We are proud to feature Chantal Zeegers on the cover of this last issue of the year! In charge of three whole portfolios, the new alderman is ambitious and says she’s seeing Rotterdam change in positive ways. One thing on her wish list is an even greener city, and of course we couldn’t agree more.
This issue shines a spotlight on ‘innovation’ as a defining element of our urban district. Rot terdam has unparalleled opportunities for innovation and enterprise. Its port is the cen tral axis of Europe’s largest maritime cluster and traditional industries such as logistics, energy and chemicals. It is home to trailblaz ers in the life sciences and health, agri-food, clean tech, and business services sectors. Rot terdam offers residents, business owners and students both imaginative and physical room to grow, to innovate and to actively contrib ute to shaping the green city and economy of the future.
While on the surface a thriving city may seem to run itself, behind the scenes loads of people are working hard to keep everything going smooth ly. And we are thrilled to be able to update you on all the latest developments in this magazine.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a healthy and innovative 2023!
If you have a great idea for an upcoming issue, our editors would love to hear from you. Happy reading!
Rob Ittmann & Romy Lange
Thursday 15th of December @ Plein1940 - www.ijsvrij.nl
Winter may still feel like a long way off, but you can already sharpen your ice skates for the fourth edition of the IJsvrij Festival. And if skating is not your thing, there’s plenty of other fun around the rink!
@ Theater Rotterdam
TR Citizens, program makers
Chelsea Pachito, Hanina Ajarai and Sheree Lenting explore a deep dive into life stories of random Rotterdammers. Music, dance, spoken word, film, visual arts and more: it’s all part of TR Citizens.
@ Ox Rotterdam
www.ox-rotterdam
Come check out Ox’s fantastic new menu, cooked up by their creative chef, Alexander Wong. Book your table on www.oxrotterdam. The restaurant is open Wednesday to Saturday.
Wednesday 1st of February @ BIRD Rotterdam
www.bird-rotterdam.nl
Stories told by an Indie-folk sound, sharpened with a country & jazz edge: Ben Caplan is coming to BIRD on Wednesday February first! A musician with the ability to channel both wild surrender and calm introspection into his music.
Tuesday 1st of December @ Millennium Tower, 23rd floor
There’s a lot happening in RCD: work is set to start on The Modernist, Hofplein is getting a huge overhaul in 2024 and we are closely following developments at the Tree House, Schiekadeblok, Groot Handelsgebouw, Lumière, RISE and Pompenburg. We’ll be covering a variety of topics and just maybe answering your question during our Year-end meeting on 1 December.
Like it or not, Holland’s port city has been developing non-stop for years. And Rotterdam looks better as a result, says vice mayor Chantal Zeegers. Though she spent several years in the Big Apple, Rotterdam is the only place that truly feels like home, Chantal says. Since going into politics, she has also finally found a way to give back to her city. Today, she sits on the city council and holds the portfolios of construction and housing as well as climate.
YOU WERE BORN AND RAISED IN ROTTERDAM. WHAT IS IT THAT YOU PARTICULARLY LIKE ABOUT THIS CITY AND THAT MADE YOU STAY?
“Growing up, Rotterdam was really a cold and windy city with not much going on. You had to know where to look. Then it was an exciting place. I lived next to the railway bridge, later the tunnel, and so saw the transformation up close. The city has only become more attractive and nicer to live in since then. We are very active in Zuid, the subway to the beach is a great addition and the diversity is wonderful. So many different people live in the city and I love that about it, too. There’s never a dull moment in Rotterdam. To me, that sense of home, the diversity and the vibrancy are what make it such a nice place.”
“Tolerance and diversity are very important to me personally and I wanted to be part of a party that values those things, so I joined D66. I started out as a passive member but gradually rolled in deeper. I became a party board member for the borough of Hillegersberg-Schiebroek and discovered I really en joy politics. You can make such difference for your city. In the cut and thrust of politics you have to con tend all sorts of opinions. That makes it interesting, and it’s great to see your own ideals shaped within that. After a short break from my political career I joined the municipal council, and have been the lead candidate and party chair these last four years. Becoming vice mayor has been the icing on the cake.”
“Maximizing
is essential to keep this city liveable.”
