention to, that we would be missing an opportunity if we did not publish a magazine to give an idea of the initiatives going on in the city at this moment.

So here, for you, is the new edition of Rotterdam in Ontwikkeling. The magazine was compiled by people who are keen to follow the upcoming changes in Rotterdam, and who have focused their enthusiasm on the further improvement of the city that is so close to their hearts.

Rotterdam in Ontwikkeling is a snapshot of plans currently being implemented, projects that are waiting to be realised and developments that are on the verge of becoming a reality.

Together, they offer a unique glimpse into the future of the city of Rotterdam, how beautiful it can be, how attractive it will become.

Maikel van Mierlo Layout Manager for Rotterdam in Ontwikkeling 7

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IN JULY 2017, ROBERT SIMONS (LEEFBAAR ROTTERDAM) BECAME THE CITY COUNCILLOR RESPONSIBLE FOR

‘ ROTTERDAM HAS THE WIND IN ITS SAILS’

ROTTERDAM’S URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION, AND HE USED THE SUMMER MONTHS TO REALLY READ UP ON THE SUBJECT. HE HAS GOT TO KNOW THE CITY BETTER

BY GETTING ON HIS BIKE AND CYCLING AROUND THE EXTENSIVE URBAN AREA. HE IS ALSO IMPRESSED WITH THE SCOPE OF SOME OF THE PROJECTS IN HIS PORTFOLIO, SUCH AS STADIONPARK, WITH THE GIGANTIC AREA DEVELOPMENT AT FEYENOORD CITY.

Text: Ben Maandag 8

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major transformation is taking place in a 28-hectare area of the city surrounding the old Feijenoord Stadium, better known as the Kuip. A new stadium is at the heart of the plans, but they also include a large number of new homes as well as sports and recreational facilities. “It’s impressive to see how enormous this area is,” says the councillor. “When you see what it looks like now, an area now known as ‘little Belgium’... And then you think about what it will become: it’ll be completely unrecognisable. The Stadionpark project has every chance of bringing Rotterdam South and the entire city to a higher level.”

GUIDING PRINCIPLE

He considers it self-evident that the plans include a prominent place for home-building.

“The significant developments I’ve taken on in this portfolio include the severe national shortage of homes, and the need to do something about that soon. Homes are becoming unaffordable, and a city like Rotterdam is not immune. The housing market is very tough – we’ve already almost forgotten what the situation was like even three years ago – so one of the big topics is increasing density in the inner city. The era of creating new residential neighbourhoods outside the city, such as Nesselande and Park 16hoven, is over.

There are still a lot of possibilities within the city. There’s a great deal of interest in these new homes. In the development of some apartment complexes, the homes are sold straight off the drawing board.”

In every sense, Rotterdam has the wind in its sails. “At the start of this century, this city was still characterised by its place at the top of the wrong lists,” Simons adds. “That’s completely changed now – Rotterdam is cool. Look at the Markthal, look at Rotterdam Central Station, what a lovely station... But in areas like the Kop van Zuid we can also see a downside.

With all the high-rise developments there, we’ve realised that we also have to pay attention to the outdoor space. We want to stimulate a special focus on the outdoor spaces around the high-rise buildings in the preparatory phase, during the plan formation.”

When new homes are built in Rotterdam, the Woonvisie (‘Living vision’) is the guiding principle. Simons: “The core of that vision is that it must be possible for every resident of Rotterdam to climb the property ladder in their own city. That was impossible for a long time because of the large proportion of cheap rental properties in the housing stock, with the result that families left the city for surrounding local authority areas. That’s why we want to build towards the middling and higher market segments: to keep these people in the city. We have to seize the current momentum, and that’s what we’re doing: 3,500 homes will be built this year.”

Rotterdam is cool. Look at the Markthal, look at Rotterdam Central Station, what a lovely station...

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COHESION High-rise buildings play an important role in increasing density in the inner city, but tower blocks must be built with great care, Simons warns. That means: paying attention to the outdoor spaces. “Such as around Hotel New York: there’s a lovely grassy area there where people can sit and relax. High-rise construction must not create a concrete wasteland.” But that is not all. “The buildings have to coordinate with each other. The government can play an important role there, to prevent all these buildings from becoming isolated from each other. There must be a clear sense of cohesion.

I think everyone is aware of the importance of that now.”

councillor confirms. He points to the various choices the residents of Rotterdam have about their style of living: from the tower blocks in the inner city, through the loft apartments in Katendrecht, to the family homes in Nesselande, the only residential neighbourhood with a city beach that attracts a lot of visitors in the summer. The councillor, who only recently took up the position, is not likely to make big policy changes. “We put things in motion every day; everything is going at its own pace. Everyone is working hard to improve the city even more.

I get to enjoy that every single day.”

Areas in the city from which Simons expects a great deal are Hart van Zuid, the development around the Zuidplein, and the area on the other side of the river in the Merwehaven-Vierhavens district, where an old harbour district will undergo a major transformation in the coming years. A lot of interesting developments are already taking shape: two of the three tall towers on the Marconiplein will be converted into apartments, and start-up businesses will congregate in the other tower. Housing forms part of the plans in that area, too.

“The increase in the diversity of living environments is already under way,” the 11

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ROTTERDAM THE HAGUE AIRPORT: A CONNECTING FACTOR IN THE REGION 14

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MAKING ROTTERDAM THE HAGUE AIRPORT INTO A SUSTAINABLE MOTOR

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EUROPE, ALSO OFFERING SPACE LOCALLY FOR VARIOUS FUNCTIONS SUCH

Between now and 2025, the airport will become much more interconnected within the region in four strategic areas: realising the ultimate passenger experience; optimising operating performance and increasing sustainability; designing a process for connections with the region; and developing RTHA into a partner in innovation. The airport’s small scale offers flexibility and makes it possible to work with educational institutions and innovative companies to experiment in living labs.

AS HOSPITALITY, RETAIL, INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES AND EDUCATION.

ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE

FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS THE AMBITION OF DIRECTOR RON LOUWERSE. IT IS AN AMBITION THE AIRPORT IS ALREADY BRINGING TO FRUITION BY PARTNERING WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN THE REGION AND, IN ADDITION TO POINT-TO-POINT FLIGHT CONNECTIONS THROUGHOUT

he regional Rotterdam The Hague Airport (RTHA) is part of the Royal Schiphol Group and facilitates journeys for 1.8 million passengers every year. Offering 2,500 jobs, the airport is an important employer in the region, and in the future it will create even more employment. Another challenge is to attract more tourists to the cities of Rotterdam and The Hague. The increase in technological applications, the growth in market demand and the changing position of airlines require a future strategy that puts the passenger experience and sustainability at its heart. Due to the expansion of the destination network, sustainable areaand real estate development and increased interconnection within the region, RTHA’s role in the Metropolitan Region of Rotterdam and The Hague (MRDH) is ever more integral.

Ron Louwerse and Celine Lonis

Within the frameworks of environmental legislation and the Aviation Policy Memorandum (Luchthavenbesluit), RTHA aims to increase the number of both destinations and passengers. Louwerse: “But growth doesn’t only mean expansion – it is also visible in the ultimate passenger experience. That is very diverse, and a business traveller’s experience may be different from that of a recreational passenger. One person values speed, while someone else is more interested in pleasant and distinctive visitor atmosphere in and around the airport.” The airport’s identity and distinctive quality are important here, as are accessibility and community support. Louwerse: “That’s why we wanted to make the airport site more accessible by bicycle from the surrounding area.

Simply installing a bridge could be a solution.

For example, that would make it easier for local residents to watch the live broadcast of a major baseball game on the big screen at the hotel next to the terminal.

WORKING TOGETHER For Louwerse, optimising operational performance and making it more sustainable is about more than just economic achievements: “You can also find it in the installation of sustainable energy sources along our runways, or in the dialogue with local residents. Some local people feel that the airport’s growth is a sticking point, not least because of potential noise pollution. By staying in touch with local residents and working together, we as an airport engage our neighbours in all developments and we listen to what they have to say.”

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This means that the process of connecting the RTHA with the region has been consciously designed. The mission, vision and future strategy are established in close consultation with 110 stakeholders from the region. Louwerse: “It is in conversations with passengers and local residents that we discover their individual wishes and needs. We consider new functions at the airport site in cooperation with startups, businesses and educational institutions.

For example, you can use a vacant hangar to do really valuable research into the effects of nitrogen, or you can get together to think about what car sharing can mean for the design of parking facilities in the future.”

SUSTAINABLE AREA DEVELOPMENT The sustainable development of the airport site and its real estate is taking shape in a process of organic area development, according to Celine Lonis, property developer at Schiphol Real Estate. “The direction of the growth of the business park at RTHA is determined based exclusively on demand from the market, from entrepreneurs and from users. We are in contact with a variety of companies in the region, both large and smaller entrepreneurs, who make

a conscious choice for the dynamic and the speed of the airport. For example, a freelancer is renting a small amount of office space in the Cornerstone office building on the far side; as a young boy he dreamed of taking off from our runways in his little plane. In terms of the design of the plots we still have available, we are open to a variety of initiatives. It could be an office villa, but it could also serve a temporary function as an experiment in an educational setting or with a creative start-up working on art in public spaces. That also enriches the accommodations at the airport site.”

The airport’s interconnectedness with the region is already taking shape along a variety of different lines. In 2025, RTHA will be a more integrated part of the MRDH; a place where local residents go for restaurants and retail facilities, where innovative employment takes shape, where tourists come for a day out in The Hague or Rotterdam, where business travellers find a handy connection with Europe and where sustainable energy sources contribute to the local environment. By 2025, this will have created the ultimate interconnection within the region: spatially, economically and socially.

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FEYENOORD CITY: A HUGE BOOST FOR THE WHOLE OF ROTTERDAM

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from left to right: Frank Keizer, Jan van Merwijk, Councillor Adriaan Visser and Hans van Rossum

Tekst: Ben Maandag 18

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THE VAN ZANDVLIETZAAL, ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE FEIJENOORD STADIUM, A ROOM WHERE THE HISTORY OF THE ROTTERDAM SOUTH FOOTBALL CLUB IS TANGIBLE, IS THE SETTING FOR A DISCUSSION OF THE EXCITING FUTURE OF DE KUIP AND ITS SURROUNDING AREA. THE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION IS FEYENOORD CITY, ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST AMBITIOUS AREA DEVELOPMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF ROTTERDAM. AS WELL AS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW STADIUM ALONG THE SOUTH BANK OF THE NIEUWE MAAS, THE MAIN HIGHLIGHT OF THE PLANS IS A UNIQUE METAMORPHOSIS OF A 30-HECTARE AREA. THAT TRANSFORMATION IS TAKING SHAPE THANKS TO A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF FACILITIES FOR LIVING, WORKING, SPORT AND RECREATION.

itting around the table are: Councillor Adriaan Visser (D66, whose portfolio includes Finance, Organisation, Port, Inner City and Sport); Jan van Merwijk, Director of Feijenoord Stadium; Project Director of Feyenoord City Frank Keizer; and Hans van Rossum, associated with the company Realconomy and Area Development Adviser on the project. Since the Rotterdam city council gave the green light to the further implementation of the plans in the spring, everything is being done to make it possible to start all the construction activities soon.

UNIQUE COLLABORATION Stadium Director Jan van Merwijk recalls how the plans got off the ground: “It began as a private initiative with the intention of building a new stadium.” The current Kuip, however monumental it may be, dates from 1937, and although it was thoroughly renovated in the 1990s it no longer meets the common standards

In fact: “Those activities have already begun,” says Adriaan Visser. “New sports facilities are being built south of the Olympiaweg for what we call the new Sport Campus, including a lovely club house. Many people may have missed that, but it is actually part of what is about to happen in the rest of the area. The municipality is investing a total of €60 million in the Sport Campus and the neighbouring Park de Twee Heuvels (Two Hills Park).”

Councillor Adriaan Visser

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for football stadiums set by international football organisations such as FIFA and UEFA. Van Merwijk has been calling for years for a new stadium that satisfies all new legislation, and one which is also more adaptable. “We have worked with each other, for each other, to get this far: both the municipality and private individuals. The idea is for the municipality to lease the site to us soon, which will allow the new stadium to be built. We have taken on this enormous challenge together, and in that regard we have a unique, unofficial public-private partnership.”

put together. Elements such as a new stadium, housing, recreational facilities, new sports facilities and above all new infrastructure all have to be carefully aligned.

Van Merwijk: “One of the key concerns in the construction of the new stadium is that there should be more transparency: that everyone can see what is going on and that the stadium isn’t closed off. It shouldn’t only be attractive when there’s a match on; with all kinds of recreational and commercial functions it should soon become the place to be for all of Rotterdam.”

infrastructure has to offer solutions during events such as Feyenoord football matches, but also on an everyday basis, to make the homes accessible. For the ‘strip’, the central axis of Feyenoord City, we are already considering the question of whether to change the parking situation. You can already see some shifts taking place in that area.”

The challenge posed by the comprehensive area development is not a simple one. A lot of different pieces of the puzzle have to be

FAVOURABLE CLIMATE

Artist’s impression of the new Feyenoord stadium.

Project Leader Frank Keizer: “The key idea is that the new stadium should play a bigger role in the city. That means that the new

The key idea is that the new stadium should play a bigger role in the city.

Hans van Rossum, Area Development Adviser on the project, is responsible for finding 21

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current plans envisage around 1,700 homes.

More may still be added, including some very extraordinary houses. 160 homes will be built in the second ring of the Kuip, the current stadium.

The housing types will be very diverse: from 50 m2 to 140 m2.”

“We’ve already received registrations from people who are really keen to live there,” Jan van Merwijk remarks. But they are not there yet. The plan is divided into different implementation phases, with the construction

Work is already under way on the new Sport Campus south of the Olympiaweg, including a lovely club house. Various grassroots sports clubs share these facilities.

Frank Keizer

Jan van Merwijk

enough interested parties in the business world to finance Feyenoord City’s wish list: “We are looking for market actors who want to invest, both project developers and investors.

The climate is favourable, as Rotterdam is really attractive at the moment. We also want to capitalise on the draw to the big city that

developments, performance targets have already been agreed with the National Programme for Rotterdam South (Nationaal Programma Rotterdam Zuid, NPRZ).

Hans van Rossum

of the new stadium at the heart. Next, the adaptation of the old stadium will come up for discussion: building homes in the second ring and restoring the stadium to its former state before the renovation in the 1990s, including the addition of an athletics track. The third phase involves tackling the area surrounding the Kuip.

In the meantime, there has been a lot of progress in the construction of the new stadium. The goal is to complete the stadium by 2023. Frank Keizer: “That seems like a short timescale, but we are going to make it, in six years.” Adriaan Visser: “It is achievable, but only under certain conditions: everyone has to do their part. That applies to everyone here around the table, but also to the construction companies and everyone else involved.” Jan van Merwijk: “It is important to keep the construction costs manageable.” Hans van Rossum: “The business case has to be so robust that we can face whatever comes at us in the next few years.

The project will run until after 2030. The construction costs for the stadium amount to €365 million. Feyenoord is financing the new stadium itself; the municipality is investing €60 million to purchase the land for the new stadium and has a €40 million interest in the soon-tobe-built stadium, for which the municipality will receive ground rent and a dividend. In addition, the municipality is making €35 million available to pay for the necessary infrastructure.

PERFORMANCE TARGETS

is currently in full swing. When so many people want to live in the city, there have to be attractive homes available for them to move into.”

“That fits within the context of increased innercity density that we strive for as a municipality,” says Adriaan Visser. Frank Keizer: “The 22

This should result in Feyenoord City giving a boost not just to Rotterdam South, but to the city as a whole. Adriaan Visser: “Its location is precisely where North and South come together. That makes Feyenoord City very important for the economy, employment, participation in sports and the development of adjoining neighbourhoods. It links different parts of the city together; not only in Rotterdam South, but also across the river.” To guarantee that Rotterdam South also benefits from the

The Feyenoord City project, a 30-hectare area development, involves the construction of a new stadium, 255,000 m2 of living space, shops, restaurants, sports facilities, public functions, associated infrastructure and the redevelopment of the Kuip. The project has four components: -T he new stadium by the Nieuwe Maas, which has room for 63,000 spectators. Construction is expected to begin in 2020.

-U rban Bridge City Boulevard, a diagonal connection between Laan op Zuid and Veranda, the entrance to Feyenoord City from the city centre, with family apartments to the west and two residential tower blocks, a four-star hotel, a spa and a small marina to the east.

-T he Strip that connects the new stadium to the Kuip. Thematic clusters will be located along the Strip representing innovation, demonstrations, playing, learning and entertainment; these themes will be linked through the concepts of sports and free time.

-T he Kuip, which will be redeveloped to include homes, an athletics track, a sports hotel and a health centre. The Feyenoord Museum will remain there. The Kuip Park will be laid out around the Kuip: a green public space containing homes.

It is achievable, but only under certain conditions: everyone has to do their part.

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R O T RT OE TR TD EA RMD AI MN OI NN T OWNI TK WK IE KL KI NE LG I N| G 2 0| 1 27 0 1 7

ROTTERDAM CENTRAL DISTRICT BLIJFT ZICH VERNIEUWEN

WANNEER DE ECONOMISCHE OPLEVING VAN DE AFGELOPEN TIJD ERGENS MERKBAAR IS, DAN IS DAT WEL IN ROTTERDAM CENTRAL DISTRICT. HET GEBIED RONDOM ROTTERDAM CENTRAAL GELDT ALS HÉT VISITEKAARTJE VAN ROTTERDAM: HIER KOMT DE TREINREIZIGER DE STAD BINNEN. HET GEBIED BRUIST VAN DE BEDRIJVIGHEID, VAN MULTINATIONALS ALS UNILEVER, SHELL EN NATIONALE NEDERLANDEN, TOT VEEL KLEINERE START-UPS, DOORGROEIERS EN STARTENDE BEDRIJVEN. HET GEBIED, IN HET STADSHART VAN ROTTERDAM IS TE ZIEN ALS DE ECONOMISCHE THERMOMETER VAN DE STEDELIJKE ECONOMIE. ZODRA DE WIND MEEZIT, IS DAT HIER ONMIDDELLIJK TE MERKEN.

Jan-Cees Blok en Kees van Oorschot

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at geldt onder meer voor de belangstelling van marktpartijen voor twee plots, de stukken te bebouwen grond aan weerszijden van Rotterdam Centraal aan de Conradstraat en aan het Delftseplein.

“Tot voor enige tijd geleden was daarvoor weinig belangstelling,” zegt Jan-Cees Blok, projectmanager Rotterdam Central District bij Stadsontwikkeling Rotterdam. “Maar sinds begin vorig jaar zie je een kentering in de markt.

Je merkt dat alles weer begint te bloeien. Er is weer vraag naar nieuwe toegevoegde functies

in het gebied en bedrijven investeren weer in huisvesting. Met de twee plots willen we de markt uitdagen om met nieuwe concepten te komen, waarin ook het wonen een plaats zou moeten krijgen.”