YOU HAVE A BIG PORTFOLIO AS VICE MAYOR. IS IT FEASIBLE TO COMBINE IT ALL? AND WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR MAIN CHALLENGE?
“Thanks to my experience as an administrator and official, I know the ropes. I’ve also worked in man agement and am used to shooting for results and efficiency. All the same, it is a lot and I am well aware of that. How do you keep a handle on your work? By setting priorities. As I see it, that means plans for the city need to be framed for the long term. To focus on generating wind power, solar pow er and renewable energy. This then goes hand in hand with the housing issue, because sustainable area development is the future. We need to be thinking about climate adaptation, effectively inte grating energy and circular construction. These portfolios align very well, since a challenge in the climate question of course extends to the built environment as well. Combining all three may even help me to speed up the process.”
LIKE THE REDESIGN OF HOFPLEIN. WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON PLANS FOR THE AREA AND THE FUTURE OF RCD?
“Maximizing green space is essential to keep this city liveable. At Hofplein that means more planting and more space for bicycles and pedestrians, with plenty of broad pavements. This is necessary for climate adaptation and for the comfort and happiness of residents and visitors. I am also a propo nent of reducing car use in cities and doing more with shared mobility, public transport and bikes. As the city grows denser, there won’t be enough room for every single person to have a car. This would have a negative effect on the quality of life in the city.”
THE MUNICIPALITY IS PLANNING TO DEVELOP QUITE A FEW LARGE TOWERS AROUND HOFPLEIN. WHY HERE, SPECIFICALLY?
“We need to build more to deal with the housing shortage. There are so many young people in their twenties looking for a place to live, and who want to live in Rotterdam but can’t find anything. I think it’s important for us to provide that affordable housing. The question then is: where do you build it? We prefer in the existing city so the surrounding area stays green. The other main idea is to cluster development around public transport points so people are less dependent on cars. From that perspective, Rotterdam Central District is perfect, with all public transport coming together here at Centraal Station. To give another example, the development of Alexanderknoop is based on the same thinking.”
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCHIEKADEBLOK ALSO FALLS IN YOUR PORTFOLIO. WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THIS NEIGHBOURHOOD?
“Everyone is a little bit in love with Schiekadeblok as a social and cultural spot. It’s an edgy and noholds-barred piece of Rotterdam, but also one that’s crucial for new housing and offices. The munic ipal council recently discussed and approved the new zoning plan. The social and cultural function are pivotal in that, but it will change. Two housing blocks are planned here, one 70 metres high on the site of Perron, for social rental housing, and another up to 200 metres high next to the Schieblock. The Schieblock and reconstruction-era buildings along Delftsestraat will stay and will house the original creative entrepreneurs. There will still be bars and restaurants and nightlife, but less than now. The future will look different, with more housing for a good mix of people, but still preserving the cultural history, the edginess and nightlife as much as possible.”
“I hope that readers of this magazine will keep loyally visiting this area. we really want people to be on board with us. We are developing this city together and are keen to engage all the businesses, locals and visitors active here in potential plans and developments. All suggestions are welcome!”
At the eastern end of Rotterdam Central District – aka District East – the Schiekadeblok is currently being redeveloped. Home to a creative-innovative ecosystem, this is the birthplace of the ‘new’ Rotterdam. Efforts are now underway to give this ecosystem a permanent place in the district. In close consultation with the Municipality of Rotterdam, agreements are being hammered out to ensure new initiatives continue to flourish during both this provisional phase and the redevelopment. On 29 September, entrepreneurs and municipal representatives met to take stock of the existing ecosystem and stake out its future. What did the meeting achieve, and what are the visions for embedding this creative innovation space?
ANDRIENA LUSHTAKU MUNICIPALITY OF ROTTERDAM
“This meeting was a key step in bringing the mix of entrepreneurs in the Schiekadeblok more strongly and clearly to the fore. To do that, the municipality will have to apply the art of letting go. We shouldn’t want to control everything. We can also leave things to evolve on their own.”
ZUS
“It was great to talk face-to-face again. In meetings like this, you can feel everybody is on the same page and invested in a shared objective. What’s more, we all need to support each other, and I think we can achieve that by formalizing our cooperation in a body like ‘De Block’. The days of spit and glue are over.”