“De mix van wonen en werken willen wij hier graag stimuleren,” zegt Bloks collega Kees van Oorschot, overall projectmanager van Rotterdam Central District. “We hebben onlangs een marktconsultatieronde gehouden, waaruit blijkt dat de stad rijp is voor woningen die dicht op het station zijn gesitueerd. Daar is vraag naar. Dichter op het station dan hier kun je niet wonen en werken. We denken dan aan een combinatie van functies in één gebouw: dus bijvoorbeeld woningen, kantoren én een hotel.”

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Meer woningen in Rotterdam Central District past in de strategie om verder te verdichten en meer mensen in de binnenstad te laten wonen.

Dat geeft ook meer levendigheid op straat.

CREATIVITEIT De bouwwerken aan weerskanten van het station mogen tot een hoogte van 150 tot 180 meter reiken. “Maar,” zeg Kees van Oorschot, “we willen voor deze locaties niet te veel eisen opleggen. We willen de creativiteit van marktpartijen niet belemmeren. De locaties zijn technisch wel uitdagend.” De gemeente wacht vol verwachting de ingediende plannen af. Na beoordeling daarvan mogen per locatie waarschijnlijk twee tot vier partijen hun ideeën verder uitwerken.

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Rotterdam Central District geldt al jaren als prominent aandachtsgebied in de stad. Toen de plannen voor een nieuw Rotterdam Centraal gestalte kregen, besloten de bedrijven en ondernemers in het gebied en de gemeente de handen ineen te slaan. De Vereniging Rotterdam Central District werd in het leven geroepen. Er kwam een gebiedsvisie, waarin alle betrokkenen zich konden vinden. Daarin stond te lezen hoe het gebied zich verder kan ontwikkelen als aantrekkelijke vestigingsplaats voor bedrijven van groot tot klein, als aangenaam verblijfsgebied in een 24-uurseconomie en als laboratorium voor stedelijke duurzaamheid.

Die visie is onlangs aan de actualiteit aangepast.

Belangrijkste speerpunten daarin zijn verbinden, delen en verduurzaming. Innovatie kwam centraler te staan.

De ontwikkelingen zijn de afgelopen jaren inderdaad snel gegaan. Rotterdam Centraal is sinds maart 2014 open. Het station is een doorslaand succes. Reizigers komen er graag, het station is een van de blikvangers van de stad. Ondergronds is RandstadRail, de snelle metroverbinding met Den Haag, een populair vervoerniddel. Het Stationsplein en het Kruisplein zijn omgetoverd tot een imposant entreegebied voor binnenstad en station.

Gebouwen in de omgeving zijn ingrijpend verbouwd of gerenoveerd. Voorbeelden daarvan zijn het Groot Handelsgebouw, waarin het Venture Café van het Cambridge

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Innnovation Centre (CIC) een aanjaagfunctie vervult, en Central Post, het vroegere stationspostgebouw, waarin inmiddels tal van bedrijven zijn gevestigd. Aan het Weena is het nieuwe kantoorgebouw First verrezen, waarin onder meer advocatenkantoor Nauta Dutilh en Robeco hun intrek hebben genomen.

Aan de Schiekade telt het Schieblock tal van jonge, ambitieuze bedrijven met een markante ‘dakakker’ als bekroning. Het vroegere Shellgebouw aan het Hofplein is omgebouwd tot een verzamelgebouw voor kantoren en ontmoetingsruimtes.

FLEXIBELER “Er is nog steeds veel transformatie in het gebied gaande,” zegt Kees van Oorschot. Een Holiday Inn Express is in het gebied neergestreken.

Het lagere Shell-gebouw met de blauwe glasgevel aan de Schiekade wordt opgeknapt.

Het kantoorgebouw aan de westkant van het Kruisplein krijgt een gedaanteverandering.

Jamie Oliver opent een restaurant aan het Weena. Het Marriott Hotel heeft zijn restaurant verplaatst naar de begane grond. Jan-Cees Blok: “Het gebied verbetert zich steeds weer. Er is een trend te bespeuren: de gebouwen in het gebied worden steeds meer bedrijfsverzamelgebouwen.

Bedrijven zijn flexibeler geworden en zitten niet meer zoals vroeger vast aan hun vastgoed.”

Punt van zorg blijft de buitenruimte. Kees van Oorschot: “De hoeveelheid fietsen is explosief gestegen. In de uitwerking van de plannen voor de twee plots nemen we ook de bouw van extra fietsenstallingen mee.” Aan de andere kant zijn er initiatieven om een ander vervoermiddel, de auto, te delen. Jan-Cees Blok: “In het Groot Handelsgebouw zit al een bedrijf dat zich heeft gespecialiseerd in deel-auto’s waarvan de huurders gebruik kunnen maken.”

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INTERVIEW

JOS MELCHERS

AREA DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT AT THE MUNICIPALITY OF ROTTERDAM

Please introduce yourself, and say a few words about how you think the developments are going in Rotterdam.

I have worked for the Municipality of Rotterdam since August. As Area Development Director I am responsible for the financial and commercial aspects of urban area development. I have worked in the real estate sector since 1985, including as Managing Director at MAB. Projects developed in Rotterdam under my administration include Cool63, De Rotterdam and First. Last year, I was Development Director at MRP Development and a partner in OperatieNL. What I have noticed in my current position, but also of course in my previous jobs, is that there is strong movement on the Rotterdam housing market.

Rotterdam is more and more attractive to both new residents and tourists, which means that the housing market is becoming increasingly cramped, causing house prices to rise rapidly in the city. As a municipality, we are working hard to maintain the city’s attractiveness. Areas such as Rotterdam Central District and the inner city have seen significant development in recent years, and other developments such as Katendrecht, the Wilhelminapier, Stadium Park and Hart van Zuid have a lot of potential.

In spite of the growing popularity of both Rotterdam and the areas in development, Rotterdam still faces a significant challenge.

The demand for homes is high, and if we want to meet that demand we will have to build around 50,000 additional homes by 2040. At the same time, there are still a lot of m2 of empty offices (about 18%) and retail premises (around 7%), and in the current, tight housing market these premises definitely offer opportunities to meet part of the demand. This will require creativity, courage and cooperation.

foto@mladenpikulic.nl

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How important is real estate transformation for the city?

Transformation has been shown to be an effective tool for redeveloping obsolete properties to serve a different purpose.

The transformation not only satisfies the rising demand for housing; it often has significant economic side-effects and increases the vibrancy of an area. Good recent examples of this would be the Student Hotel and the Admiralty.

Despite these good examples, there are still more possibilities. The target for 2021 is to withdraw 350,000 m2 of offices from the market and to upgrade a further 100,000. The challenge for shops is just as substantial, and the retail market is very dynamic. 100,000 m2 are standing empty, of which a significant surface area is structural. Shops are often located at the base of buildings, and vacant premises at this level have a big impact on an area’s liveability and economic value. Because we see the opportunities for transformation in Rotterdam, we are encouraging market actors in the transformation process by supporting them in applying for permits and by providing knowledge and expertise and introducing them to the right people. The collaboration with and between market actors is crucial in this process.

One example of this is the covenant for our office strategy. We see great opportunities for transformation, but this is not a challenge we can tackle on our own. The property owners, developers, architects and all the professionals who play a role in this process are taking the lead. With them, we intend to look into how we can breathe new life into areas, neighbourhoods and streets and be prepared for future demand and developments so we can make the city even more successful. We need the developers’ creativity, precisely

in that inner-city renewal. Together with our partners, we want to use this covenant to design an area-specific approach to meet the challenge posed by transforming 350,000 m2 of offices.

Which areas will be developed in the coming years?

In developing the policy, we determine which areas offer possibilities for transformation and which areas are less promising, which is why we intend to take a more area-specific approach in the coming years. The target of the office strategy is to strengthen the Rotterdam office market by improving the balance on the supply side. A surplus on the market can lead to structural vacancy, with potentially negative consequences for liveability in the surrounding area. This image of ‘vacancy’ has a strong influence on both the political administration and the residents of the city. In addition to a surplus, the Rotterdam office market is also characterised by an unequal distribution in the quality of the properties on offer.

There will definitely still be room for additional high-quality office space in strong office locations at a later stage of the project.

Retail transformation is mainly in line with the established retail memorandum, which sets out the Municipality of Rotterdam’s vision for the future of shops in the city. The municipality uses this memorandum as a guideline in decisions on retail questions. The municipality developed the retail memorandum’s vision of the future in consultation with shop owners’ associations, industry organisations and area committees. The difference between the future retail perspectives in different areas means that the municipality is also approaching these areas in a variety of ways. In areas where successful shops are likely to stay, due to development in the market, the municipality mainly stimulates and

supports plans to improve the shopping district. In areas where a development in another direction seems more logical, the municipality aims to give retail premises another function through transformation.

The transformation of business premises is still in its infancy, although we are making great progress in MerweVierhavens near the Marconiplein, including the conversion of one of the Marconi towers into starter homes.

How can the municipality help market actors?

The Municipality of Rotterdam can help and support market actors in a variety of ways. We see opportunities in the city and we want to make it possible to take advantage of these opportunities, which is why our municipal real estate is available through www.pakjeruimte.nl.

This resource also offers possibilities for transformation. But our transformation real estate team has a more important role to play in supporting market actors; the team is made up of Kim Nguyen (shops) and Esther Roth (offices). They are the point of contact within the municipality.

A transformation special was organised on 26 October with and for market actors, and follow-up events will be organised in 2018 according to the market’s needs. The transformation conference on 7 December is another opportunity to gain further orientation, information and inspiration. People with an interest in this kind of event are of course very welcome.

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KANTORENTRANSFORMATIE

RETAIL TRANSFORMATION

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he image of Rotterdam’s shopping streets is changing.

Consumer behaviour is evolving, and more people are doing their shopping in a single store.

This means the local butcher and baker have fewer customers. More and more consumers are also doing their shopping online, with the bigger suppliers, which means that smaller shops are less popular and are disappearing. In many cases there are no other shop owners in these buildings, which causes a great deal of vacancy at street level, which in turn opens up opportunities for criminality and creates a lot of unsafe places.

In addition, Rotterdam’s attractiveness is only increasing: more and more people want to live in Rotterdam. That tightens the housing market, and house prices are rising disproportionately. Retail premises are often unusual buildings characterised by, for example, high ceilings, broad façades and a garden. Given the demand (for unusual properties) on the housing market, this means that vacant retail 30

premises are in a good position to be converted into homes. Investigating new functions creates opportunities for the vacant buildings, so the Municipality of Rotterdam is stimulating transformation and supporting market actors in a variety of ways to carry out that transformation. We are making the transformation process transparent for them: what steps do they need to take? We are also facilitating the permit application process and offering a fixed point of contact. Finally, we are stimulating transformation by developing knowledge and networks, for which we are organising a variety of events with and for real estate entrepreneurs.

The Jonkerlofts are an example of transformation achieved with the involvement of the Municipality of Rotterdam. On the Jonker Fransstraat, Maelion redeveloped a printing workshop and shopfront into four townhouses with patios. The original printing business, begun in 1952, was on the verge of bankruptcy, but

the developer saw opportunities to transform this location into great townhouses. The challenge was to create attractive homes in a building that was never intended for that purpose. The rear had a closed façade, and the entrance gave onto the street.

Moving the homes’ entrances to face the courtyard created more vibrancy, light and transparency, qualities that are good for both the new residents and the people living nearby. This improved the living environment for the entire neighbourhood. There was an additional challenge: to bring the homes up to building regulation standards. The municipality can offer guidance with this kind of challenge, and also offers support in other areas of the transformation process. For more information and to get in touch with the municipalities: www.rotterdam.nl/ wonen-leven/transformatie-vastgoed or transformateivastgoedSO@rotterdam.nl

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anaf 2009 is leegstand in de kantorenmarkt een opkomend thema geweest in de maatschappelijke discussie. Door de financiële crisis werd zichtbaar dat er een structureel overaanbod bestond aan vierkante meters kantoorruimte. Daarom heeft de gemeente Rotterdam actief ingezet op het terugdringen van dit overaanbod.

Omdat de gemeente het aanpakken van leegstaande kantoren niet alleen kan, is er in 2015 integraal door de gemeente en marktpartijen besloten om de aanpak kantoren voort te zetten en dit vooral samen te doen. De gemeente en verschillende marktpartijen hebben daarom een convenant getekend. Het convenant geeft de ambities weer en is de onderlegger voor de uitvoering van een gemeentelijke aanpak. Hoewel de markt na het tekenen van het convenant weer is aangetrokken, blijft de leegstand hoog in vergelijking met andere steden. Actieve sturing op het verminderen van de leegstand blijft dus belangrijk. Daarom is het convenant verder uitgebreid en hebben op dit moment circa zestig

partijen het convenant ondertekend.

Het hoofddoel van de gemeente is het versterken van de Rotterdamse kantorenmarkt door het verbeteren van het (economisch) evenwicht in de aanbodszijde van de markt. Hiermee wordt de positie van de Rotterdamse kantorenmarkt versterkt. Wat positieve invloed heeft op het imago van Rotterdam als investeringslocatie. Om dit te realiseren moet de algemene kwaliteit van het kantooraanbod verhoogd worden door investeringen in (her) ontwikkeling en aanvullende diensten te stimuleren per kantoorgebied. Daarnaast moet het (structurele) overaanbod in de markt verminderd worden door vierkante meters kantooraanbod aan de markt te onttrekken. Het onttrekken van vierkante meters kan door middel van transformatie van kantoren naar een andere functie.

Een voorbeeld van transformatie van kantoren bevindt zich aan het Stadhuisplein. Hier wordt het gebouw Hermes City Plaza getransformeerd voor de Erasmus University College.

De nieuwe naam wordt Lucia. Na de transformatie biedt het pand ruimte aan 217 studentenwoningen op de verdiepingen en in de opbouw en elf horeca en winkelunits op de begane grond. Op het bestaande gebouw komt een dakopbouw met twee extra lagen waarin nog 46 woningen worden gerealiseerd. Alle studio’s worden gemeubileerd en gestoffeerd aangeboden.

Bijzonder aan de nieuwe uitvoering is dat de horecaruimtes aan de voor- en achterzijde een transparante gevel krijgen. Het is daardoor mogelijk om vanaf het Stadhuisplein door het pand heen de achterliggende straat te zien.

Ook in deze straat, de Sint Luciastraat, zullen terrassen worden gecreëerd.

Hierdoor wordt deze voormalige expeditiestraat levendiger en meer bij het centrum betrokken. Dit zorgt er voor dat het pand niet alleen voorziet in woningen, maar daarnaast ook de leefbaarheid en aantrekkelijkheid van de leefomgeving in de omliggende straten verbetert. Naar verwachting zal het gehele gebouw begin 2018 gereed zijn.

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FOR STEBRU, A PROJECT CAN NEVER BE CHALLENGING ENOUGH AS FAR AS STEBRU IS CONCERNED, LARGE INNER-CITY PROJECTS, PREFERABLY IN TRICKY LOCATIONS, OFFER THE MOST INTERESTING CHALLENGES BECAUSE THE PROFESSIONALS CAN GIVE FREE REIN TO ALL THEIR CREATIVITY AND EXPERTISE. THE BRIGHT PROJECT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IN ROTTERDAM: “IN A PLACE WITH ONLY ENOUGH ROOM FOR A FAST FOOD STALL, STEBRU IS BUILDING A COMPLEX OF 612 HOMES FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS AND STUDENTS,” WAS THE CORE MESSAGE OF ONE OF THE PUBLICATIONS ABOUT THIS EXTRAORDINARY PROJECT ON BLAAK, BETWEEN THE WILLEM DE KOONING ACADEMY AND THE EXTENDED ‘WILLEMSBRIDGE’. FOR MANY BUSINESSES, BUILDING ON A POSTAGE STAMP-SIZED LOCATION MIGHT BE A HORRIFYING PROSPECT; THE PEOPLE AT STEBRU SEE IT AS AN Tekst: Ben Maandag 32

Robert Steenbrugge

AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW WHAT THE COMPANY CAN DO. 33

ROT TE R DAM I N DEVE LOPM E NT | 2018

ROT TE R DAM I N DEVE LOPM E NT | 2018

They are looking for the nightlife and want the qualities of the inner city, and those facilities are all available at this site. Student accommodation is now almost unaffordable for them. Bright is largely made up of furnished rooms with luxurious furniture – it’s almost a hotel, which means that this project really hits the spot. It will add vibrancy and quality to the city.” Bright was designed by the Tangram firm of architects.

Stebru developed the project with BOAG Advice and Management and sold it to Greystar, which has significant international experience in offering furnished apartments.

UNITY

F

ounded in 2005, and originally a construction company, Stebru entered project development by chance. “The crisis helped with that,” says Robert Steenbrugge, who belongs to the second generation of the family business that was founded in Rotterdam. “We started wondering: how are we going to survive this? We found the answer by going into project development. We were always confident that the economy would recover, and that is what’s happened; not least in Rotterdam, where construction continued through the crisis on Rotterdam Central Station, the Markthal and De Rotterdam. Now that has gained worldwide recognition, and we are keen to go with that flow. I think we made the right decision by choosing a good time to take up the challenge others avoided.”

TRANSPARENT Stebru sets itself apart with its distinctive approach. Robert Steenbrugge: “We look at business cases differently, by being smarter in 34

how our own organisation performs, by getting others involved at an earlier stage so they can really play their part, and by being transparent with investors. We started using that way of working a few years ago, and we are trying to carry on in the same way. The strong link between construction and development means there’s less friction. Two worlds are coming together, which means you can develop a better product, a product with a level of quality that was seen as nigh impossible during the crisis.”

The Bright project is symptomatic of this approach. With 612 one-bedroom and studio flats and another 900 m2 of retail and hospitality space, the complex is aimed towards a clearly-defined target group: young professionals and students. “Bright is situated directly on the knowledge axis through the city,” says Robert Steenbrugge. “The next question is: who is going to live there? Students and young professionals are the ideal target group.

Along the Maashaven, in Katendrecht, Stebru has begun the first activities that should lead to the Groene Kaap (‘Green Cape’). This is also based on a special concept, which was developed with serious consideration for the target group they want to attract. Robert Steenbrugge: “In Rotterdam, the trick is to bind middle- and higher-earning groups with families to the city. Katendrecht is known for its sense of unity – different demographics living together in harmony – and that is the theme of the Groene Kaap. It’s a combination of ground-level homes and some taller apartment buildings. It’s really difficult to make ground-level homes achievable in the city, but with this combination we’ve managed to do it. The complex is characterised by a great diversity of homes.”

has been made to make 150 homes available to tenants in the mid-range segment, who will pay rents of between €900 and €1,100. “Barely three years ago, with this project, we had real trouble convincing investors that the Rotterdam market was going to grow significantly,” Robert Steenbrugge remarks with a smile. “Now we’re proud to have had the chance to build this project.”

De Groene Kaap

BRIGHT

The structure, designed by Massa Architects, is mainly characterised by the roof gardens that connect all the homes. A path runs through the gardens, enabling pedestrians to move through the complex. The plan consists of 450 homes, of which 360 will be available to rent. There is an exceptional amount of interest in the Groene Kaap: already, more than 2,500 people have expressed an interest in the 90 homes available for sale.