“To me, one of the main priorities is preserving the environment we have here. Beyond that, I think we absolutely have to work with the Municipality to find some way to keep rents affordable – the onethird discussed here – and to keep communicating with each other in a transparent way. As tenants of the Schiekadeblok, we should also have a decisive voice in future building projects in the area.”
“My personal interest in this meeting was really to connect with all the local entrepreneurs and get their perspectives and drives. I’ve also seen that they are ready to take ownership and be involved. It’s difficult to say exactly how we’ll embed this creative, innovative eco system, because things like this tend to arise organically. That’s why it is important to create the right conditions, by not setting everything in stone and leaving room for new things to take shape.”
STAFF MEMBER FOR RCD, MUNICIPALITY OF ROTTERDAM
“As part of the Municipality’s RCD project team, it was absolutely fantastic to get to see and talk with entrepreneurs from the Schiekadeblok. In the end, it’s so important to have an open dialogue together about the district and building. I think solidarity is fundamental to creating a positive future with all parties involved.”
“Markus and I were the originators of the Schiekadeblok and Delftsestraat. The value of this meeting is that we can make what we created permanent. By which I mean affordability for urban creatives, because that’s part of what makes a busi ness ecosystem work. Having the space, freedom and opportunities to experiment is hugely important. I think the tenant-entrepreneurs here should get the scope to turn their ideas into reality. Bringing that together and maintaining it is the core strength of this place.”
“What’s important, to my mind, is strengthening the existing community. To ce ment the collaboration we have now in some kind of body. The next main issue is that the values discussed here are really taken on board in the tender and instru ments the municipality uses for the redevelopment. I think it’s important to keep utilizing all the expertise we have in this area, and to recognize that people here are not only creative, but veteran experts in this kind of urban redevelopment. People here want to contribute, so let them!”
The Modernist, with its 12,750m² of office space and 369 apartments in Rotterdam’s Central District will be a location beyond compare. For people who live big. For brands that aim for the stars. For companies that embrace the future.
Back in 2008, Maarsen Groep purchased the entire Weenapoint complex – a parking garage and four office buildings – in Rotterdam’s Central District, in order to carry out a phase-by-phase redevelopment.
The latest element being realised is The Modernist. A building which will boast 12,750m² of office space together with 369 residential apartments. With the granting of The Modernist’s building permit in the beginning of this year, final preparations for construction are now fully underway.
All pipes and cables in the construction area need to be diverted to make room for The Modernist and the basement.This means moving sewers, waterpipes, various gas pipes, electricity cables, fibre optic cables and dozens of other things.
All essential infrastructure which is normally beneath ground is currently exposed for all to see. It’s a challenging task in this busy part of the city and it even required the municipality to temporarily remove the trees on Kruisplein.
And as soon as the end of November 2022, pavements will be restored to Kruisplein, so pedestrians can once again walk through here on their way to and from the city. The trees will eventually return a er completion of the Modernist.
TO TRAFFIC Demolition of the old building is planned for the second quarter of 2023. Together with construction of the new building this will take approximately four years.
During this period Kruisplein will be closed to road vehicles for at least 2.5 years. Pedestrians will be deverted to run through he middle of Kruisplein.
“KRUISPLEIN’S PAVEMENTS WILL SOON RETURN. AS IF THEY’D NEVER GONE AWAY!”
What began as a challenging project five years ago with BiermanHenket’s master plan to improve WTC Rotterdam into a future-proof, sustainable, modernized building with its historic architecture intact is finally nearing completion. “This detailed plan has resulted in a beautiful building beyond anything we ever imagined. It was fantastic to realize Bouwinvest’s long-term vision”, enthuses WTC Rotterdam
Managing Director Eveline Steenbergen. She and Marketing Communication Manager Denise Nieuwdorp worked together closely from the project’s start to finish to spotlight not only the building’s revitalization but also its special stories. “It has been an amazing experience”, Denise proudly sums up. “And now, as we add the finishing touches, we are ready for the future.”