In partnership with HD Group, Stebru is working on the Wijnhaveneiland to construct the 107-metre-tall residential tower up:town.

This tower, designed by Jeroen Hoorn, is located on the Jufferstraat and houses 187 apartments. The initial intention was to sell these apartments, but since then the decision 35

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FROM PRISON COMPLEX TO THE GARDEN OF ROTTERDAM NORTH

LIVING IN AN OLD PRISON SOUNDS STRANGE, BUT IN ROTTERDAM THAT WILL SOON BE A POSSIBILITY. ‘TUIN VAN NOORD’ (‘GARDEN OF ROTTERDAM NORTH’) IS THE NAME OF THE TOTAL METAMORPHOSIS OF THE STAR-SHAPED CELL COMPLEX OF THE FORMER PENITENTIARY BY THE NOORDSINGEL. THE COMPLEX IS BEING COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED INTO UNIQUE AND CONTEMPORARY HOMES AND APARTMENTS. SOON, ONLY THE FAÇADES WILL HARK BACK TO THE STRUCTURE’S FORMER FUNCTION, WHICH IT STILL FULFILLED UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO. 36

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uality is the core theme of the plan. The courthouse has already had a big makeover, and this stately, yellow-brick national monument with its direct access to the canal now houses offices and a medical centre. The neighbouring section, which used to house the notarial archive, has been given a new purpose in the hospitality sector. The next step is to convert the four different wings of the cell complex into spacious homes (phase 1). The green space around it, which has been hidden behind high walls since the prison (1872) and courts (1899) came into use, is now being transformed into a community garden accessible to everyone.

The central government, which owns the structures, decided to dispose of the courts and prison complex at the beginning of this century.

A multiple contract was intended to indicate the best destination for the complex, and market actors were invited to submit plans for the

APPEALING With their combination of residential functions, city park, hospitality and care facilities, the partnership between real estate developer HD Group and construction company BAM Wonen offered the most appealing plan, and therefore won the tender. Other disciplines are also united in the consortium: Wessel de Jonge architects, who specialise in revitalising monumental buildings, designed the homes, while Quadrat, which covers urban planning, landscape and architecture, took care of the design of the community garden.

Robin Dijkgraaf (HD Group Director) and Leendert den Heijer (Director of BAM Wonen)

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complex, to give the Old North a big boost.

The municipality’s most important condition and explicit wish was for the 3.5-hectare site surrounding the prison to become a community garden, as the Old North has an acute shortage of green areas. Moreover, the plans had to retain as many of the complex’s monumental features as possible.

“Several changes were made to the plans for phase 1, but these only improved the quality,” according to Robin Dijkgraaf, HD Group Director, and Leendert den Heijer, Director of BAM Wonen. Those changes mainly related to the condition of the foundations of three wings, which upon further investigation turned out to be in a poor state of repair. That caused a big switch in the plans: it was now impossible to preserve the cells as part of the homes. Leendert: “It felt like a setback, but it actually made the plan better.” Robin: “We decided on a solution where we would keep the outer façades, but

behind that we would build new homes. There’s nothing of the cells in the homes any more, and of course they benefit from new-build quality.”

PROMISING NEIGHBOURHOOD The homes are intended for affluent families, whom Rotterdam is keen to attract. Robin: “In Rotterdam, the Old North is one of the more promising neighbourhoods. We designed the further development of the plans with that joint view.” Leendert: “The interest in the new homes was overwhelming, which means we will soon start building.”

The homes have a spacious layout. Robin: “If you love history and climbing stairs, you’ll get your heart’s desire here. The B, C and D wings are vertically split into back-to-back, ground-level homes. An exception to this are the homes at the ends, which extend across the entire width of the wing.” Each home is two or three cells wide and five storeys high.

Robin: “The cell complex still has a recognisable character. This layout creates very atypical floor plans, which make these homes special and unique, especially considering what you can get in this market segment in Rotterdam.”

The floor area of the 57 homes varies from 60 m2 to 120 m2 in A-wing, and in the other three wings from 165 m2 to 300 m2. The smaller homes are found in the lowest wing, which is no longer in its original condition from 1872 thanks to bombs dropped during World War II.

A future imagining of the homes and the community garden. Experience history.

Taste freedom.

The next phase (phase 2) includes the demolition and construction of the former remand centre (Huis van Bewaring), which will encompass 31 city apartments, while the third phase will tackle the former court gate/women’s wing and the administration building for the complex.

Plans are also currently being drawn up for the former chapel and the two prison warders’ houses on the site.

The monumental prison complex in the Old North is expected to be transformed in 2.5 years’ time from a closed-off environment into an open, green living space where you can enjoy living, working and relaxing.

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BPD: CHAMPIONING VIBRANT LIVING ENVIRONMENTS

Wim de Haas en Paul Becht

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UNDER THE MOTTO ‘CREATING LIVING ENVIRONMENTS’, AREA DEVELOPER BPD AIMS TO FURTHER ENRICH THE CITY OF ROTTERDAM. BPD IS

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This underscores the long-standing link between the HAL and the Wilhelminapier, a connection which is emphasised by the HAL museum on the ground floor of Seattle.

CREATING INNER-CITY LIVING ENVIRONMENTS IN VARIOUS PLACES, INCLUDING VIBRANT MEETING SPACES. IN THIS WAY, BPD IS DEVELOPING NEW LIVING ENVIRONMENTS IN THE EXISTING URBAN FABRIC, IN KEEPING WITH THE SOCIAL AND SPATIAL CHARACTER OF THE PLACE.

he ‘familyscraper’ Cool is a unique concept for the Netherlands; it does not yet exist, but according to BPD’s plans it could soon be a reality where the Schiedamse Vest meets the William Boothlaan.

Wim de Haas, BPD’s South-West regional director, and development manager Paul Becht are enthusiastic about the plan: “Rotterdam is working to increase the density of the city centre, but you can see that at the moment there are still not many families with children living in the inner city. They also deserve a place in the centre. This apartment complex, right by the centre, will soon be a great place for them to live.”

The 70-metre-high tower block, designed by Van Bergen Kolpa Architects, consists of three-storey homes, grouped around an indoor street. Each indoor street functions as a courtyard in the building, and as a meeting place for the residents and their children. Paul Becht: “The streets are a transition from private to semi-private. Daylight comes through the glass, which gives the streets good visibility. Children of all ages can come together here, as can their parents.”

VIBRANCY On the other side of the river, on the Wilhelminapier, BPD and Synchroon have developed two 70-metre towers named Boston and Seattle, both designed by the architects Frits van Dongen and Patrick Koschuch. The HAL Wonen Foundation has purchased all the flats in the Seattle tower block, with the intention of renting them to people registered in the Holland America Line’s (HAL) pension fund.

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Wim de Haas: “The transition from high-rise to the urban sphere is very important. This section of the Wilhelminapier still feels too little like a community. We want to increase that community feel with these two towers by creating public areas at street level in the Boston and Seattle towers, such as terraces and a green street at the base of the towers. We are still looking into ways to bring more vibrancy to the pier, within the boundaries the municipality has set us. With the development of Philadelphia and Havana, we are increasing this vibrancy even more.”

SOCIAL COHESION Paul Becht: “You do sometimes hear negative things about high-rise buildings. They stand for mass construction, the anonymity of the residents and the threat of loneliness.

Consciously making room in the high-rise building plans for meeting spaces for residents, both within the tower blocks themselves and in their immediate surroundings, is a way to create more social cohesion. With the redevelopment of the early post-war residential area of the Wielewaal in Rotterdam South, we are also working to strengthen social cohesion. Partly for that reason, safe play areas for children and opportunities to meet people are an important part of the plans for development in The Hudsons, a new neighbourhood in Bospolder.”

With respect for the past and in cooperation with the Woonstad housing corporation, the Municipality of Rotterdam, Syntrus Achmea, the current residents and users, BPD is developing a green, sustainable and car-free residential area in the new Wielewaal. Paul Becht: “A living environment that is ready for the future and where we are consulting all parties on how to strengthen social cohesion.”

Wim de Haas: “The value of living in the Wielewaal is in the green setting, the spacious layout, the intimacy that comes from its sheltered location, the distinctive architecture,

good transport links by car and public transport and its proximity to urban facilities, good schools and sports clubs. The new Wielewaal will be a place that brings people together; a mixed neighbourhood where people can live together in harmony, whatever their background, income, age or family situation.”

The Hudsons in Bospolder is made up of five blocks with a total of around 140 homes, primarily intended for families. The Hudsons’ indoor gardens and roof park provide a safe play area for children, away from traffic.

Underneath the indoor gardens, there is space to park cars, motorbikes, pushchairs or bicycles.

Paul Becht: “In this urban part of Rotterdam, the landscape shifts seamlessly between green and built-up areas. We hope to stimulate

interaction in the public spaces and strengthen social cohesion.”

NEW URBAN CHARACTER The area developer sees further opportunities to create new urban areas around the Rijnhaven, and BPD would like to complete the circle of developments the firm began more than ten years ago with the two tower blocks by the Second Katendrecht Harbour. Wim de Haas and Paul Becht are already talking about the ‘Rijnhavendistrict’: “In terms of facilities, the Rijnhavendistrict is not quite there yet, but there are a lot of possibilities. Only when those possibilities are used to the full will the city centre of Rotterdam really extend from North, across the Erasmus bridge, to South.”

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DE SAX CELEBRATES URBAN LIVING IN ALL ITS FORMS

Paul Becht en René de Wit

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TWO HIGH-RISE TOWER BLOCKS HAVE YET TO BE BUILT ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE WILHELMINAPIER IN ROTTERDAM: BETWEEN THE TWIN TOWERS OF BOSTON AND SEATTLE AND THE NEW LUXOR THEATRE, THERE IS SPACE FOR PHILADELPHIA AND HAVANA. THE TOWERS WILL BE VISIBLE FROM EVERY PART OF THE CITY, AND EVERYONE CAN EXPERIENCE THE WIDE VARIETY OF FACILITIES. BPD DEVELOPMENT AND SYNCHROON DEVELOPERS ARE DEVELOPING ‘DE SAX’, A SPECTACULAR URBAN BUILDING CONCEPT WHERE LIVING SPACE AND FACILITIES ARE COMBINED IN A WELL-THOUGHT-OUT WAY. FOLLOWING AN INTERNATIONAL PANEL OF ARCHITECTS, THE ROTTERDAM ARCHITECTS FIRM MVRDV WAS AWARDED THE PRIZE FOR THE WINNING DESIGN. WITH ITS STRIKING MUSICALITY, THIS DESIGN WILL GET THE WILHELMINAPIER SWINGING. he towers are closely connected at the base, and 70 metres off the ground a hotel functions as a striking link joining them together. In addition to 150 rooms for guests, the hotel also offers a spacious restaurant, an extensive roof terrace with a sky bar, conference space and a gym. It is a public space where anyone can indulge in a drink or a snack whilst enjoying the view of the city’s contours from a great height.

“This promises to become a unique place in the city,” predict developers Paul Becht (BPD) and René de Wit (Synchroon). “The hotel serves a variety of functions: overnight accommodation for travellers, a living room for the city and support for the residents of the homes in the towers. The hotel connects both towers like a bridge. That is unique, you don’t see that anywhere else.”

ANCHOR POINT The restaurant, the roof terrace, the sky bar and the gym all have a view over Rotterdam’s 46

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seafaring past: Hotel New York and the former arrivals and departures halls of the Holland America Line, now used as a cruise terminal.

This is also where the new Rotterdam is unfolding: the city of high-rise buildings, of the Erasmusbrug, of innovative activity. All the threads from the past and the present come together in De Sax. Paul Becht: “The building really reinforces the city centre to the south of the Nieuwe Maas: it’s an important anchor point between North and South.” René de Wit: “Everyone who sees this building will think: I want to go there.”

The informality of the composition of the façade in MVRDV’s design especially appealed to BPD and Synchroon, because it calls to mind a jazzy improvisation. Paul Becht: “Not homogeneous; irregular. Not rigid; varying. That typical jazzy effect matches our planning concept and really appeals to the imagination.” There is also an extra focus within the design on the functions at the base of the building, including variety in height and public functions such as restaurants and shops.

The roughly 510 homes in both towers are targeted towards a specific group: a young, urban audience to whom the modern living

concept of De Sax is tailored. There are a wide variety of different home types and homes with varying dimensions: a floor area of between 60 and 150 square metres. René de Wit: “There are quite a lot of large houses available on the Wilhelminapier, but it seems many people today want small, comfortable homes. They are less interested in acquiring possessions and think more about the practical aspects of what they need. These days people live in a different way: the city is their living room, they have different needs and they approach mobility differently, using the car less and travelling more often by bicycle or public transport.” Paul Becht: “That’s why the parking garage has more facilities for shared cars, and why we’re including large areas to store bikes.”

JAZZY RHYTHM The diversity of the flats in the design is expressed in the bay windows, which are a feature of all the homes and which give the façades their unpredictable, jazzy rhythm.

These windows add vibrancy to the towers and, especially in the evenings, they underscore the function of the homes: they show that they are lived in. This adds an extra dimension to

the spaciousness of the façades. In a manner of speaking, for the residents, this means they will be able to step outside, get more sunlight in their home and add space with more square metres.

But it also gives residents more social contact with each other, as they can see each other from their bay windows.

“The bay windows can be installed in several ways and at a variety of heights. That’s the source of the great freedom of the design,” Becht and De Wit emphasise. “You experience the city more; this increases your interaction with the city and makes it more intense. In this building, we celebrate living in all its forms.”

Philadelphia, at a height of 80 metres the smaller of the two towers, will house 150 homes for sale. Havana, the bigger tower block, which will be 165 metres tall, will soon contain as many as 360 homes for rent. BPD and Synchroon are still looking for a suitable investor for this tower.

When that investor is found, the current design of the tower will be further elaborated until the definitive design is ready. In 2022, De Sax is expected to be ready to challenge its competitors on the Wilhelminapier.

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IMPACT INCORPORATING ZUIDERHOF INTO VREEWIJK Wyke Oosthout en Philip van der Ent

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THE DEMOLITION BALL NEARLY RAZED THE EMPTY ZUIDER HOSPITAL IN ROTTERDAM SOUTH TO THE GROUND. BUT IT DID NOT GET THAT FAR: THE FORMER HOSPITAL COMPLEX WILL SOON BE THE BEATING HEART OF THE NEW RESIDENTIAL AREA, HET ZUIDERHOF, WHICH BORDERS ON THE VALKENIERSWEIDE AND THE MUCH-LOVED VREEWIJK GARDEN VILLAGE. THE MONUMENTAL ENSEMBLE PROVIDES THE DISTINCTIVE HISTORIC CORE OF THIS AREA, WHICH WILL INCLUDE SPACE FOR THE GYMNASIUM OP ZUID, WORKPLACES, TOWN HOUSES AND LOFT APARTMENTS. he Zuiderhof residential neighbourhood is being designed around the historic core, offering 131 ground-level homes of which 36 have already been rented out.

The combination of the redevelopment of the Ensemble and the new construction in the Zuiderhof is an example of the versatility shown by project developer Impact Vastgoed in all their projects.

The Zuider Hospital, once a familiar place on both banks of the Maas in Rotterdam, was built between 1929 and 1939 and expanded over the years with pavilions and adjoining buildings.

It became obsolete in 2011, when the Zuider Hospital merged with the Clara Hospital in a new complex and became Maasstad Hospital.

The question was: what to do with the Zuider Hospital?

“The first suggestion was total demolition,” says Philip van der Ent, one of the founders of Impact Vastgoed. “There were protests against the demolition plan. In the end, following extensive conversations with the municipality and with various parties, the decision was made to repurpose the building, just before the demolition ball was about to swing in.” One of those parties was Impact Vastgoed; another was BOEi, a nationally-active social enterprise that works to restore and repurpose cultural heritage sites.

SENSATIONAL The result was a sensational plan: “A design plan in which the Ensemble buildings are repurposed and the new-build district of the Zuiderhof surrounds the historic core,” says Wyke Oosthout, Zuiderhof Project Manager at Impact Vastgoed. The Ensemble will host a varied programme: around 80 loft apartments in the ‘Carré’, the highest structure on the former hospital complex, single-family homes in the former hospital’s former pavilions and in the South Gymnasium gatehouse, and workspaces for freelancers and start-ups. Impact Vastgoed is working closely with BOEi to breathe new life into the historic core of the Zuiderhof.

The 131 new-build homes around the historic core are available for sale and to rent, which makes it possible for residents of Rotterdam South to climb the housing ladder without having to move to another part of the city or even relocate outside the local authority area.

“This means we are offering a completely new product,” says Philip van der Ent. “It’s a huge opportunity for Rotterdam South, but it is also

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uncertain: will it catch on? Is there enough demand?” The interest shown by potential tenants and buyers is extremely encouraging.

The first phase of 36 rental properties is already complete: the first tenants received the keys to their homes in October 2017.

TEAMWORK A deliberate decision was made to build homes that are as attractive as possible and whose architecture and green areas are in keeping with the adjacent Vreewijk, the historic garden village that is still one of the most popular residential areas in Rotterdam South. Wyke Oosthout: “The Zuiderhof will become part of Vreewijk.

The history is already there; we’re incorporating the qualities of Vreewijk into the layout and typology of the new neighbourhood so it is in keeping with the surrounding area.”

Begun in 2009 as a small Rotterdam development firm Impact has worked hard and taken on great projects and successful collaborations over the years to enable the business to grow into a solid, reliable all-round real estate company. Every day, an enthusiastic team works on redevelopment, renovation, new-build properties and asset management of

projects including commercial offices, business premises and homes.

“We have a lot of different disciplines in-house for project development,” says Philip van der Ent. “We don’t focus on one single segment of the market, but rather on a broad range of projects. At the moment our focus is more on residential projects, due to developments in the market. With our knowledge and expertise, we set ourselves the challenge of offering people space in just the right way.”

Van der Ent ascribes most of Impact Vastgoed’s extraordinary results to the amazing team spirit that plays a decisive role in every project within the company: “We all work together. We cherish some core values in our company, one of which is to work with a smile; that is also the most important thing. When you take pleasure in your work, when you can laugh together and when you can compromise, then you have a pleasant working atmosphere. That’s how your business can go far.”

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PROGRAMME OF IMPROVEMENT GIVING VREEWIJK A TIMELY BOOST

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LIVING WITH TODAY’S CREATURE COMFORTS, BUT STILL MAINTAINING

remaining 1,200 homes. Henk Rotgans: “We want to really improve these homes by bringing the insulation up to modern standards and giving them double glazing and mechanical ventilation.”