From outside, escalators flanked by monumental flights of stairs draw tenants and visitors up and through the revolving doors to marvel at the immense new central hall. The height and scale here are truly astounding. Among the newest additions are fabulous towering brass and copper doors that separate the lobby from the conference rooms. Besides the Cushman management team of around fifteen people, it took so many other invested parties like architects, contractors and numerous subcontractors to reinstate WTC Rotterdam building to its iconic glory. Eveline explains, “We wanted to merge a new culture of very high quality service and facilities in a revitalized building. Accessibility was one key criterion. We also wanted to attract more international tenants and a wider diversity of tenants – from corporates to mid-size and selfemployed professionals – to the World Trade Centre, and to add a new service level with a whole new hospitality team.” Eveline is proud to report that all but three floors have been fully leased to a diverse mix of businesses that will support each other as a close-knit community.
Both internal communication and strategic public relations were integral to the overall project strategy. Denise was tasked with communicating the plans to city inhabitants and surrounding neighbours while cultivating friendly ties and respect for the building’s listed status. Denise: “Everything we did here took shape before our very eyes, emerging out of nothing. It was brilliant to be a part of that process. Finding the nuance between communicating the building’s added value on the one hand and its historical significance and image on the other was fun and interesting to do. In addition to commercial publicity, we also worked hard to create a community platform to bring all the tenants together.” That paid off, says Eveline. “We have received wonderful feedback from board members, local residents and city businesses.” The two women express their gratitude to both the core team and the fantastic group of graphic designers, social media and PR specialists and videographers who worked in harmony to broadcast the message of the new WTC Rotterdam to the world.
Apart from a few small sub-projects, the revitalized WTC is ready to welcome tenants, visitors and all others and invites them to use its facilities. Eveline is excited to start carving out the WTC brand as Rotterdam’s global trade hub. “We are putting together an entrepreneur breakfast early next year where we want to add in the global aspect, because that’s what we set out to be: the beating heart of international business in Rotterdam.” The foundation has been mapped out and laid. Nevertheless, with all that’s entailed in running a building of this size, there will always be plenty to do. “The tremendous emphasis on and effort that has gone into implementing sustainable elements is extraordinary: from solar panels to green façades, every part of WTC has been designed with a view to how it can be made climate-proof. The metamorphosis is complete”, Denise concludes. “Now, we are ready for the future.”
Back in 2001, Rotterdam had the honour to call itself European Capital of Culture for a year. Among those asked to put together the programme 21 years ago was Motel Mozaïque initiator and founder Harry Hamelink. “MOMO was one of the few organizations set up at the time to carry on after that celebratory year, thanks in part to the city’s generous funding support.” Over the years, MOMO has kept pace with changes in Rotterdam, becoming a platform where people can discover music, art, culture and the city itself.
Originally, the organization was conceived as a showcase for music, theatre and visual art. Above all, says Katrien van Leeuwen, who recently joined the team as head of marketing & communications, it is a space for engage ment. “The events we host, such as festivals and concerts, give people a chance to discover new music by artists with high potential or who are just breaking through. Besides that, we also offer programming that can be more provoc ative.” Harry and Katrien’s enthusiasm is palpable in how MOMO is organized. With a brand-new overarching festi val theme each year and suitable venues sought for each individual act, it all involves a huge amount of bespoke work and hundreds of partnerships.
By bringing together diverse forms of expression, artists, musicians and programme makers, MOMO has crafted a space that fosters connections and out of which fresh initiatives take shape. Katrien explains, “the links and convergences of artists, venues and musicians is super interesting, plus social innovation is immensely valuable. We also have a Young Talents Club that gives candidates a
chance to build experience in the art and cultural sector.” As a self-proclaimed pioneer, MOMO is always looking for ways to innovate. In sustainability, for example. Five years ago, they organized the very first plastic-free festi val in the Netherlands. “Our approach to the 2007 edition at Hofbogen was dubbed ‘festival architecture’ by the ar chitecture firm ZUS”, says Harry, eyes gleaming, “because we literally used the city as a backdrop to see what that would engender”.
The 2023 edition is sure to offer another exciting and di verse line-up. The Central District will also be in on the ac tion, with Perron and Roodkapje serving as venues. “Our new tagline is MOMO Makes You Wonder”, Katrien proudly reveals, “alluding to the festival as a journey of discovery where you can expect the unexpected.” Harry and Katrien share their most anticipated acts for next year’s festival (13th until 15th of April): “The Cavemen host an incredible show where dancing is guaranteed. On top of that, Deb bie performs soul from the soul and has already won the hearts of Mahalia and John Legend.”
WONDER:
Daud and Roël IJsselstein’s city-hopping
Vintage Kilo Pop-Ups have been delighting vintage fans with their unique fashion for quite some time. Recently, they expanded their Gouda-based shop with a second location in central Rotterdam. What once started out with a love for that one special find has since grown into a veritable vintage emporium.
“Vintage has always played a big part in our lives”, Roël says with indisputable enthusiasm from their shop on Oude Binnenweg. “Even as kids we would go around to the char ity shops and flea markets with our mum, looking for sec ond-hand items. The love of the hunt for that special find was basically bred into us.”
Eventually, the two brothers decided to turn that quest into a business. Now they spend their days sifting through piles of clothing for those unique items that vintage fans can score in their boutiques or at their pop-up events. The latter are held all around the country in special venues from old churches to factories, along with a recurring residency in WTC Rotterdam. “We load up a whole truck with clothes and set up shop somewhere in the country”, Daud explains. On arriving, they set up the location as a shop for a day or two where people can come and buy clothes just as in any other store – the only difference being that the ambiance
is ever-so-slightly more glamorous and the shopping experi ence is sometimes even amped up by a DJ spinning records.
“At the Gouwekerk in Gouda, our home town, we even had a DJ on the church altar. That was honestly amazing.”
The Square Eight team takes special care when assembling their collection, says Roël. “We try to put a personal spin on modern vintage, guided by an artistic eye and focusing on streetwear and designers.” The brothers want to base their collections on what’s happening on the catwalk, on the street and in other shops, with the aim of “offering an eco-friendly alternative and creating a new kind of vintage.” Clothing comes in by the ton, they say. As in: entire truck loads full. “We get stuff from all over the world”, Daud con tinues. “we’ve been doing this professionally for five years, after all, so in that time we’ve built up a sizeable network.”
Laughing, he adds, “We never really know what we’ll get. It’s a big mystery every time: every bag we tear open is a big surprise. That makes this work such a blast.” Whatever doesn’t end up on Square Eight’s racks is taken somewhere else where it will be put to good use. “We work with part ners so nothing is ever thrown away”, says Roël. The broth ers believe the way they are rethinking fashion can make a real difference. “The market is only growing bigger. Ideally, you would have at least one second-hand alternative for ev ery fast fashion store”, Daud stresses. “That’s how it should be, so that’s how we need to approach it. We only see room for growth.”
So, what’s the best strategy for scoring that one-of-a-kind fashion find? The brothers agree that patience is essential. “Just glancing along the racks is not how to tackle it”, advis es Daud. “And the kaleidoscope of colours and patterns can sometimes feel daunting. You just have to dive in and take your time. There are so many treasures in there.”
There’s no lack of urban renewal and development in Rotterdam Central District. On this page, we keep you up to date with the most important news about the place you work, live or come to visit.
The municipality has decided to extend the shared EV pilot at the Kruisplein underground car park by six months, through February 2023. The reason is that fewer people were commut ing at the start of the pilot due to Covid 19 restrictions, which skewed usage data. Recent months have shown a definite up tick in EV rides. The municipality plans to evaluate the pilot in consultation with partici pants in February, when it will also look at possibilities for continuing the mobility hub.
In the January issue of RCD Magazine, we wrote that the mu nicipality is working on the development of Schiekadeblok. Its ambition is to make this a lively and mixed urban commu nity while preserving the location’s existing unique charac ter. Recently, the municipal council adopted a new zoning plan for Schiekadeblok, setting out how the land and build ings can be used. The adoption of the zoning plan has laid down a framework for local area development.
To learn more, visit: www.rotterdam.nl/schiekadeblok.
Anyone heading towards Kruisplein from Centraal Station is sure to have noticed that activities are progressing at The Modernist, though it’s all still preparation at the mo ment. Before the existing property can be demolished and Maarsen Groep starts work on the new office and residential complex, cables and pipelines have to be rerouted. To do this safely, the pavement has been closed off at the Kruisplein/Weena intersection and a construction site set up.
For more information, see: www.themodernist.nl.
This century is shaping up to give us another ‘roaring twenties’. The second decade kicked off with a pandemic, swiftly followed by war in Ukraine, soaring inflation, massive labour shortages and an energy crisis. How will all this affect businesses and their real estate?