VREEWIJK’S MONUMENTAL CHARACTER: THAT IS THE KEY IDEA OF THE HAVENSTEDER HOUSING CORPORATION AND DURA VERMEER CONSTRUCTION IN THEIR HERCULEAN IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME IN VREEWIJK, THE HISTORIC GARDEN VILLAGE IN ROTTERDAM SOUTH. FOLLOWING A PILOT PROJECT WHICH GAVE AROUND 100 HOMES A MAKEOVER, THEY ARE STILL FACING THE CHALLENGE OF ADAPTING 1,200 HOMES TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MODERN WORLD. A CHALLENGE WITH A TIME LIMIT: ALL THE PLANS MUST BE MADE ‘PERMIT READY’ IN 2019, AFTER WHICH THE PARTNERS WILL HAVE FOUR MORE YEARS TO IMPLEMENT THEM. The first construction activities in Vreewijk began in 1916 when some Rotterdam dignitaries joined forces to bring about new accommodation for their company employees. They were following the example of the English garden towns, where workers living in – for the time – spacious accommodation in a village environment had better life prospects than they had had in the inner-city slums and hovels where they had previously lived. By World War II, Vreewijk garden village had grown into a beloved place to live, an oasis of peace in the city, where everyone had enough light, air and space.

Vreewijk is still a much-loved neighbourhood, but most of the homes are too small. “They are old houses, characterised by limited facilities that no longer meet today’s standards,” says Henk Rotgans, Development and Maintenance Director at Havensteder. “Thanks to its past, Rotterdam no longer has a lot of history, but this unique piece of pre-war Rotterdam and its close-knit community have survived,” adds Divisional Manager André Köster from Dura Vermeer.

It has been clear for some time that something must be done with Vreewijk. But what? Henk Rotgans: “In the past, people saw demolition and rebuilding as the best solution. That caused a lot of resistance. In hindsight, we can say that was a good thing too, and now we’re aiming to conserve the neighbourhood.” After a not entirely straightforward process in which the corporation, residents, municipality and central government were in negotiations, and after much of Vreewijk was declared a protected cityscape, a new course was set. “That new course is: preserve; provided,” Rotgans explains, “that we can future-proof the homes in Vreewijk, in addition to meeting current standards, which means we devote enough attention to the colours and to some defining features.”

LOVELY IMAGE It began with a pilot project: carrying out improvements to around 100 homes on the Weimansweg and the Reigerpad. André Köster: “That intervention gave the area a lovely image.

The projects also added a lot to our knowledge, but the operation was very expensive.” Too expensive for all of Vreewijk to undergo this treatment, so new inspiration was needed for the 54

To carry out this major operation, Havensteder has signed a covenant with the central government: the landlord charge, the tax every corporation must pay the government to rent out homes, has been reduced. “On condition that we invest that saving in further improvements to Vreewijk, which means that we are keeping a close eye on the ratio of price to quality,” says Henk Rotgans. André Köster: “That means we can really add something to the quality of Vreewijk’s image, which will give the neighbourhood an enormous boost.” But the covenant also imposes a time constraint: the plans for the makeover of all remaining homes must be ready by 2019, and fully implemented within five years. The operation is already under way. On the Wolvepad and Vossepad, the first homes are being renovated in this way.

CONSTANT FLOW To bring this comprehensive programme of improvements to a good conclusion, a special

team from both organisations have applied themselves fully to the challenge. “The team is constantly in flow,” says Henk Rotgans. “We are always looking at what work can be carried out in the home while the residents are still there.

With major activities such as floors, bathrooms or showers, the residents can be moved temporarily to other accommodation. The tenant is the decisive factor in everything we do.”

Henk Rotgans, Development and Maintenance Director at Havensteder (left) and André Köster, Divisional Manager Dura Vermeer

All activities are planned and monitored by a steering group which also includes representatives from the residents’ association. “We work together in that group,” says Henk Rotgans. “We can get together to think about the right decisions for the process. The lines of communication are shorter at every level, because it is such an intensive process.” André Köster: “The work demands that you are constantly on the edge of your seat. The intensity is increasing, the pace is increasing, the residents are looking over our shoulders. If only for that reason, we are using our very best people. What’s more, no one home is the same as another one, so we also have to pay attention to details while we’re carrying out the work. You don’t often experience such a large and extraordinary project in such a fantastic location in the city.”

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WOONSTAD ROTTERDAM IS PROUD TO LEAD THE PACK IN SUSTAINABILITY

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WITH A PORTFOLIO OF 60,000 UNITS, WOONSTAD ROTTERDAM IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST HOUSING CORPORATIONS IN ROTTERDAM, AND THE ORGANISATION HAS LED THE FIELD FOR SOME YEARS NOW IN TERMS OF TAKING MEASURES TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY IN FACT: THE CORPORATION IS KEEN TO PLAY THAT LEADING ROLE, BECAUSE THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE. “THERE IS A GROWING SOCIAL REALISATION THAT, IN TERMS OF SUSTAINABILITY, WE HAVE A PROBLEM,” SAYS MARIA MOLENAAR, CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF WOONSTAD ROTTERDAM. “THE PROBLEM IS URGENT, FROM THE WORLDWIDE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT TO THE CITY LEVEL.” AT THE LEVEL OF THE CITY, THERE IS NOW THE OPTION TO MAKE THE HOUSING STOCK MORE SUSTAINABLE, TO ENSURE THAT HOMES CONTINUE TO BE ATTRACTIVE TO NEW GENERATIONS.

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n terms of elements from the sustainability palette, energy is one of the easiest to tackle. “It can change very quickly,” Molenaar confirms.

“Together with the Municipality of Rotterdam, we are working hard to make homes gas-free.

Around 10–15% of our homes are currently gasless; most of those homes are connected to Rotterdam’s heating grid. We also use hotcold storage installations, heat pumps and solar panels. Ultimately, we will have to grow towards a completely new energy system,” Molenaar emphasises. That energy system must not only be gasless, but must no longer release damaging CO2 in the production of electricity and heating. “We can use a variety of sustainable energy sources in that system, and mix them up together. Then it’s a question of taking advantage of wind energy, solar panels, geothermal and all kinds of other sources. Using the heating map, we can get an idea of the right approach for each area.”

Woonstad Rotterdam is working on a large-scale renovation and increasing the sustainability of the ‘star flats’ (‘sterflats’) in Prinsenland, built in the 1960s under the ERA construction system

Woonstad Rotterdam is working hard to make the homes in its portfolio more sustainable. In Ommoord, large blocks of flats with gallery entrances are being improved, for example by giving them new insulation. Once that is complete, a large project will begin in Prinsenland to increase sustainability. The core theme in that project, in addition to the energy and climate transition, is the circular economy: only using materials that can be re-used, and demolishing structures in such a way as to give the materials a new purpose. Maria Molenaar: That is the future of a sustainable city: a city that is economically sustainable and positive both for people and for the environment. We want to do our bit to achieve that.”

COOPERATION She shows a print of a heating map, showing which energy system can best be installed in a residential area such as Pendrecht. At the same time, the heating map shows that cooperation is necessary for the energy transition: the housing corporation needs other players such as the municipality, property owners, fellow corporations and energy companies in order to reach their goals. “Cooperation and an area-specific approach are very important,” says Maria Molenaar. “We can draw up heating maps by linking our own data to the information held by the municipality and the energy companies. That means we’ll be able to determine how things stand with the infrastructure for surplus heat and see which sources can be linked together. I think there’s still room to strengthen that cooperation. The municipality is already an important partner, but it has its own infrastructure in neighbourhoods where we have homes. There’s an opportunity to create links for other utilities, and then you see a chain reaction. The right approach can vary from area to area. An integrated approach is paramount, allowing the partners to look past their own interests.”

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The plans Woonstad Rotterdam has are ambitious, and making them a reality will require money: Woonstad Rotterdam has calculated that it will take €1.5 billion to make the housing stock sustainable up to 2050. That comes to about €50 million a year. Maria Molenaar: “But we can’t raise that amount of money. Of course we can’t – we’re just getting started. Many solutions are currently still expensive and will definitely become cheaper over time. We are also looking to The Hague to help make our entire housing stock CO2 neutral. That requires significant investment, and it would help in finding that investment if something could be done about the landlord charge, which is imposed on the housing corporations to reduce the national debt and improve the housing market. In the coalition agreement, the cabinet is releasing €100 million a year through the landlord charge across the entire housing corporation sector, to make homes more energy efficient. That’s a drop in the ocean. Woonstad Rotterdam alone is already investing an extra €20 million a year in increasing sustainability.

ENERGY BILL For Woonstad, increasing sustainability also has a definite social aspect. Molenaar: “The most important reason we’re doing this is so our tenants will feel the effects in their wallets. Living costs must remain affordable for them; the energy bill has to come down.

Not to mention that the measures to increase sustainability will also make their homes more comfortable.” The residents have another role in this narrative: they must put the increase in sustainability into practice. “As a corporation, you can make a home more sustainable, but if the resident’s behaviour doesn’t change in line with that, you’ve got a problem. That’s why it’s important to engage the residents with all these big changes.”

For this reason, Woonstad Rotterdam not only helps residents, but also trains energy coaches: interested residents of residential complexes receive training in how to help their neighbours to implement the sustainability measures. They also give tips on how to reduce their energy use.

In 2016, Woonstad Rotterdam began the large-scale renovation of the Hammarskjöldplaats (175 homes) and Viervantstraat (156 homes) in Ommoord and Prinsenland. In the same year, in partnership with Rotterdam’s Environmental Centre (Milieucentrum), the corporation began to train residents to become energy coaches. The number of energy coaches has increased further over the past year.

During the Aedes survey, Woonstad Rotterdam received the best Energy Index (EI) grade out of all housing corporations that have more than 25,000 residential units: in 2015 the corporation achieved a 1.69, compared to a national average of 1.92. The average of all homes must be brought back to 1.4 EI by 2021. The Energy Index (the lower the score, the better) replaces the A–G energy labels.

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ABDEL SALEMI SENS REAL ESTATE

Less than six months ago, we were astonished at the exorbitant transfer fee of €222 million for which FC Barcelona sold footballer Neymar to PSG. Whereas at first we saw this as scandalous and impossible, since then we have accepted it and it has become the new status quo in the football world.

I recently caught myself thinking the same way about the height of buildings. Since definitive approval was given for the Zalmhaventoren, at 215 metres, I see other towers in Rotterdam in a new way. The 150-metre high towers on the Wilhelminapier used to be seen as the maximum, but now the Zalmhaventoren has set a new frame of reference for tall buildings.

The city of Rotterdam has taken enormous strides in the last five years. Before the crisis, institutional investors were very wary of Rotterdam. The centre was characterised by a large number of offices, not much vibrancy, public spaces that were not very attractive and housing value development that lagged behind that of the other big cities.

The choice Rotterdam made during the crisis, to continue investing – for example in building the new railway station, the Markthal, the area around the Meent and Witte de Withstraat – means that the city on the Maas is currently undergoing a significant socioeconomic metamorphosis.

The result: a huge demand for housing. Even people from Amsterdam are making their way to Rotterdam – who could have foreseen that?

Rotterdam will have to work extra hard at this aspect to allow the city to continue along these positive lines. High-rise buildings are unavoidable in efforts to fulfil the great demand for housing in the city; soon we will have to get used to 300 being the ‘new standard’.

If you ask me, Rotterdam is shaking off its last vestige of hesitation and trumpeting its achievements from the high-rise rooftops.

www.provada.nl

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‘ THIS IS THE TIME TO INVEST IN ROTTERDAM SOUTH’

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IN RECENT YEARS, THE PUPILS IN ROTTERDAM SOUTH HAVE BEEN DOING

MORE ATTRACTIVE AND MORE BEAUTIFUL

BETTER AND BETTER. MARCO PASTORS, DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME ROTTERDAM SOUTH (NPRZ), IS DELIGHTED: THIS IS ONE OF THE INVESTMENT PROGRAMME’S FIRST SUCCESSES. ROTTERDAM SOUTH IS CLEARLY ON THE UP.

n addition to the NPRZ, other long-term, committed investors in Rotterdam South include the Municipality of Rotterdam and the national government. The aim is to raise living standards in this long-neglected district on the south bank of the Maas to the average standard for the four large municipalities. The NPRZ’s efforts are focused on three pillars that underpin the programme: school, work and living. The small core organisation of the NPRZ brings all the relevant disciplines and parties together, mediates, monitors and acts as a catalyst to get new developments moving.

“It is precisely that integrated approach that appeals so much,” says Marco Pastors, who has been NPRZ’s Director since it was founded in 2012. “Everything is interconnected, the different aspects reinforce each other and that adds an extra dynamic.” The approach to the aspect of living is a good example. For many reasons whose origins are in the past, Rotterdam South has a large and one-sided stock of mainly

cheaper homes with an average real estate value in most neighbourhoods of €90,000. The goal is to achieve a more varied housing stock, thereby improving the living climate. Residents who want to move up the property ladder will be able to do that in their own neighbourhood, rather than having to leave the city because there are no higher-value homes in Rotterdam South, as was the case in the past. The other pillars, school and work, play an important supporting role: better education and sufficient working neighbours are ties that keep residents in an area. “Good schools are an important stabilising factor,” says Pastors, “so it makes sense to invest in them. It is a very encouraging sign that the schools in Rotterdam South are doing better.”

ON THE RIGHT TRACK By 2030, 35,000 homes will have been overhauled in the NPRZ’s seven ‘focus neighbourhoods’, the areas with the most severe problems and which attract the most attention.

Some of those homes (12,000) belong to corporations, important partners in the NPRZ. The remaining 23,000 homes are privately owned. A key intention is for 13,000 of this last group of homes to be renovated; the rest will either be knocked together or demolished and replaced. “This enormous challenge involves a 64

billion euros,” Pastors explains. Not all of that sum is available yet. Pastors: “But we’re on the right track. Now the market is recovering, investors are prepared to put their money into new and existing homes again. Rotterdam South is very interesting to investors at the moment, because the homes and the land here are relatively cheap. Many places have yet to see an increase in value, which is precisely why this is a good time for investors to get on board.”

All the NPRZ’s efforts are partly focused on overturning the traditionally negative image that still clings to Rotterdam South in many people’s minds. Large-scale projects such as Hart van Zuid and Feyenoord City are helping to achieve this aim. Pastors: “Hart van Zuid is making the whole area more attractive and more beautiful. The shops are getting a boost, Ahoy is flourishing, the theatre is being renovated and in my view we will have a national cultural institute: this will be an area for discovery, where people can spend an entire day, including tourists who have already seen highlights such as the Markthal.” The Feyenoord City development has consequences for the neighbouring areas of Feijenoord, Hillesluis and Bloemhof. “Those are still pretty anonymous neighbourhoods, but when something so impressive is organised nearby, they will also get a boost,” Pastors expects. It has been agreed that the realisation of the plans will get at least 100 people from each neighbourhood into work who are currently on benefits.

Pastors: “That’s the beauty of the NPRZ’s integrated approach: everything is interconnected here, too. Now we know everyone, everywhere.

When someone calls us with a plan, an idea or a potential investment, we can help them straight away, as long as it is in line with the positive socioeconomic development of Rotterdam South.”

There are also some areas in Rotterdam South where things are moving quickly. Katendrecht has been ‘booming’ for some time. The ‘pulse of Katendrecht’, Parkstad and Hart van Zuid projects envisage a lot of new residential buildings, which will have an impact on neighbouring areas. In line with the Kop van Zuid and Katendrecht, the Afrikaanderwijk is of great interest to people looking for a home. In fact, half of all house buyers in the Afrikaanderwijk come from the northern part of the city, where homes have become either unavailable or unaffordable.

Until recently, this development was hardly considered possible. Pastors: “It goes to show that, as an investor in Rotterdam South, you are no longer swimming against the tide but really engaging in value creation. The image is beginning to change, and the fact is that you still get the most bang for your buck here.”

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Foto: Bas Czerwinski

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HART VAN ZUID DOES NOT HAVE A HEART OF STONE

‘ IN THE END, IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE’

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Diederik Erkel & Wouter van de Braak

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ROTTERDAM SOUTH HAS 200,000 RESIDENTS, BUT IT LACKS A CENTRE THAT OFFERS AN INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO STAY AFTER THE SHOPS CLOSE. IN THE CLUSTER THAT INCLUDES THE ZUIDPLEIN SHOPPING CENTRE, THEATER ZUIDPLEIN AND EVENTS ACCOMMODATION IN ROTTERDAM AHOY, EACH ELEMENT ON ITS OWN HAS ENOUGH TO OFFER; IT IS ONLY MISSING COHESION. HART VAN ZUID IS THE INTEGRATED PLAN TO BRING THE WHOLE AREA AND ALL ITS REAL ESTATE UP TO A HIGH STANDARD. THE OBJECTIVE: A NEW, BUZZING CITY CENTRE; A PLACE WHERE RESIDENTS, VISITORS AND ENTREPRENEURS REALLY FEEL AT HOME. n the Gooilandsingel, near the Zuidplein bus and metro station, people are working flat-out on the new Zwemcentrum Rotterdam (‘Rotterdam Swim Centre’), which must be open to the public by January 2018.

Rotterdam’s first ‘Olympic’ swimming pool, with its 50-metre, nine-lane pool, is being installed in the former municipal borough office. Two of the building’s side aisles have been preserved, and completely new structures have been added in the middle and at the ends.

More information is provided by Wouter van de Braak, Property Project Director with Hart van Zuid, representing Heijmans, and Diederik Erkel, Area Development Project Director, on behalf of Ballast-Nedam. At the time of interviewing, many thousands of tiles are still waiting to be installed. “But it’s going swimmingly, we’re working really hard to keep to the planned opening date.”

NEW CONSTRUCTION ON THE AHOYPLEIN The new swimming pool is one of the 11 sections of the plan that will be implemented between 2016 and 2021. Ahoy’s existing halls have already been renovated, and a significant expansion including an International 70

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Conference Centre (complete with sunroof) is in the pipeline. On the other side of the Ahoyplein, a hotel and a cinema are waiting to be built. Nothing will be taken away from the neighbouring Zuiderpark; the park is in fact being extended, closer to Ahoy and the newbuild area.

swimming pool and which leads, like a red carpet, to the Ahoyplein.

about using each other’s strengths: they have the knowledge, and we can adapt quickly.”

PUBLIC-PRIVATE

HUNDREDS OF JOBS

Ballast Nedam-Heijmans are taking on this huge challenge in a public-private partnership (PPP) with the Municipality of Rotterdam. The consequences of this, according to Erkel, include

A plan as complex as this involves several significant physical interventions and thousands of other considerations, both large and small.

“In the end, it’s about people,” says Van de Braak. Erkel agrees: “The starting point for placemaking in Rotterdam South is in the values, the inspiration and the potential of the local community. The creation of a place starts with people, not bricks and mortar.” This key idea is interpreted through the contributions made by local residents and through support for small-scale initiatives. “Of the 175 ideas proposed, we are taking on 150.”

Another section that has already been completed is the expansion of Hoornbeeck College, including gardens. On this side of the planning area, where there used to be a tennis court, a gas-free residential neighbourhood will be built with 95 high-value ground-level homes for sale.

BOULEVARD Back to the core area around the Zuidplein.

The existing Charlois Swimming Pool, located right next to the new pool, will be demolished

There is also a concrete socioeconomic aspect, 50-metre, nine-lane pool

Rotterdam Swim Centre

to make room for the Kunstenpand (‘Arts Building’). This ‘cultural heart’ will contain Theater Zuidplein as well as a library, various exhibition spaces and stages and a caférestaurant. The Zuidplein shopping centre will be significantly extended (5,000 m2 of retail space) and a new main entrance will be built on the Gooilandsingel side, distinguished by an imposing staircase. The shops on the lower floor will also be repositioned. All this will improve the appearance of the covered, raised shopping centre in connection with the two last sections of the plan: moving and refurbishing the bus terminal and repurposing the Gooilandsingel to turn it into a car-free city boulevard. The boulevard will be the highlight, as it is the street that contains the Kunstenpand and the

the provision by Ballast Nedam-Heijmans of public functions that would normally be the municipality’s responsibility. These include in particular the renovation of the public spaces and of the bus and metro station, including all the associated traffic adjustments. The private partner has even drawn up the development plan, the urban planning projection and a traffic plan, on the understanding that the city council has the final say. Finally, even the maintenance of the planning area will be carried out by the development and construction consortium until 2034.

AT THE TABLE Placemaking in Hart van Zuid is focused on a versatile approach to the programming, design and management of a 60-hectare area, says Erkel. This is how the project team aims to increase the utility value of the public spaces. To achieve this, they are collaborating with actors including the municipality, Zuidplein shopping centre, Ahoy, RET, residents and other parties.

“This collaboration unavoidably has its ups and downs,” says Van de Braak. “It’s a big group around the table, and you have to coordinate well. Every part of the plan has to be linked to the right municipal department.” Erkel adds: “The collaboration with the municipality is

including an educational internship (VSO+) to teach young people a profession within the construction industry. Above all, there is a lot of employment on its way with the extra shops and hospitality venues, the cinema, the conference centre, a bigger swimming pool, the library and more. All together, hundreds of new jobs are being created.

The Arts Building and Swim Centre

“The realisation of Hart van Zuid is giving this area a big upgrade,” says Van de Braak. That is already noticeable in the increase in house purchases in the surrounding area. The progress Rotterdam South needs to make to compete with Rotterdam North is getting a real boost from the metamorphosis of the central area around Zuidplein and Ahoy.

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from left to right: Stefa Ayali, Maljaerd den Hollander, Bob van der Hee (photo: Kajsa Strömberg)

RESILIENCE IN ROTTERDAM SOUTH

LISA IS ‘OP ZUID’

THANKS TO THE HART VAN ZUID PROJECT, BUILDINGS ARE BEING

IN JANUARY 2018, CHAMPS ELYSEES’ DANNY HOGGENDIJK AND CHISLAINE

REALISED IN THE ZUIDPLEIN AREA WHICH SERVE A LOCAL, AREA-BASED, REGIONAL OR EVEN INTERNATIONAL FUNCTION. THIS WILL CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A WIDE CROSS-SECTION OF SOCIETY, WITH THE

feel so good when they’re waiting for the bus on their own at night.” Sefa continues: “Tackling the infrastructure and making sure it matches the routes people take, making sure there’s more and brighter lighting – all of that contributes to a pleasanter and more secure environment. If only for that reason, the Hart van Zuid project is good for Zuidplein.”

ULTIMATE GOAL OF CREATING A RESILIENT AND FUTURE-PROOF DISTRICT THAT IS CLEAN, HEALTHY AND SAFE. efa Ayali is a community policing expert for the national police force, and since May 2017 she has been working in the neighbourhood: “At the moment, the lines of sight towards the station are poor, which creates a feeling of insecurity. There are concrete columns everywhere, and there are a lot of dark places.” His fellow community policing expert, Bob van der Hee, adds: “I can imagine that there are people who don’t 72

DE GROOT ARE OPENING THEIR NEW LOCATION ON THE ZUIDPLEIN: LISA KITCHEN/BAR, NAMED AFTER DANNY’S DAUGHTER. DANNY: “WHEN I HEARD TWO YEARS AGO THAT I HAD TO SAY GOODBYE TO CHAMPS ELYSEES, I KNEW THEN AND THERE THAT I DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE THIS

Developments of this scope do not always go off without a hitch. Maljaerd den Hollander, Area Manager at the Municipality of Rotterdam: “It’s important that we all keep listening to the residents and focus on their needs. Not just ‘during the renovation’, but also in the prospects for the end result. That doesn’t always happen on its own, so we are keeping each other on our toes during this process.” Maljaerd adds: “In the end, the idea is that residents will say: it’s great to live in Hart van Zuid.”

and I have decided to embark on this new adventure together.”

PLACE. THIS IS WHERE I GREW UP, IT’S MY HOME.” s the owner of Champs Elysees, Danny Hoogendijk is a local celebrity of 20 years’ standing. He has seen profound changes to Zuidplein over the years: “And not always for the better,” he says.

The next few months will see hard work turn their new premises into a place where visitors can have breakfast, lunch, drinks and dinner or a cup of coffee. The ‘house beer’ of the new living room of Rotterdam South will be the Belgian premium beer Jupiler.

Michaël Foti, sales representative for the AB InBev brewery group: “We are happy to be a partner of Lisa; Jupiler is a perfect match for the project’s image, as well as for the dynamic of the surroundings on the Zuidplein.” Danny adds: “Together we will make LISA a great success, and we will do our bit for Hart van Zuid’s new beginning.”

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THEATER ZUIDPLEIN IN ROTTERDAM SOUTH

ROTTERDAM AHOY IS ‘OP ZUID’

Foto: Guido Pijper

IN A FEW YEARS, THEATER ZUIDPLEIN WILL RECEIVE A NEW THEATRE BUILDING AS PART OF HART VAN ZUID (‘HEART OF ROTTERDAM SOUTH’).

TOGETHER WITH THE LIBRARY, IT WILL FORM THE CULTURAL ‘HEART’ OF ROTTERDAM SOUTH. mmelien Mathijsse, General Director of Theater Zuidplein: “We are really looking forward to the new building. It needs to be a space where you can just walk in to see or experience something beautiful, to get something to eat or drink, and especially to come together. Somewhere where you can celebrate who you are!”

From the early morning to late at night, everyone is welcome in this new cultural ‘living room’ in Rotterdam South.

The art building will be realised in the middle of Hart van Zuid, close to the bus and metro station and to the main entrance to the 74

Zuidplein Shopping Centre. Theater Zuidplein will be able to realise its ambitions even better in this location: presenting shows to a new audience and developing talent. A podium that is really for everyone and for every talent.

ROTTERDAM AHOY IS NEARLY 50, BUT IT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME – NOT LEAST BECAUSE THIS INTERNATIONALLY

You can see a very broad range of performances at the theatre: cabaret, dance, shows, theatre concerts, children’s theatre, young adult theatre, afternoon performances for older people, festivals and shows by guest programmers. It is also a breeding ground for talent. The theatre is already attracting Rotterdam audiences to its activities and offering internships and training placements to talented people. The new building will soon enable the theatre to expand that role even further. Theater Zuidplein believes it is important for every group in society to have the opportunity to enjoy the theatre: by incorporating topical subjects that matter, the theatre offers food for thought or an evening of laughter and entertainment.

THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2017, AND A NEW-BUILD CONFERENCE CENTRE IS ON THE CARDS.

OPERATING COMPANY IS NOT SHY OF UNDERGOING A BIG MAKEOVER, NOT EVEN WHEN BUILDING WORK TAKES PLACE IN BETWEEN EVENTS AND CONVENTIONS. THE FIVE CONVENTION & EVENTS SPACES ON THE WEST SIDE WERE RENOVATED IN

ll these interventions are part of the Hart van Zuid project: “A qualitative metamorphosis aiming to create a new buzzing city centre in Rotterdam South – we’re happy to be a part of that,” says the Director of Ahoy, Peter van der Veer.

The new conference centre, with 35 smaller rooms and a large hall that functions as an auditorium, music hall and theatre rolled into one, will add even more buzz to Hart van Zuid. Construction on the Rotterdam Ahoy Convention Centre will begin in 2018, and the conference centre,

including a hotel on the Ahoy site, will open at the end of 2020. “We view the boost the area is getting as a very positive development. We will attract many (international) visitors who, either before or after their visit to Ahoy, will want to stay in this area. Our visitors will make a big contribution to the economic spin-off in this second heart of Rotterdam,” says Peter van der Veer.

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The rehabilitation hotel

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Foto: Paula Romein Fotografie

has been in use since 2016, and both guests and staff members are very enthusiastic.

Read more about the development of the rehabilitation hotel at www.overhd.nl/ intermezzo You can read more about HD at www.hdgroep.nl

LAURENS REHABILITATION HOTEL INTERMEZZO IS ‘OP ZUID’ THE MOTORSTRAAT AREA, WHICH INCLUDES THE LAURENS REHABILITATION HOTEL INTERMEZZO ZUID THAT OPENED IN 2016, IS PART OF HART VAN ZUID (‘HEART OF ROTTERDAM SOUTH’). THE LOCATION PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE TOTAL AREA DEVELOPMENT OF HART VAN ZUID. he development of this care hotel offered the opportunity to build a care institution that is perfectly in line with the urban planners’ vision.

HD developed and designed this ambitious care concept, which is care provider Laurens’ idea for the replacement of the very outdated Antonius IJsselmonde care home. The assignment was to design a ‘rehabilitation hotel’ where patients would be guests in a ‘healing environment’. And it has been a great success: Rehabilitation Hotel Intermezzo received the NTVG BouwAward (‘Construction Award’) 2016 and was nominated for the Hedy d’Ancona prize for excellence in carefocused architecture.

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A BUILDING OF TWO FACES How do you harmonise the wishes of the municipality, which specified the appearance and atmosphere of the cool and businesslike buildings that date from the time of the reconstruction of Rotterdam, with those of the client, who principally wants a warm building which is focused on people and which radiates safety? This design challenge, which at first glance appears impossible, has found its expression in solutions that are characteristic of the building.

HD architect Martijn Verhagen: “My responsibility was for the building’s concept and design, as well as its aesthetic direction. From the very first discussions, my role was to take Laurens’ proposed programme, translate it spatially and make it a visible reality. In my vision, the building is a reflection of its function and of diverse groups of guests. The result is a functional and inspiring care building with an appearance that is warm and friendly, and yet also cool and chic, and which stimulates the senses and offers surprises from a variety of perspectives.”

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THE GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHO RST FOUNDATION IS HELPING CHILDREN TAKE STEPS TOWAR DS THEIR FUTURE! Foto: Arie Kievit

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THE GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST FOUNDATION WAS SET UP BY

STATUE AND SPORTS FIELD FOR GIOVANNI

GIOVANNI AND MARIEKE VAN BRONCKHORST TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO SOCIETY.

In honour of Giovanni, who lives in Krimpen aan de IJssel, the Municipality there has named a new sports field ‘Van Bronckhorst Sports Field’. he foundation’s most important project is the S.V. GIO sport and learning club. A real club, with Giovanni himself as head coach and Marieke as educational adviser.

At S.V. GIO, children aged 10-12 with barriers to learning follow a programme of education and sport to work on their self-confidence and their future. The club uses sport to focus on reading comprehension, spelling and numeracy as well as confidence and parental involvement.

It is not only Giovanni’s sporting achievements that have led to this honour, but especially his social commitment. As well as the Giovanni van Bronckhorst Foundation, children from the ‘Fair Chance Krimpen’ Foundation were also present. They enjoyed a boxing lesson from the coaches at the Giovanni van Bronckhorst Foundation. And, of course, they played football.

There is already a statue of Giovanni in Museum Rotterdam, which had its festive unveiling shortly after Feyenoord’s championship performance – together with the children of S.V. GIO, of course.

The goal is to give these children a good start in their secondary education and to show them that they can decide the course of their own lives. Each child is the captain of their own ship.

All children deserve the chance to become the best version of themselves. Sometimes, in football, opportunities must first be created.

S.V. GIO does not create opportunities itself, but the club teaches children how to create their own opportunities in the future. In the Rotterdam neighbourhoods where the Giovanni van Bronckhorst Foundation is active, a quarter

of pupils leave primary school with low literacy.

With the S.V. GIO project, the foundation is on a mission to use sport to make the difference for these children.

S.V. GIO is not just a project; it is the most fun sports club in the Netherlands! A place where children feel at home, where they are part of something and where they learn to have confidence and to be the captain of their own ship. They do this through a combination of education, sport, coaching and the involvement of their parents.

An important part of the programme is the VCM Boks (boxing) method, developed by Mano Radema and Paul van Zwam, which is used to improve the mental development of professional sportsmen and -women, especially in football and for boards and directors in the business world. Boxing gives you an insight into how you react to situations. Can you keep your cool when things get stressful? Do you maintain perspective?

The Giovanni van Bronckhorst Foundation wants to help as many children as possible, and

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for that they need more teaching locations! If you want to find out how you can help achieve this goal, contact the Giovanni van Bronckhorst Foundation.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst Foundation Vasteland 78 3011 BN Rotterdam Telephone number: 010 310 3094 E-mail: info@vanbronckhorstfoundation.com

Photo: Arie Kievit

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SPECTACULAR BUILDING A SOURCE (OF INSPIRATION) FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY

DUTCH WINDWHEEL A DISTINCT ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN IN COMBINATION WITH FORWARD-LOOKING ENERGY TECHNOLOGY, THE DUTCH WINDWHEEL BUILDING SPARKS THE IMAGINATION. AS THE CAPITAL OF INNOVATIVE ARCHITECTURE, AND THANKS TO ITS UNCOMPROMISING SUSTAINABILITY AMBITIONS, ROTTERDAM IS THE IDEAL CITY IN WHICH TO REALISE THIS GROUNDBREAKING CONCEPT.

Duzan Doepel and Eline Strijers from the DoepelStrijkers architectural firm.

Together with Bloc and Meysters, DoepelStrijkers has formed the Windwheel Corporation.

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The design consists of a fusion of two rings, with the outermost ring containing 36 rotating floors that function as viewing platforms.

Each floor has its own programme, ranging from high-end retail to cocktail bars. The ring itself is static. The floors rotate internally on a rail system, like a giant coaster, with 36 unique experiences. The inner ring is formed to harvest energy from the wind and the sun; it optimises the potential for passive heating, cooling and ventilation of the spaces. The programme in the inner ring consists of a panorama restaurant, a sky lobby, a hotel, apartments and commercial functions at the base of the building. In the future, depending on the location chosen, the building could be used as a cruise terminal for river ships, potentially even for ocean-going vessels.

CHALLENGES

View of an apartment with adjacent outdoor space which functions as a climate zone

In cooperation with its partners in innovation and investment, the Windwheel Corporation* is planning to bring the concept to life in the heart of the innovative architectural centre of Rotterdam. DoepelStrijkers and Arup carried out an initial technical feasibility study from November 2016 to March 2017 which resulted in the foundation challenging itself to produce a further explanation of its ambitions, core design features from a technical perspective

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and proposals for further investigation. This input led to optimisations in the design concept, translated to the Dutch Windwheel 2.0.

Until June 2018, the partners who collaborate on the foundation will tackle a variety of the aspects and challenges identified. This should produce the Dutch Windwheel Formula.

Next, they will identify the feasibility and the requirements in the context of Rotterdam.

The Dutch Windwheel Formula includes the generic framework of systems and technologies relating to the programmatic requirements, the spatial development of the construction project and its location-specific development.

Elements of the formula can be used in a variety of combinations for other projects at locations throughout the world.

The Dutch Windwheel Corporation aims to realise its concept in the port city of Rotterdam.

Three possible locations have been identified along the Maas. These locations will be investigated further during the feasibility study, in consultation with the city of Rotterdam and the stakeholders in the areas concerned.

EXTRAORDINARILY AMBITIOUS The ambition is for the Dutch Windwheel to generate its own energy from renewable sources.

The energy will be stored on site to create its

own energy balance and to pass on excess energy to the surroundings by way of a smart multi-commodity grid. This is extraordinarily ambitious for a high-rise building on this scale.

By setting the bar so high, the foundation and its partners intend to create a platform for innovation and use the concept to stimulate innovation in the area and encourage the development of new and upcoming technologies.

The challenges we face in our cities demand farreaching solutions.

THE ROTTERDAM CONTEXT The realisation of this spectacular building will further strengthen the position of Rotterdam as a tourist destination, and it will continue to build on the city’s reputation as a capital of innovative architecture. As Europe’s largest industrial cluster and logistical hub, Rotterdam is the ideal location for the transition to a sustainable economy. Thanks to developments in bio-based chemicals, energy reduction, energy transition and CO2 technology, this transition will stimulate innovation and lead to new, future-oriented knowledge networks.

Rotterdam is ambitious about becoming the most sustainable industrial port region in the world. This ambition is supported by the decree from the Dutch government that 14% of energy 84

production must be generated from renewable sources by 2020.

Dutch Windwheel Programme

DYNAMIC ACCELERATOR The Dutch Windwheel dovetails with these ambitions and will become an icon of sustainable design and the circular economy.

Using the principles of climate design, the form of the building has been optimised to collect energy from the surrounding area. Designed to be dismantled and re-used, and built using secondary and bio-based materials, the structure is conceived on various storeys with different life cycles, which means that there are a variety of conceivable forms of ownership and lease constructions, making the concept of ‘service provision’ a possibility.

The Windwheel is a showcase for the Clean Tech Delta and a platform for innovation development. The building is being developed as a dynamic ‘accelerator’ of technical and technological innovations in the area of renewable energy, user experience and circular design.

* The Dutch Windwheel is an initiative of the Windwheel Corporation, a consortium of the Rotterdam businesses BLOC, DoepelStrijkers and Meysters. Leading businesses and research institutions have entered into an alliance to identify and develop the innovations (at the intersection of construction, technology, water and energy) that can be incorporated into the Dutch Windwheel. Arup, BAM, Deltares, Dura Vermeer, ECN, Eneco, Evides, Siemens, SPIE and TNO also play a role in the foundation.

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RDM AND M4H: HOTSPOT FOR INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURING

Isabelle Vries en Jouke Goslinga

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THE ROTTERDAM MAKERS DISTRICT IS ABOUT TO BECOME THE PLACE FOR INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURING IN THE REGION. IT WILL BE THE PLACE WHERE START-UPS CAN GROW AND WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INTRODUCED TO ENGINEERING. THE FACT THAT NOT ONLY IS TECHNOLOGY

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Creative activity in particular has found a place here. Businesses such as Studio Roosegaarde and Atelier Van Lieshout, as well as high-tech companies such as Spark and Wind Challenge, feel at home here. The municipality and Havenbedrijf Rotterdam are committed to developing both RDM and M4H further for a broad range of manufacturing companies.

DEVISED AND IMPLEMENTED HERE, BUT THAT EVERYONE CAN SEE IT, MAKES THE MAKERS DISTRICT A BREEDING GROUND AND A SHOWCASE. otterdam Makers District is made up of two areas located on both banks of the Nieuwe Maas. To the south, it focuses on the site of the former Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (Rotterdam Dry Dock Company, RDM) at Heijplaat. RDM Rotterdam proved itself long ago as a breeding ground for technological innovation focused on the port, due to the schools located there and the more than 30 businesses established there, from start-ups to large international enterprises in the maritime sector.