This is a question Denise Hoogendoorn, head of Facility Management Consultancy at real estate services and investment management company Colliers, discusses with organizations on a daily basis. How can these issues be tackled by looking at them in an innovative way?
“So many. All organizations are facing big uncertainties. The energy crisis is taking on dire proportions. Prices are rising to such an extreme that utility costs are even starting to exceed rents in some places. Right now, everyone is looking for innovative ways to economize on things like office space and how it’s used.”
“We’re seeing that actual office atten dance rates are still quite low. ‘Hidden vacancies’, we call that. And this unused space is what you need to tackle. Space you don’t have or use is space you don’t have to heat, light or clean. Data plays a crucial role here. There are all kinds of ways to make buildings ‘smart’ nowadays. That means building technologies are attuned to employees or visitors and the activities taking place there. The build ing collects data which are then used to optimize processes and enhance the user experience. You can also go for more flex ibility by offering self-service facilities. So, you might close parts of the office on days they are not being used, or not staff your reception desk all the time.”
“Understanding your employees’ be haviour. What are busy and quiet times at the office? How often are people us ing restaurant and reception services? What’s your energy consumption? My
team benchmarks the costs of all facility services delivered in clients’ organiza tions. Thanks to our database, we’re the market leader in this. What you want to know is: how much are you consuming, how much are you paying, and how does that stack up against the Dutch market? Only then can you start taking steps to economize long-term.”
WON’T CUTTING COSTS ON THINGS LIKE LUNCH AND OFFICE DRINKS DISCOURAGE WORKERS FROM COMING TO THE OFFICE AT ALL?
“Not necessarily, no. You could have lunch service on busy days, and office drinks once a month instead of every Friday. Staff will value that more and it can even add value to your organization’s hybrid working model. Plus, you can scale down in quantity while boosting quality. You could offer fancier lunches or drinks. And if you match your purchasing to actu al attendance, you’ll also wind up wast ing less. It’s all about flexibility.”
BUT CAN FACILITY SERVICE PROVIDERS DELIVER THAT FLEXIBILITY?
“Well, not at the drop of a hat. You’ve got to make agreements in advance and amend your contracts. You may not be able to do that overnight. But once you understand your consumption, you can use it to negotiate. Facility service providers are facing staff shortages and having to raise their prices as well. So, it’s a good idea to work out a fu ture-proof business case together. Be creative, be innovative.”
WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE FOR COMPANIES?
“Due to people working from home more, office space is far from being fully utilized. That represents a tremendous potential savings. Start out by deter mining how your space is being used, then decide what you really need. Elim inating unused office space will be your biggest win.”
The food industry is changing. As more and more people switch to plant-based diets, the emergence of meat substitutes whose structure and flavour are all but indistinguishable from the real thing is easing the transformation. De Vegetarische Slager is a pioneer in this arena. Ram Huigen is in charge of the company’s Dutch division and knows all the ins and outs of plant-based innovation.
Back in 2010, De Vegetarische Slager became one of the first companies to start marketing plant-based ‘meat’ products. It all started with founder Jaap Korteweg’s quest to satisfy his meat craving without eating ani mals. That planted the seed for De Vegetarische Slager, replicating the taste and texture of meat in plant-based products made using proteins derived from soya and lu pin beans.
After Unilever acquired the company from Jaap and his co-founder Niko Koffeman in late 2018, Ram Huigen worked on marketing its line of plant-based meat al ternatives, focusing specifically on the product range, where it is sold and how it’s marketed. “To me, the great thing about working in the food industry is that you can have impact every day”, Ram says. “It may seem small, but because you have to eat every day, food can genuine ly change society.”
It was the book Ten Billion that first sparked Ram’s inter est in innovative, sustainable solutions, in which author Stephen Emmott imagines our world with a global pop ulation of ten billion. “That book was an eye-opener for me. Many problems the world faces are a consequence of the way we lead our lives. Innovation is crucial for the future, also in the food industry. Switching to a plantbased eating pattern may not seem like it would accom plish much, but it has a real effect at scale.”
Consumer awareness about why plant-based food mat ters has been rising in recent years. “Whether out of con
cern for the planet, animal welfare or individual health, interest in plant-based food is growing”, Ram observes. “By offering meat substitutes that taste, feel and look like the original, we make choosing the plant-based ver sion easier. Added to that, we are improving and expand ing our product range all the time.”