On the northern side of the water, the Makers District extends over the Merwe-Vierhavens area; M4H for short.

In recent years, port activities have made way here for new activity in a more urban context.

“Both areas are now a testing ground for innovation,” say Isabelle Vries, M4H Programme Manager, and Jouke Goslinga, RDM Programme Manager. “The port of Rotterdam – still one of the largest in Europe – is being revamped, and there’s a lot going on in terms of innovation. Those developments could use a boost.” The RDM site, birthplace of the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij and the place where imposing ocean-going steamships were built, has historically already gained renown as a breeding ground for technology and innovation. Education and a new sense of purpose have continued that tradition.

COMPLIMENT Jouke Goslinga: “I compliment the Havenbedrijf, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and the municipality on their courage in taking this on. RDM’s success must be clear to everyone.” That does not mean there is nothing left to do. Goslinga: “The most

amazing time for RDM is yet to come, when it will have even more life with all the students.

The connections across the water can also be improved. However it needs to happen, we want to reach a level where RDM can compete with places like the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven.”

Although RDM is already largely complete, the same cannot yet be said for M4H, the other priority of Rotterdam Makers District.

Isabelle Vries: “The harbours here were mostly used to store and transfer fruit and to produce fossil-fuel energy. There are still a lot of remnants of energy production, which are being cleared by decontaminating the soil to make the area fit for the future.

Now the keywords are energy transition and digitisation, for the manufacturing companies that will come here too. M4H is the ideal testing ground for start-ups looking for flexible space in an urban environment. Innovative industry, manufacturing – this area sees a lot of experimentation in those areas; but there’s still a lot to do in terms of real estate and outdoor space.”

Interest in the M4H area is changing. The business world is taking an increasing interest in the former business premises at the site, and in other forms of real estate available there. Two of the Europoint towers are being converted from office space into housing. “That’s a good building block for vitality in the area, that will only increase when the new residents move in,” Isabelle Vries expects.

CROSS-POLLINATION

Ferro terrein M4H (photo: Hannah Anthonysz)

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The RDM and M4H areas are a good support for each other. “They’re complementary,” say Vries and Goslinga. “It’s all about crosspollination. It would be great if, when a company at RDM has no more room to grow, it makes the leap to the other side. In terms of the real estate challenge, that means business spaces have to be flexible, to accommodate more businesses. At the same time, it would also be good if the entrepreneurs who start their companies in these two areas contribute to Rotterdam’s innovation climate.”

The municipality and Havenbedrijf Rotterdam

play a primarily facilitating role. Isabelle Vries: “We want to sketch out the broad lines, offer facilities and connect actors, which will make this an attractive place for businesses.”

Education also remains an important part of the Makers District concept. “The young people who come here receive training,” says Jouke Goslinga. “That’s working well, and more and more educational institutions are joining, now also including the TU Delft.” Businesses have now been established in one of the Europoint towers in partnership with the Erasmus Medical Centre and Erasmus University Rotterdam.

RDM Rotterdam (photo: Roy Borghouts)

Vries and Goslinga expect that, together, the more industrial RDM and the creative M4H will make for an attractive Makers District: “Just wait till it gets going. There has to be a good mix. That’s something that also gives us energy. We won’t welcome just anyone, because whoever brings their business here also has to want to support the Makers District philosophy.

M4H is now attracting the interest of market actors. We are targeting businesses that actively want to participate in an open innovation climate and sustainable area development.”

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DUDOK GROUP IS A PIONEER IN MERWE-VIERHAVENS

HAKA BUILDING IS BECOMING A BEACON OF RENEWAL

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PROPERTY REPURPOSING SOMETIMES MEANS A TOTAL METAMORPHOSIS, BUT THAT WILL DEFINITELY NOT BE THE CASE FOR THE HAKA BUILDING. ITS STATUS AS A NATIONAL MONUMENT WOULD FORBID THAT ON ITS OWN, BUT NO ONE WOULD WANT TO CHANGE MUCH ABOUT THESE DISTINCTIVE BUSINESS PREMISES IN ANY CASE. THE BUILDING’S AUTHENTICITY WILL REMAIN INTACT, BUT BEHIND THE SCENES

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area,” says Marcel Schippers from the real estate firm, based in Dordrecht. “It’s all about to happen in this part of Rotterdam. Dudok Group is not interested in ordinary development”, he explains.

“This is a striking building with a beautiful history, in a beautiful place. We want to breathe new life into it.” Previously, in Rotterdam, the company acquired the monumental office building De Rotterdamsche Lloyd in the Lloydkwartier.

AS AN UNCONVENTIONAL MULTI-BUSINESS LOCATION, IN COMBINATION

The Dudok Group has built up positive experience with the redevelopment of this kind of property, working on projects including Post120 in Dordrecht. “A Stalinist concrete colossus about which everyone said: ‘What are you going to do with that?’ We have managed to transform it into the buzzing heart of Dordt.”

WITH HOSPITALITY PROVISION THAT SPARKS THE IMAGINATION.

POURED CONCRETE

SOMETHING BIG IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. FOLLOWING A LARGE-SCALE, MAINLY INTERNAL RENOVATION, THE BUILDING WILL REOPEN ITS DOORS

n 1932, the Cooperative Wholesalers Association De Handelskamer (HAKA) moved to new business premises on the Vierhavensstraat. The building was constructed as a horizontally-segmented wall along the Lekhaven, located behind it. A longer industrial wing and a shorter office wing are connected by a vertical staircase and, behind that, an adjoining square silo house. Below this, on the elevated ground floor, the full length of the building consists of loading and unloading space, complete with steel sliding doors.

It was awarded national monument status in 2002. Vestia bought the building in 2008 with the intention of installing a ‘living lab’ for water and energy, but legislative changes recently forced Vestia to sell the HAKA building to Dudok Group.

“This is a long-term purchase with a view to the future restructuring of the Merwe-Vierhavens

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The HAKA building is anything but Stalinist. It is an early example of poured concrete construction.

The stucco concrete façades are fitted with steel and glass doors and sections of reinforced doublefired tiles. Inside, you can still find the original glazed tile work in the staircases and toilets.

The office wing was formerly largely furnished wood, although unfortunately most of this was later removed. The front wall of the office wing contains a stained-glass window which is almost as tall as the wall itself. On the next floors, spiral-shaped radiators also function as protection against items falling through the stained glass.

These are just some of the little surprises the building has to offer.

SILO HOUSE There is also the silo house, well-hidden from the outside. You can still see the chutes from 20 silos, both above and below. The building’s rear wall still supports a section of the crane that used to hoist up shipments and transfer them to the silos.

The new owner’s idea is to open the silo house both for work and for uses including transparent lifts, installations and specialised areas.

A skeleton renovation plan has already been established and, together with Wessel de Jonge Architects, an architect has been engaged who is very experienced in renovating monumental buildings (such as the Van Nelle factory). In close collaboration with Wessel de Jonge Architects and the construction team partners, Dudok Group has

now fleshed out the plan to create a provisional design. The key aim is for the four-storey office wing to be returned to its original style as far as possible: with lower ceilings, original wall finishes and similar features. However, the five-storey industrial wing will retain its rougher state, with the visible concrete showing the imprints from the formwork. In addition to a renovated interior, the building will be equipped with completely new installation technology. This is the draft plan that has been submitted to the Monuments Committee.

DISTINCTIVE HOSPITALITY Traces of recent use are still visible on the loading and unloading floor. There are tables and benches made from unfinished wood, a forest of vertical

will make extensive use of the current structures.

The sky bar will have its own entrance, with a lift offering direct access to this extraordinary space.

The panoramic view towards the port and the city is too amazing to ignore. “We are making the building publicly accessible from the early morning until late at night.”

CATALYST

fluorescent bulbs hanging from the ceilings and a professional bar that appears to be in good condition. “Various special events will take place in the HAKA building during the planning development phase, making it temporarily accessible to the public. We now know that OBJECT Rotterdam and The International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) will take place in the HAKA building next year,” says Tim Wendrich from Dudok Group.

Hospitality venues on the elevated ground floor will play a vital role in the redeveloped HAKA building. These are distinctive, high-value venues that people will go out of their way to visit for special occasions; they offer breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between.

To make the hospitality aspect more attractive, the idea is to keep the steel loading doors permanently open, and to install doors made entirely of glass.

The loading platform will be extended to allow for the creation of a south-facing terrace. The programme also contains plans for a rooftop/ sky bar in the form of a roof construction that

“We’re putting a great deal of money into the renovation of the whole building, but the hospitality venues are what the public notices,” Schippers adds. The wrong cost savings must be avoided. Without trying to make a comparison with Hotel New York, that is an inspiring example of a hospitality formula. That iconic building was a catalyst for the Kop van Zuid, and the HAKA building can do the same for the MerweVierhavens area.

The transformation of this unpolished harbour district into a high-level mixed living and working environment has not yet begun, and will take at least 15 years. Dudok Group is also viewing the HAKA building within that longer-term perspective. “We bought it with the idea that it would gradually grow [with new users, ed.].

Without actively seeking publicity, several parties have already registered their interest, which means we can speed up the process.” Wendrich: “We are shifting from organic development to active development. We need one year for the design, permit application and contractor selection, and another year to implement the project. So we should be operational in two years’ time.” HAKA: even the name creates a buzz.

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MORE HOMES AND SHOPS FOR LIJNBAAN

FORUM FOR RENEWAL

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THE PREPARATION TOOK YEARS, BUT AFTER THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS CONSTRUCTION BEGAN ON PROJECT FORUM, INCLUDING THE RENOVATION AND RENEWAL OF THE BUILDING BLOCK BORDERED BY COOLSINGEL, BINNENWEGPLEIN, LIJNBAAN AND BEURSTRAVERSE. WITH AN INVESTMENT IS ESTIMATED AT €175 MILLION, THE PROJECT WILL PRODUCE 103 RENTED APARTMENTS, EXTENDED AND RENOVATED SHOPS AND A RENOVATED ABN AMRO BUILDING. “WE ARE ACQUIRING THE SITE FOR A PERIOD OF 30 YEARS OR LONGER, WHICH IS WHY WE ALSO HAVE AN INTEREST IN ENSURING THAT THE CITY AS A WHOLE IS DOING WELL,” SAYS ROB VESTER FROM SYNTRUS ACHMEA REAL ESTATE & FINANCE.

Text: Kees Hagendijk 94

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he enormous transparent cube OMA originally had in mind for the Forum project has been out of the picture for some time. This former plan would have added 40,000 m2 of retail space to the Coolsingel, Beurstraverse (‘Koopgoot’) and Lijnbaan zone, all in one go. A dip in the retail market meant the plan had to be adjusted, and a longstanding conflict with the intended contractor also got in the way. “Developer Multi completed the business case over the course of 2017. Syntrus Achmea Real Estate & Finance is a partner in the development; in cooperation with ASR Property Fund, it owns the Lijnbaan shops in the Forum project,” says Rob Vester, Development Company Director at this large real estate and mortgage investor. Syntrus Achmea RE&F is also taking over a tower block that will be renovated as part of the project.

The implementation was taken up by two new contractors at the end of August. A total of around 65,000 m2 of floor area will be renovated or added to the current stock. The imposing ABN Amro building on the Coolsingel, with its distinctive copper roof, will receive a thorough makeover designed by Wessel de Jonge

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Architects, both inside and out. It is important for the building’s appearance that the darker mirrored glass in the windows is replaced with lightly-tinted transparent glass. Donner bookshop, which began to use part of the bank building as an anti-squatter measure after its new beginning, has signed a rental contract for 3,900 m2. Donner will remain open during the renovation, although the shop will have to ‘make room’ internally. ABN Amro will be returning to its former Rotterdam head office with a reduced staff, which means that it will take up 5,600 m2 in offices and customer-facing space.

RESIDENTIAL TOWER Under the management of Syntrus Achmea RE&F, the ugly office block with the reddishbrown glass frontages above the bank and retail block will be transformed into a residential tower. Using an OMA design, the tower will be totally stripped and given a brand-new façade.

103 apartments will be available to rent for between €1,200 and €1,600, according to Vester.

“Significant rents, but for apartments of this size in the heart of the city centre they are in line with the market.”

SHOPS Attracting the popular clothing store Primark laid the foundation for the retail programme. Primark will take advantage of 12,000 m2 of retail space as a flagship store, now also the largest European branch of the popular Irish retail chain. The shop will extend from the Jungerhans building on the Binnenwegplein to the retail area by the Beurstraverse, which means it will take up all the space behind the ABN Amro building. The Jungerhans building is being renovated and the shops by the Beurstraverse are being extended and renovated. This applies to all Lijnbaan shops in this large block behind the bank. The former H.H. de Klerk building, on the corner of Binnenwegplein and Lijnbaan, is the only building that is not part of the project.

BOOST FOR LIJNBAAN The ugly office block is giving way to a modern residential tower with 103 spacious apartments.

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The existing Lijnbaan shops in the Forum block are participating fully in the renovation efforts.

“With completely new façades and awnings, we are giving the whole block a boost,” says Vester.

It will have a modern, fresh appearance.” A small

disused bridge that connects the two sides of the Lijnbaan will be removed, making the lines of sight more attractive. “Until now, renovations of the Lijnbaan have until always ended up being a bit messy. Unity was always lacking: one kind of awning here, different ones there, because the ownership is fragmented. In 2012, we took the initiative to bring the owners together in the Urban Department Store foundation.”

“The foundation aims to manage the Lijnbaan as one big shopping centre, and there were three priorities to achieve that,” Vester explains.

Guaranteed clean, complete and secure.

Marketing and promotion under one roof.

Initiating and monitoring new developments.

In relation to the first priority, a contract has been signed with the municipality that means the foundation will pay the municipal cleaning services to provide extra cleaning in the outdoor spaces.

REDEVELOPMENT OF OLDENBARNEVELTPLAATS In terms of new developments, there is now a uniform awning plan designed to bring unity, beginning with the first 18 shops in the Forum project. A second development is the renovation of the Oldenbarneveltplaats, the square on the corner of Forum where Lijnbaan and Beurstraverse meet; the tram also slaloms through this area. “You can call this place the true retail heart of Rotterdam, with the most passing trade, but it is also the worst-organised part of the whole area.”

Forum is already providing new shops on one side, and a plan is also in the works for the other corners and sides and the outdoor space. “We already have some ideas about that. But before we can tackle that we have to get the plan totally right, because it’s a plan for 30 or 40 years.”

TAKING UP POSITIONS Syntrus Achmea RE&F manages the capital of more than 60 institutional investors, including many pension funds. “The company invests €500–€800 million a year in real estate,” says Vester. “We prefer to take over property on a turn-key basis, but that is no longer possible.

You have to get in much sooner if you want the good projects, or you’ll miss the boat. So: actively

Rob Vester: ’Syntrus Achmea RE&F is in it for the long haul’

take up positions, taking over sites and former real estate. We pass on the real development work and the associated risks to a specialist, in partnership.”

COMMITTED TO THE CITY Achieving sustainable returns is the first duty to the clients who provide the invested capital.

“That also means that Syntrus Achmea RE&F is committed to the city’s welfare,” Vester acknowledges. “It’s ‘and-and’. We purchased homes on the Laan op Zuid homes when sales were still not going well. As long ago as 2014 we bought 80 homes in the Fenix project. And, in cooperation with BPD and Woonstad, we are involved in the restructuring of the Wielewaal neighbourhood in Charlois, where we are buying 150 of the 600 homes. Syntrus Achmea RE&F is in it for the long haul. We are acquiring the site for a period of 30 years or longer, which is why we also have an interest in ensuring that the city as a whole is doing well. The same longterm vision prompts us to invest in accelerating sustainability adaptations in existing homes.”

With Forum, the capital management firm is also contributing to a value boost for the retail heart of Rotterdam, enabling that area to maintain the current high visitor numbers over the longer term.

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SAVILLS IS CONTRIBUTING TO SUSTAINABLE ROTTERDAM

MARC VAN NIEKERKEN, BUILDING & PROJECT CONSULTANCY DIRECTOR (SAVILLS) IS JOINTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REALISATION OF THREE SUSTAINABLE RENOVATION PROJECTS IN ROTTERDAM. SAVILLS IS CURRENTLY RENOVATING THE MONUMENTAL ‘BLAAK HOUSE’ OFFICE BUILDING, WHICH HAS ALREADY EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS. THE INNOVATIVE PROJECT ‘TOREN OP ZUID’ (‘TOWER IN ROTTERDAM SOUTH’) IS ALSO UNDER WAY, AND THE MOST RECENT PROJECT TO BE ADDED TO THEIR PORTFOLIO IS THE ‘EASTPOINT’ OFFICE BUILDING NEAR THE ROTTERDAM ALEXANDER RAILWAY STATION. ‘Blaak House’ bron: V8 Architects

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SUSTAINABLE RENOVATION International real estate advisor Savills has more than 700 offices throughout the world.

Savills has a worldwide environmental policy that sets out the company’s approach to achieving environmental targets and the associated responsibilities Savills has taken on. This is established each year in a Sustainability Roadmap, which records and assesses the progress made in relation to the most important sustainability targets. These targets relate to greenhouse gas emissions, energy audits, an EPC strategy, minimum standards for energy performance, energy efficiency, waste management and recycling, internal communication about sustainability and sustainability training. Savills Nederland also employs a Sustainability Manager to guarantee this progress at a local level.

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on the market about sustainability, but he does not see that translated into practice: “Making the right adjustments to the buildings is more important than just getting an A-label on paper.”

Van Niekerken: “Wherever possible, we implement the great projects we are realising in Rotterdam together with local professionals.

The Municipality of Rotterdam is also really flexible and engaged with these projects. There’s a great deal of energy in Rotterdam, with all the new real estate developments, and there’s a lot of opportunity to redevelop properties dating from the reconstruction. Rotterdam is giving a huge boost to renewal and has a pragmatic approach. Rotterdam is approachable and open to solutions.”

STYLISH BLAAK HOUSE

‘Eastpoint’ bron: Laura Alvarez

All the existing real estate Savills is renovating is examined critically. Upgrading installations to bring fresh air into the building is one way to promote sustainability. The lighting and the workplace climate are also focus points. Van Niekerken has noticed that there is a lot of talk

The first project Savills got to grips with was Blaak House. Take a step back in time: in the 1950s, together with Blaak 28 and Blaak 40, Blaak 34 made up Rotterdam’s financial district.

The building was designed during World War II, and then built after the war. The owner, Real I.S., partnered with Savills and V8 Architects in December 2016 to take on the challenge of transforming this ‘historic pearl’ of about 9,500 m2 into an iconic office building. The renovation of this monument, Blaak House, has enriched Rotterdam’s architecture, especially for the tenants working in this unique office building: it offers an inspiring working environment to over 800 people. The monument is currently being brought into use in phases.

Van Niekerken: “Blaak House is an inspiring place, and the monument is so beautiful that it’s an amazing challenge to restore it to its former glory. Refocusing attention on the original elements is bringing back the heart of the building. This renovation project has been carried out stylishly by everyone involved and has a real wow factor.”

PIONEERING TOWER IN ROTTERDAM SOUTH Next to the Erasmus Bridge on the Wilhelminakade stands the famous tower familiar to every Rotterdam resident. Real I.S. also owns this office building, and Savills is 100

carrying out the renovation and extension. The extension will add 3,000 m2 of lettable floor space to the building, and the tower is also being comprehensively renovated. The building benefits from a dynamic, central location.

Sustainability is one of the core values of the tower’s tenant, which means that renovation rather than new-build is completely in line with their own sustainability ambitions.

Van Niekerken: “The pioneering vision for the further development of this building really appeals to us as a team. We’re proud that we are contributing to this innovative project.”

RENOVATED AND IMPROVED EASTPOINT Last but not least, Eastpoint. Together with the owner, Bryant Park Netherlands Acquisition I B.V., a plan has been developed for this renovation. The 5,500 m2 building, situated next to the Alexander railway station, is expected to be redeveloped in the spring of 2018 to become an exclusively sustainable office building.

According to Van Niekerken, Eastpoint will offer sustainably renovated workspaces and a meeting space will be created on the ground floor to stimulate interaction. “We are re-using certain components, such as the installations and parts of the façade. The construction waste will be processed in an environmentally-friendly way to reduce CO2 emissions. Adjusting the façades and extending the window frames will increase de amount of light in the building, which will create comfortable and attractive workspaces. Thanks to the renovation, the current energy label (D) is being upgraded to an A.”

UNLIMITED VISION AND MENTALITY Van Niekerken has a vision for the future opportunities: “The current development, which involves renovating existing real estate to maintain Rotterdam’s historic architecture, is good for the city. Rotterdam’s entrepreneurs and the Municipality of Rotterdam are unlimited in their vision and mentality; this is an opportunity to build a sustainable Rotterdam.”

Marc van Niekerken Director Building & Project Consultancy Savills Nederland

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ILLUSTRIOUS TRANSFORMATION OF A DISREPUTABLE HARBOUR DISTRICT

FENIXLOODSEN SYMBOLISE THE NEW KATENDRECHT ‘DE KAAP’ IS NO LONGER A ROUGH PROBLEM NEIGHBOURHOOD. THE AREA HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REINVENTED IN THE LAST 12 YEARS, AND NOW IT IS GREAT TO LIVE IN AN AREA WITH SUCH CULTURAL AND CULINARY INFLUENCES. DE KAAP IS HIP. WITH FENIXLOODS 1 (FENIX SHED 1), Tekst: Kees Hagendijk 102

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atendrecht has become an amazing success story, but when it began in 2005 the redevelopment of this troubled harbour district looked like a big risk. “The Municipality of Rotterdam wouldn’t approve a big restructuring plan. It was a bad time,” says Christiaan Cooiman, Development Manager at Heijmans. Cooiman was closely involved in the new Katendrecht from the start.

Christiaan Cooiman

In addition to the large portfolio of existing social housing, this run-down harbour district was littered with abandoned wharves and commercial sites. What kind of homes should be built there? “An earlier plan had suggested apartment blocks. Our vision was for the existing quality of Katendrecht, situated near the city centre, to be supplemented with unconventional ground-level homes, partly intended for families. The houses on offer had to strengthen people’s ties to Rotterdam, or attract them to return here. Rotterdam had to make sure that highly-educated people remained in the city. We were able to make a start on that in Katendrecht.”

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building containing 32 apartments, which also included a Chinese Christian church.

ROUGH EDGES The community school was a crucial part of the plan: “In terms of facilities, the living environment mustn’t spend years as a desert,” Cooiman explains. That would have been very off-putting to buyers. One circumstance that further improved the project’s prospects was that, as planned, the municipality immediately cleaned up the public spaces – paving, lighting and green areas. The housing programme was underpinned by a third pillar: an influential PR campaign under the slogan ‘Can you handle De Kaap?’. “We haven’t swept the disreputable past or the well-known rough edges under the rug; we approached them as a fun challenge.

Branding is important, right up to the present day.”

BRIDGEHEAD Mooring the monumental cruise ship SS Rotterdam to the wharf has also definitely reinforced the neighbourhood’s image. The decisive factor for the further development was the bridge connection with the Kop van Zuid. “That gave us a literal bridgehead to a buzzing new part of the city.” In the meantime, various housing projects were getting off the ground and another avenue was being taken with the restoration of the architecturally valuable buildings on the Deliplein. This area attracted the controversial Theater Walhalla and extraordinary shops, cafés and eateries.

EXISTING CHARACTERISTICS

In close consultation with the municipality and the Woonstad housing corporation, the first new-build homes were realised: 34 ground-level homes and a community school, including a crèche and a gymnasium. “These were houses worth €300,000; no small sum.” And so the Parkkwartier came into existence on the Maashavenkade: 122 ground-level homes and a 104

“Good area development is rooted in the context of that area,” says Cooiman. Area development is not just a series of buildings, but rather the (often) invisible cohesion between projects. You use existing characteristics; they inspire you. For instance, the architecture of the Parkkwartier was modelled on that of the monumental Scheepvaartkwartier. “You’re presented with that connection when you dive into history and discover that there used to be a ferry crossing (veer) between Katendrecht and the Scheepvaartkwartier. Hence the Veerlaan here.”

SUPERSTRUCTURE In Cooiman’s view, development in context has met its ultimate application in the Fenix sheds (Fenixloodsen) along the Rijnhaven. Shed 1 is undergoing major renovations, but it will also retain a lot of its old character. Above the existing shed – built on a steel tabletop construction that rests on 16-metre-high legs – a superstructure of seven and five storeys with a total of 212 loft apartments in a variety of shapes and sizes. The fully-renovated shed will attract cultural and commercial functions, as well as an indoor parking garage. The risk of context-based development leading to unforeseen situations is demonstrated in the need to adapt the plan for Shed 1. The design and the foundations of the building’s steel construction have had to be adjusted to accommodate large concrete blocks in the ground. “Of course, I can easily imagine that buyers would have liked to have entered their new home sooner. We would also rather not be in this situation.”

“During the developments in the Parkkwartier we were hugely charmed by the Fenix sheds, the place and their history,” says Cooiman. “But redevelopment would take years, and we wanted to do something with it in the meantime. Then, together with the municipality, we thought about how to make a visit to De Kaap easier, and use that to raise the neighbourhood’s profile. You can’t love something if you haven’t got to know it.”

CREATIVE, CULTURAL, CULINARY The industrial sheds would go on to house organisations such as the up-and-coming Fenix Food Factory, Circus Rotjeknor, Codarts and the unconventional e-bike manufacturer Crooze.

“Now there are calls to maintain Shed 2 in its original state. You get that a lot after successful temporary efforts.” Meanwhile, Codarts, Conny Jansen Danst and Circus Rotjeknor have already chosen Shed 1. Around 2,000 m2 of commercial space is already open and attracting a lot of interest.

“The necessary patience, significant risks, uncertainties, diverging interests and probably also opportunism make inner-city developments extraordinarily complex,” as Cooiman puts

it. “A fast food chain would want to sign immediately for the commercial space in Shed 1, but that would go against our joint 3C-concept for the whole area: creative, cultural, culinary.”

HARBOUR ICON The Fenix sheds are the apple of Cooiman’s eye. He talks about how the story began in 1912 with the construction of the giant San Francisco Shed for the storage and transfer of goods. The 360-metre-long and 65-metre-wide shed was built using the then-novel material: concrete. At the end of the Second World War, the German occupiers left the shed half destroyed. Fortunately, the massive concrete construction and the frontages survived the destruction in reasonably good condition, and it was possible to rebuild. During this process, the section that had been destroyed, mainly on the water side, was demolished. A 1949 fire probably finished off the long shed: the middle section was demolished (where the landing of the Rijnhavenbrug is now), and since then the structure has been split in two. The name was aptly changed to Fenix (‘Phoenix’), a name full of history for a building full of scars.

And now the San Francisco Shed is beginning its third life, says Cooiman, which has clearly made an emotional impact on him. He is working to recover an original harbour crane, several of which used to run along the wharf to load and unload ships, and to install it on the wharf. It will be the crowning glory of ‘the renaissance of a harbour icon’. That renaissance mirrors that of De Kaap as a whole.

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CONTINU: A FAST-GROWING INTERMEDIARY IN CONSTRUCTION

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IS GROWTH IN THE BUILDING TRADE IMPOSSIBLE IN A TIME OF CRISIS? CONTINU PROVES THE OPPOSITE. WHAT BEGAN AS TWO ASSOCIATES IN EINDHOVEN HAS EXPANDED INTO A COMPANY WITH TWELVE BRANCHES. THE COMPANY MEDIATES BETWEEN PARTIES WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION WORLD (ORGANISATIONS AND POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES).

THE ORGANISATION IS GROWING STRONGLY, AND EXPECTS TO GROW EVEN MORE IN THE COMING YEARS.

From left to right: Aisa Slump, Daisy van der Vlist, Amanda Geukes, Mara de Jonge – van Berkel

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e are mainly focusing on positions which have process management at the heart,” says Aisa Slump-van Dam, Business Unit Manager for Construction and Infrastructure at the Capelle a/d IJssel branch. “It is becoming more and more difficult to find these people.” The exact cause of the level of difficulty relates to economic prosperity or hardship. Aisa: “During the crisis, the challenge was mainly to find the right job for the candidates who registered with us, because at that time there was lower demand for these positions. Now our challenge, and the one facing our clients, is in fact related to the search for the right people to fill the many positions available. There was once a moment 107

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You’re there at a very important point in someone’s life, so you have to have a good idea of whether the work really suits the candidate.

when this situation was in balance, but that window was very short.

We have always maintained contact with the candidate, even in times of economic hardship. Continu also plays a social role,” Aisa emphasises.

“We don’t only offer guidance to people with high potential; we also help people who have experienced setbacks (for example in times of crisis).

We can offer them new opportunities too, and we are happy to take advantage of our network on their behalf. Finding just the right challenge, as well as the gratitude of both the client and the candidate, is a part of this field that we are all enthusiastic about.”

The work requires interpersonal knowledge and the ability to work well with people. Aisa: “You’re there at a very important point in someone’s life, so you have to have a good idea of whether the work really suits the candidate. It is essential to be able to ask the right questions. It is very often not the question the candidate actually asks, but rather the underlying question that matters.”

INVESTMENT Continu began as an intermediary focused on the construction industry; for some time now the company has also been active in the infrastructure and industry branches. Thanks to the investment made over the years by Continu’s various advisers, both the client and candidate networks within the construction industry have remained very stable. In the Capelle a/d IJssel branch, the Construction department has been staffed for several years by four ladies. Clients value the fact that they have a single point of contact, and the permanent core of the construction team in Capelle a/d IJssel more than satisfies the clients’ wishes in that regard. The knowledge of the various parties, built up over many years, as well as the network and expertise are very well received, and mean that the team are true specialists in their field.

It is noticeable that today’s construction expert is gradually becoming a different person from the expert of a few years ago. Aisa sees the field developing visibly: “You can see that different skills are required today, not just construction skills. These are skills and competences such as integrated cooperation, communication and transparency. The change in this kind of competences is important for us: we have to be constantly aware of what is going on in the construction world and keep a good eye on developments. We do that in many ways; we organise meetings ourselves, for example about the Building Information Model (BIM) methodology, the consequences for the kind of construction expert required in today’s industry, or shifting the maintenance of the corporate world towards contracting. At the branch in Capelle a/d IJssel we bring diverse people together, and that generates a great deal of knowledge.

This also helps us fulfil our role as intermediary in other areas than simply bringing clients and candidates together.”

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ARCHITECTUUR MAKEN IS INSPIRING CIRCULAR BUILDING

DE GOUVERNEUR RESIDENTIAL AND OFFICE SPACE DISTINGUISHES ITSELF IN SEVERAL WAYS. IT OFFERS A BALANCED SOLUTION FOR A ‘FORGOTTEN’ PLOT ON AN ORDINARY STREET IN THE OUDE WESTEN. 70% OF THE TYPE OF BRICK USED IN THE FAÇADES IS MADE UP OF WASTE MATERIAL.

Nina Aalbers en Ferry in ‘t Veld

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Tekst: Kees Hagendijk

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he Gouvernestraat in Rotterdam’s Oude Westen (Old West) is a mixture of existing pre-war buildings, reconstruction and urban regeneration from the 1980s. About halfway along the street, a much younger building has been built next to a block of two old buildings. This is the residential and office space of De Gouverneur, which the architects Nina Aalbers and Ferry in ‘t Veld of the firm of Architectuur Maken designed for themselves. The four-storey building is flanked on the left, across a narrow alley, by a block of Urban Regeneration.

Home built on a forgotten plot on the Gouvernestraat, with a façade made from circular bricks (photo: Ossip van Duivenbode).

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FORGOTTEN PLACES Designing your own ideal home is the dream of almost every architect, but the story behind De Gouverneur is more complex. The young architects and life partners explain how they once went on a city excursion with the Municipality of Rotterdam’s Klein en Fijn (small and sweet) project, which focuses on identifying small, unused plots around the city that are ripe for development. “The idea of building a home in a forgotten place like this really appealed to us,”, says Ferry. “We were looking at forgotten plots, and we started looking at which areas we might like to live in. Then we stumbled upon this place. It was a kind of broad alley with blank walls on both sides and a fence in front.”

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Nina explains how both the post-war reconstruction of the bombed city and the urban regeneration programme left a lot of missing or awkward joins with the existing buildings in Rotterdam. “Filling in these gaps makes the city a bit prettier.” It is also good for sustainability to put unused space in the city to good use, as it preserves green areas around the city.

STONECYCLING Good architects do not make it easy for themselves. These two chose very unusual materials for the well-thought out, consistent and balanced design of De Gouverneur (“It took up all our free time for two years,” says Nina). During the design phase, the architects came into contact with Stonecycling, a company that had developed an intriguing product: a brick made from clay rejects and mixed up to seventy per cent with debris from demolition and building sites. “It was clear immediately: we want to use those,” says Ferry. “As an architect, I feel responsible for a good design, but also for what that design will mean for the city or society once it’s built. And when it’s your own home you have double the responsibility, because you’re the client too.”

Being your own boss makes innovative solutions simpler. “When you suggest something new to a client or contractor, the first question is always: ‘Can you show me an example of what it will look like when everything is in place?’ That’s understandable: an innovative solution demands a certain amount of nerve.

Rotterdam is a city that’s open to this kind of experiment. Things are possible here that would really surprise people in other cities.”

resources is now known as ‘circularity’. The ultimate goal is to close the circuit.

The opportunity presented by circularity is now a permanent part of Architectuur Maken’s design briefs. For the interior of waste energy company AVR, an assignment carried out in collaboration with Fokkema & Partners, the architects are looking into options that would make the interior entirely waste-based.

For the design of a private Duinhuis (dune house), the brief uses only sustainable and natural materials, with an emphasis on reuse. “We are going to put up a shed on the plot to store materials we pick up all over the place,” says Nina. “We’ll have to run a couple more collection campaigns before we can start building.”

In an original way, focused on participation, the architects are also applying the waste-based principle to the renovation of the clubhouse at Weena Playground. Children collect PET bottles, which the Rotterdam firm Better Future Factory turns into tiles. The clubhouse will receive a new façade made out of their ‘New Marble’ tiles. “It’s easy for us to find partners for a lot of projects from our network in Rotterdam,” Ferry explains.

WOODEN EUROMAST

COLLECTION CAMPAIGNS

Architectuur Maken is one of several entrepreneurs featured on the website of Rotterdam Circulair, which aims to accelerate a circular economy through collaboration and knowledge sharing (see graphic). The website includes other circular initiatives from enthusiastic Rotterdam entrepreneurs.

“When we reveal what we’re working on, it doesn’t only make it easier to find partners in Rotterdam; we also inspire others.”

The waste-based bricks in the façades of De Gouverneur – whose glistening appearance is thanks to pieces of ceramic from toilet bowls – removed 15 tons of rubbish from the Dutch waste mountain. These recycled bricks are also fired at a lower temperature. Using them in large quantities substantially increases the savings in terms of materials and energy. The growing culture of re-using rubbish and waste material in order to reduce the use of new

Nina and Ferry have given yet another intriguing meaning to circularity. With their research and the workshop ‘The Euromast – built circularly’, they have redesigned the classic icon of the Reconstruction of Rotterdam, primarily in wood. “People’s first reaction is: ‘That enormous wooden Euromast – no way!’ But, together with builder Rutger Snoek, we show that it is possible. I feel that asking

questions and inspiration make up a large part of what architecture is. By asking the right questions and demonstrating inspiring examples, you can also get seasoned developers on side.”

This study has caused them to re-evaluate wood as a building material, Nina says. Wood is great for circular construction: “European forests are growing by 764 million cubic metres a year. Using sixty per cent of the increase, you could build a Euromast every 2.7 seconds. With utopian thinking you can convince people to change.”

ROTTERDAM CIRCULAIR One of Rotterdam’s ambitions is for circularity to become the benchmark by 2030: using resources sparingly and continually re-using products. This is necessary because the waste mountain is growing and the climate is changing, while resources are being used up. This ambition of Rotterdam’s does not stand alone; it is linked to the Roadmap Next Economy and the government’s course for Nederland Circulair (Circular Netherlands).

ROTTERDAM APPROACH We will discover how to get there along the way, and we will achieve that together, because everyone’s knowledge is necessary.

This demands that we look at the city, the industry and the port in a new light; to find a new way of thinking and acting. It is focused on new ideas, innovation and experimenting. Rotterdam Circulair wants to strengthen collaboration and knowledge sharing and accelerate the movement.

Would you like to find out more, set up your own initiative or be inspired? Visit www.rotterdamcirculair.nl.

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HARBOUR LOFTS NASSAUHAVEN: REDEFINING LIFE ON THE WATER

Text: Kees Hagendijk 114

Pieter Figdor en Jasper Sluimer

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ROTTERDAM HAS NO SHORTAGE OF ABANDONED BASINS WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A SAILBOAT. THESE BASINS ARE IDEAL FOR A FUTURE OF FLOATING RESIDENTIAL AREAS, AND 18 FLOATING HOMES IN THE NASSAUHAVEN ARE A GOOD START. n the Kop van Feijenoord, near the Unilever factory and office complex, lies the Nassauhaven: a long harbour basin, about 30 metres wide, spanned by a footbridge. To the north, near the narrow outlet into the river De Maas, you can find a classic lift bridge; there are residential buildings on both long sides, at some distance from the harbour; and to the east there is a small park. In 2018, this empty harbour will welcome 18 ‘harbour lofts’, moored along the west bank.