Getting the composition just right takes a lot of re search. Most of that happens at the Unilever Foods In novation Centre in Wageningen. “This is where we work on innovations and research to produce food that’s sus tainable, nutritious and delicious”, Ram explains. “New ly developed products are subjected to a whole battery of taste tests. Consumers are very frank in their feed back, especially on social media, and we make the most of that.”
The market for plant-based foods is growing. De Vegetarische Slager now supplies its range of meat substitutes to 55 countries globally, and the brand has partnerships with major chains including Burger King, Domino’s Pizza and Starbucks.
All the same, transforming the food industry is no easy feat. Innovation is key, but not enough to guarantee change. “Consumers have to be willing to adopt an innovation”, Ram concludes, “and with our marketing campaigns we are trying to stimulate that. Creating consumer awareness is the first step. Acting on it is another story. Changing behaviour is the hardest thing to do, but we are trying.”
Eduard Voorn is a freelance journalist with a focus on economics, and first and foremost a Rotterdammer. He lives in the villagey outskirts of Rotterdam Central District, eats his pizza at Bird, raises a pint at Biergarten or Weena, gets his caffeine fix at Lebkov, catches the latest flicks in Pathé Schouwburgplein and sees Scapino at Theater Rotterdam. His kids were born in the nowfamous Mecanoo architectural firm’s first project on Kruisplein.
Is innovation a sleep robot, as developed by Julian Jagtenberg and his RCDbased company Somnox? Or is it what our fintech love babies Adyen and bunq have pulled off? It strikes me that the word ‘innovation’ is most often used to refer to ‘something to do with tech’, typically endorsed by terms like ‘artificial intelligence’ and ‘big data’. As a freelance finance journalist, I receive a fair number of press releases with the word innovation in the title. It feels as if the concept has become a kind of catch-all.
In mid-September I was on Terschelling, where I spent three days attending the Springtij Forum. Now in its thirteenth year, this festival is about sus tainability in the broadest sense of the word. On the first day, I joined the ‘Privilege walk: where do you stand?’ Inspirer Sarita Bajnath let me see and feel that the life path your traverse determines where you end up, and that it is a fight and a struggle. What privileges do you have? There was no trace of technology, let alone anything innovative: nothing but one foot in front of another across a field of grass, listening to each other and shedding an occasional tear.
A few days later, with this experience still resounding in side me, I sat in a Rotterdam crowd listening attentively to stories about greening the Port of Rotterdam and the Bos polder-Tussendijken neighbourhood, which is part of Delf shaven. It turned into a clash of incomprehension between the Port Authority big shots intent on ‘selling’ their heat – generated by port-based industry – and a neighbourhood with more pressing concerns than the efficacy of heat networks, heat pumps, solar cells and what have you. The word innovation was batted about, hollower than ever. Where was Bajnath? I looked around. Bospolder-Tussendijken is a low-in come community. In these anxious and expensive times, people are struggling even just to get by. Sustainability is not foremost on their minds.
So, back then to RCD, where many very bright minds are busy behind their anon ymous reflective windows. I say, let them reinvent and recharge the void of ‘innovation’. With something that can help Bospolder-Tussendijken, and many more hard-up communities in Rotterdam, in their grassroots activism. Maybe Julian’s sleep robot has something useful to teach them?
We aren’t going to argue with our clients. For over 15 years we’ve been helping them out with everything related to design or communication. Websites, logos, business cards or complete branding cases. No matter what you throw at us, we will make sure it gets done the right way. On time. Within budget. We promise.
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Toddy is a new, eco-friendly Rotterdam based diaper brand with a mission to transition toddlers out of nappies earlier. How? With a two-pronged approach that pairs behaviourchange innovation with research into technology-supported sustainable production. According to Toddy co-founder Guus Meijer, “the ultimate goal is preventing unnecessary waste”. Meijer and his co-founder Nathan Volkers already earned their entrepreneurial spurs when they teamed up on this new challenge. Both graduates of TU Delft – one in biotechnology, the other architecture – the project brought them back to research being carried out at their alma mater. And thus, Toddy was born.