The design of these ‘floating detached homes’ is created by architect-director Pieter Figdor of Public Domain Architects. Building on water is Figdor’s speciality. The conversation with the architect takes place on the Drijvend Paviljoen (Floating Pavilion) in the Rijnhaven. He designed the pavilion himself in the shape of giant soap bubbles on a platform. Figdor is joined by Jasper Sluimer, Director of BIK Construction, the company building the harbour lofts.

It is more common to live on the water these days, thanks to rising water levels caused by climate change. “Rotterdam is a delta city, well aware of its future vulnerability,” Sluimer acknowledges.

A floating residential neighbourhood is a great fit for increasingly necessary climate-adaptive constructions. It also makes use of the space offered by the empty harbours, while elsewhere in the city there is a lack of space.

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You can step straight out of your harbour loft into your boat!

Floating Pavilion in the Rijnhaven

Harbour Lofts Nassauhaven ‘How

ARCHIMEDES’ LAW The developer, architect and builder prefer the name ‘harbour lofts’. ‘Water villa’ or ‘floating home’ are also acceptable, but ‘houseboat’ is completely forbidden. To Figdor, that term is synonymous with crooked, wobbly constructions.

“You can still endure life in a houseboat on the Rotte, but not in harbours on a big river with a direct connection to the sea. It can get pretty rough in these harbour basins.”

The harbour lofts incorporate a very stable pontoon with a form and weight which dampen movement and make them unsinkable, according to the insurance. The pontoon is made of concrete and follows the ancient Archimedes’ law, Figdor says: “Every litre of water provides one kilo of float, so you have to do the math on the design.”

LIGHT HOMES The pontoon is as heavy as it needs to be; the home that sits on it, as light-weighted as possible.

Around 20 tons of house rest on 80 tons of pontoon. “Weight savings on the house include a sophisticated kind of sandwich panel for the façades, which combines a slim cross-section and light-weight with firmness and good insulation,” Sluimer explains. These light façades are finished in yellow cedar, which is sustainable because it does not require painting. The windows are triple glazed, with aluminium frames. BIK Construction deposits the pontoons on the RDM at Heijplaat, where professionals then assemble the prefabricated sections of the homes and add

the finish. The ready-made harbour lofts are then towed to the Nassauhaven, where robust mooring poles hold the concrete pontoons, with their 130-square-metre surfaces, firmly in place.

Additional stability is provided by linking two pontoons together.

ALMOST SELF-SUFFICIENT The term ‘loft’ refers to the freely sub-divisible space these floating homes offer, with a living area of around 134 to 177 m2. Buyers can choose their preferred size and style in terms of floors (the standard two storeys or three split-level storeys) and partition walls (size and number of rooms). Finally, they can choose whether the platforms are laid crosswise or parallel to the quay. The homes achieve excellent scores for sustainability, with solar panels, no gas connection, a pellet heating installation (biomass burner) and their own water purification installation. Figdor: “Apart from the mandatory water connection, the harbour lofts are almost entirely self-sufficient.” A connection to the electricity grid is necessary to compensate for a surplus or a shortage of electricity.

WATER- AND GROUND PLOT Under private law, the harbour lofts are something of an odd one out in respect of obtaining a mortgage. The architect and builder explain: “The water homes at Steigereiland in Amsterdam, for example, are listed in the Shipping register. Our harbour lofts, on the other hand, will be recorded as immovable property.

They are located on a water plot, but there is a

ground plot beneath them, and that is a decisive factor. The municipality leases these ground plots in perpetuity.” Everything is described in legal detail minutes. There already are two banks which offer a mortgage on this basis.

“Rotterdam-style” do you want your home to be?’

VARIOUS BUYERS “With only little sales advertising, all 18 harbour lofts have already been provisionally sold,” Sluimer says. And the great thing is: the interest is not only coming from Rotterdam. “We have buyers from Nuenen, Breda, Leiden and even one from Amsterdam,” says Figdor. The group of buyers is diverse: young and old, couples and families as well as single persons. They have a common denominator: they all want to be on the water.

Harbour Lofts Nassauhaven is a pilot project supported by the City of Rotterdam in collaboration with a number of parties like the province of South Holland, the Directorate for Public Works and Water Management, the World Wide Fund of Nature, Ecoshape and ARK Natuurontwikkeling . The project will deepen the harbour and develop a tidal park with an eco friendly riverbank. The creation of tidal park Nassauhaven is part of the ‘River as a Tidal Park’ program and co-facilitated by the European Union’s LIFE funding program.The architect and builder focus everything they do on delivering, as they say in the trade, “a good living product”.

Only then the pilot can succeed. Later on, they will aim their attention on other harbours that could use an extra injection of vitality.

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MAKING 8,000 HOMES GAS-FREE EVERY YEAR

THE ENERGY TRANSITION IN ROTTERDAM

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THE TREND HAS BEEN SET: FEWER AND FEWER NEW-BUILD HOMES ARE

WANT TO CONSIGN GAS HEATING TO THE PAST, THE REAL CHALLENGE

only be guaranteed at a regional level.” This is why Rotterdam is collaborating within the Metropolitan Region of Rotterdam and The Hague (in Dutch, MRDH) to develop a source strategy.

IS THE EXISTING HOUSING STOCK. HOW IS ROTTERDAM DEALING WITH

THREE OPTIONS

BEING CONNECTED TO THE GAS INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT IF WE REALLY

THIS? “AS THINGS STAND, THE GOVERNMENT TARGET OF BECOMING GAS-FREE BY 2050 IS A REALISTIC GOAL, BUT WE COULD DEFINITELY BE MAKING BETTER USE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO ACCELERATE THE PROCESS.” he transition to sustainable energy is a broad and complex challenge. It involves living and working, but also mobility (electric cars); sources of electricity, but also insulation and heating. “Until a few years ago, heating hardly ever came up,” says Astrid Madsen, Sustainable Programme Manager, Urban Development Service, Municipality of Rotterdam. Now, gas-free living is high on the agenda.

“Making the city gas-free requires an areaspecific approach. There will be significant infrastructural consequences,” says Lydia Hameeteman, Energy Transition Project Manager. Both alternatives to gas heating, grid-based or all-electric, require the street to be dug up, and homes have to undergo considerable technical adjustments. “To connect a home to the heating grid, two pipes that are thicker than gas pipes have to be pulled up from underground. Electric heating requires special radiators or under-floor heating, both in combination with good-quality insulation. And you need a different cooker.”

BALANCING

Tekst: Kees Hagendijk 118

“Simply making the heating sources – electricity and heat – sustainable cannot make Rotterdam completely self-sufficient on its own; no city could achieve that. Sun and wind vary a lot across the seasons, and there can also be significant differences from day to day,” Madsen explains. Power-to-heat technology and battery storage can compensate for peaks and troughs.

“But a balance between supply and demand can

The city is one of the 30 municipalities that have signed the Green Deal for Gas-free Neighbourhoods, together with the central government. This was followed by a pilot intended to find the best and most cost-efficient way to make an existing neighbourhood gasfree. The pilot estimated the costs of three options: 1) all electric, 2) heating grid, 3) a combination of both. “A total switch to the heating grid is the cheapest solution for this neighbourhood,” says Hameeteman. However, this is much easier to realise for blocks of flats with communal heating than for homes at ground level.

STAKEHOLDERS “In an area-specific approach to the heating transition, you have to deal with a variety of stakeholders – corporation(s), private owners, tenants, energy companies, the grid manager – and you have to get them all onto the same page,” Madsen explains. “If everyone focuses on their own best outcome, you get nowhere, so you have to find a solution that’s fair to all parties.”

The next challenge is to convince residents of the value of switching. “The perspective is that gas is becoming more expensive, that it has to happen at some point, so why not join in now?

The benefits are largely social, such as cleaner air and fewer greenhouse gas emissions, but not all citizens attach the same value to that.” A corporation has to have the support of 70% of the residents in order to be able to begin a large technical installation or structural renovation.

KILLING TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE The area-specific approach brings not only economies of scale, such as lower costs per home, but also the possibility of killing two birds with one stone. A scheduled replacement of sewage or gas network infrastructure, or a large restructuring project, is an especially good 119

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realistic to expect to achieve this target by 2030 – you couldn’t even find the professionals to do that. But if opportunities arise to accelerate the process, we will definitely take advantage of them.”

Lydia Hameeteman, Energy Transition Project Manager

opportunity to lay pipes for the heating grid or to reinforce the electricity grid.

WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF NOW It is impossible to predict how the energy and heating transition will turn out. “We don’t have the luxury of being able to wait for developments; we have to get started with the knowledge we have now.” However, innovations can move quickly.

Two main pipelines run from the AVR in Rotterdam, bringing excess heat to the city, but the port industrial complex still has a lot of excess heat to spare. Efforts to achieve sustainability, to which the port also contributes, do not mean that heat will become scarcer, Madsen and Hameeteman argue. A more biobased industry will still produce heat.

40 KILOMETRES PER YEAR Gas-free construction is on the rise in new-build homes, and people are becoming more aware of the way things are moving. Smart buyers are choosing not to buy a new house that is connected to gas. But new-build projects make up only 10% of the total buildings switching to gas-free neighbourhoods.

Rotterdam is working to achieve the current government target of completing the transition to gas-free neighbourhoods by 2050. That will involve 8,000 homes each year, or 40 km of infrastructure.

LEGISLATION “We need everyone and everything on board if we want to reach the target,” the two managers agree. They are referring to the port and businesses, corporations, energy- and network companies, citizens, schools, the province and also the central government. As far as the government is concerned, it would help if they took care of the legislation side, such as the option to make the designation of transition areas more obligatory.

THE RESILIENCE STRATEGY Last year Rotterdam was invited to join the 100 Resilient Cities network, and given this challenge: “Rotterdam, with 80% of its land below sea level, aims to be 100% climate-proof by 2025.” The Maasstad has already been working on climate change adaptation for 10 years. The concrete results of this Rotterdam Adaptation Strategy (RAS) include laying water storage tanks that take many forms, such as that of a ‘water square’: the Benthemplein.

The green roofs and vertical gardens in the Zomerhofkwartier also help store peak rainfall.

Resilience is more than just climate change adaptation. Another target is ‘World port city for clean and reliable energy’, which includes cyber security, and the city also aims to achieve a robust and resilient underground infrastructure. Integration of underground spaces in aboveground urban developments, as well as better coordination in general between both these infrastructures, is necessary to guarantee supply and to limit risk.

The city’s resilience also stems from its residents, entrepreneurs, public organisations and knowledge institutions; from these actors’ coalitions and networks and the initiatives they take. More information: www.resilientrotterdam.nl and www.100resilientcities.org/cities/rotterdam.

“In the meantime, we are not staying still in Rotterdam. We are working hard to build the business case we hope to use next year to make the first neighbourhood gas-free.”

Astrid Madsen, Sustainable Programme Manager, Urban Development Service, Municipality of Rotterdam

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Madsen: “We want to do it well and costefficiently and make it affordable for everyone, whilst combining multiple objectives. It is not 121

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MAASTUNNEL GETS GRAND RENOVATION AFTER 75 YEARS

Remco Hoeboer

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BANNERS READING ‘OUR TUNNEL IS BEING RENOVATED’ HAVE BEEN HUNG ALONG THE TUNNEL WALL. THE MAASTUNNEL IS DEAR TO ROTTERDAM RESIDENTS’ HEARTS. IT IS ‘OURS’, AND HAS BEEN FOR THREE QUARTERS OF A CENTURY. AFTER THOROUGH PREPARATIONS, A TWO-YEAR RENOVATION OF THE TWO TRAFFIC TUNNELS BEGAN IN JULY 2017. THE RENOVATION WILL BRING THE UNDERGROUND MONUMENT UP TO STANDARD, BOTH STRUCTURALLY AND TECHNICALLY, FOR THE LONG TERM. IT WILL ALSO BRING IT INTO LINE WITH NEW, STRICTER REQUIREMENTS FOR TUNNEL SAFETY. The joint mobile office unit for the Combinatie Aanpak Maastunnel (Maastunnel Consortium) and the Municipality of Rotterdam is located on the south bank of the Nieuwe Maas at Doklaan: 40 metres wide and two storeys high, with a sizeable fleet of vehicles in front. Inside, the managers, overseers, work planners, designers, calculators, buyers and other administrative personnel are hard at work. Deep beneath the Nieuwe Maas, around 100 professionals are carrying out the renovation. “This is not only a big assignment in terms of the amount of work, but also because of the precision required. The Maastunnel is a national monument, so its original state has to be maintained as far as possible,” says director Remco Hoeboer from the consortium.

The consortium is made up of civil contractor Mobilis, restoration specialist Nico de Bont and technical service provider Croonwolter&dros, all three of which are daughter companies of TBI. “We have found the synergy within the concern and we are taking full advantage of each other’s knowledge and expertise.”

What is truly remarkable within the construction industry is that the client is working together with around 20 people in the contractor’s office unit. Around 20 people from the Municipality of Rotterdam work on the open office floor, with a view over the SS Rotterdam, together with the 124

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staff from the contractors’ consortium. At first glance, it is hard to tell them apart. “That gives us really short communication lines and prevents misunderstandings.” Hoeboer refers to the work on the Maastunnel as “continually finding a balance between the monumental character and modern functional and safety requirements.”

That means that choices sometimes have to be made, in close consultation with the client.

REPAIRING ROTTEN CONCRETE The renovation of the 1,373-metre-long tunnel has three main stages: concrete repair, restoration of tiles and lighting fixtures and completely new installation engineering. The concrete repair is the most extensive stage. The main construction consists of a number of linked tunnels, within which two traffic tunnels and a combined cycleand pedestrian tunnel have been constructed. The lanes in the traffic tunnels rest on concrete walls, which in turn stand on the tunnel’s concrete floor, which is affected by concrete rot.

Once the roadway has been demolished, 10 cm will be removed from the concrete floor with the aid of hydrojets, Hoeboer explains. This will expose the reinforcing bars, which will be thoroughly cleaned, allowing a new layer of concrete to be applied. To limit the risk of unintended cracks, this treatment must be carried out on a section-by-section basis.

The incorporation of special concrete blocks along the traffic lanes also forms part of the concrete repair work.

LOOK AND FEEL The tiles and the yellow lighting largely define the look and feel of the Maastunnel, which must not be altered. All tiles have been inspected individually, with any broken and loose tiles being marked with a sticker and replaced with identical new tiles. The lighting is housed in steel fittings sunk into the walls. These will be removed, thoroughly treated and replaced. The lights are equipped with LED technology. Finally, the mesh of the raised inspection paths (one per tunnel, connected through emergency doors) will be given a makeover.

VENTILATION BUILDINGS In addition to another series of smaller structural works, installation engineering is the third major

part of the project. “We’ve got 40 different installation sections,” Hoeboer says. These include the ventilation in the tunnels, the traffic system, loudspeaker installations, cameras and all the electrical installations. Because the tunnel will be operated remotely from the Kleinpolderplein traffic hub, the necessary operational and alarm equipment also needs to be installed there.

The national monument will need to incorporate a new ventilation system. The ingenious ventilation system with compressed air ducts under the roadways will no longer be used; instead, large ventilators will be installed at both tunnel entrances. The iconic ventilation buildings on the north and south bank of the Nieuwe Maas will of course remain; they will house a lot of technical areas and they are also historic examples of installation engineering. The modern ventilators mainly serve an additional fire safety function. “In case of fire, the ventilators force the smoke from one side of the tunnel towards the outdoors.” With its renovated installation engineering, the 75-year-old Maastunnel will satisfy the Tunnel Safety Act that comes into force in 2019.

ERASMUS MC ACCESSIBLE The work on the tunnel will take two years: one year for each side. During the renovation, one side of the tunnel will remain open towards Rotterdam North, because the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam Centrum needs to remain easily accessible as part of the care provision for residents of Rotterdam South. In 2019, once the work on both sides of the tunnel is complete, it will be the turn of the cycle- and pedestrian tunnel to be renovated.

CONSTRUCTION PARTNER “A labour-intensive and precise job,” Hoeboer evaluates the project, “but mainly good because it calls for all kinds of expertise within our concern.

And it’s great because it involves a Rotterdam icon.” TBI sees Rotterdam as its home port.

The concern has been involved in other projects, including the rebuilding of Rotterdam CS.

a bespoke contract, the contractor explains, in which the municipality also wanted to lay out the collaboration properly. As a vital traffic artery, the Maastunnel cannot easily cope with delays to the work, so the project calls for maximum commitment to preparation and coordination.

Not to mention that the monumental character must be safeguarded. The fact that the contractor and the client share office space – and the coffee machine – is an indication of their committed collaboration. “Contractually speaking, the municipality is the client, but in practice they are mainly a construction partner. Together, we are going to make a success of this renovation.”

Rotterdam residents are proud of their tunnel, which came into use silently in 1942, in the middle of the war. It is great to be able to say: ‘The Maastunnel was the first submerged traffic tunnel in the Netherlands.’ Following thorough renovations, it will be able to continue for another 50 years – and halfway through that period it will celebrate its centenary, in top condition.

“The Maastunnel is an exceptional project. You hear that a lot in the construction industry, but this time it’s really true.” The tender called for 125

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at savills we work with the best

people

© OMA

FEYENOORD CITY AND STADIUMPARK ROTTERDAM’S LARGEST URBAN DEVELOPMENT The municipality of Rotterdam and football club Feyenoord joined forces in the major urban development in South Rotterdam, Stadiumpark.

Stadiumpark will become the beating heart of Rotterdam where living, sports and experience come together. The biggest project is Feyenoord City, a sustainable, large-scale urban development that combines a new stadium for Feyenoord with living, working, sports and recreation.

© OMA

NEW STADIUM First and foremost, Feyenoord City will make way for a new Rotterdam architectural icon; a stadium close to the banks of the river Nieuwe Maas. Not only will the stadium be a temple of football drawing in football fans, it will also be designed to hold other events attracting huge crowds. Quite apart from the events, the stadium will develop into a magnet for the public, thanks in no small degree to a varied offering of restaurants and bars and a viewpoint looking out over the city and the river. A bustling, 24/7 site in the city.

FEYENOORD CITY The entire programme covers approx. 320,000 m2, excluding parking, and features: • the new multifunctional stadium with a 63,000 capacity and an area of approximately 70.500 m2 (GFA, gross floor area); • approximately 1,500 homes with an area of approx.

175,000 m2 • a commercial programme with an area of approx. 64,000 m2 in the form of retail trade, catering and leisure facilities • a social programme with an area of approx. 11,800 m2 in the form of healthcare institutions, sports facilities and a museum; • redevelopment of the current stadium (‘De Kuip’) • parking facilities. © OMA

INFORMATION Projectbureau Feyenoord City / Stadiumpark Stadionweg 55, 3077AS Rotterdam Stadionpark@rotterdam.nl 126 www.feyenoord-city.nl / www.stadionpark-rotterdam.nl

At Savills we believe we have some of the greatest professionals in the world of real estate.

But it’s not only their profound knowledge of real estate that makes them great. It’s who they are as people. With a strong sense of responsibility, honesty and sportsmanship.

Handling each case like true gentlemen.

Property starts with people

Creating living environments in Rotterdam

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