It started with a waste water-based concept for technological improve ment of disposable nappies. But, before long, it morphed into an approach with a nearer-term goal: “As we were researching, we kept turning up shocking facts”, Nathan explains. “Such as: a child goes through 6,000 nappies in the pe riod from birth to potty-training. This constitutes five percent of all waste. And, over the past forty years, the age at which kids get out of nappies has crept up by a year and a half, from age 2 to 4.” Which means nappy use has increased un necessarily, the two partners say. “The convenience of high-absorben cy disposable nappies and changes in work and home situations has brought about a shift in children’s toilet-training. But this is a shift we can reverse”, Guus asserts.
As well as developing forty per cent biobased disposable nappies and easily washable nappies, Toddy is also out to more fundamentally
change nappy use and get toddlers potty-trained earlier. Nathan: “We worked together with Antwerpen University and the Municipality Leiden to translate medical research on potty-training into a simple stepby-step plan that makes it easier for parents to judge when their child is ready to take the next step. Start ing potty-training at a younger age is better as it’s easier to get kids to go along with it.” The programme is designed around an app and a start
er kit consisting of several biobased nappies, one disposable nappy and the step-by-step instructions. “Combining the use of washable and sustainable nappies with timely pot ty-training reduces nappy waste by half. So that cuts costs and waste, plus these nappies are better for the environment. We’re helping custom ers by combining all of that.”
To protect their mission of making the world better by cutting nappy production, the partners have made Toddy a steward-owned business, Guus is happy to report. “The choic es implicates that Toddy eventually will own itself. We are the only dia per company that wants to sell less diapers. With steward-ownership we secure this mission and protect Toddy from possible future temp tations to increase diaper sales by postponing potty training a couple months for our clients.”
been quick to grasp the potential of all
data to benefit the real estate market. As a sector trendsetter, Savills is always looking to tap into new opportunities. Such as, most recently, with the launch of Savills Maps and Savills Analytics.
Raymond Frederiks, Rick van Zwet, Thijs de Vries and their enthusiastic team are working to harness the power of data to optimize how Savills advises clients. According to Rick, associate director of Stra tegic Advisory, technology makes a fundamental contribution to their services. “We cater to a very di verse mix of clients who come to us with a wide range of questions. Though we have been serving them for years, of course, recently we noticed a marked increase in demand for substantiated advice.” Having invested very signifi cantly in data over the past several years, Savills is now strongly positioned to anticipate such questions, says Raymond, Senior Consultant Market Intelligence. “Our clients expect us to provide them with substantiating data, so we have been building a rock-solid basis to facilitate exactly that. This enables our internal colleagues to draw up sound analyses and thus present targeted answers.”
Savills gathers these data from a variety of sources and locations through an automated process, Thijs explains. As senior data engineer, accumulating and analysing this information is his expertise. Uniquely, Savills operates on what they refer to as a ‘Wikipedia model’. “Our colleagues can add and make improvements to the data in real time, and that has a major positive effect on its quality.”
This marriage of real estate and data is fairly uncharted territory, all three say. Rick characterizes data as “sort of a new form of gold. Questions about what exactly you can do with it and how to best use them are piling up. Unravelling this has been a whole process for us, but we have found a smart method to ef fectively combine all of those data to answer all kinds of questions.” Savills has developed two tools for this purpose: Savills Maps and Savills Analytics. The first shows an overview of all assets on a map, explains Thijs. “It is basically a Savills version of Google Maps, but then with many more functionalities. Next to that, we have Savills Analytics, which combines aggregate data and analyses to provide tools such as our Savills Market Indicator.” This application visualizes the attractiveness of locations and can generate some surprising insights, he says. “We can then look at the background data to find out why something might score higher or lower than expected, and so reveal opportunities for us and our clients.” It also offers a more nuanced angle on certain questions, Raymond adds. “Many property agents very logically use their own experience and emotions to judge whether a neighbourhood or area is a nice office location. That gut feeling is the dominant mode right now, and to an extent it can be accurate, but thanks to these data we can substantiate why something is attrac tive and which factors are responsible.”
“Our strength lies in assessing data with the combined expertise of all the people here on our team”, Rick continues. “And that makes us very effective, particularly when we then translate that to individual client needs.” And although they are a research de partment at core, Rick stresses that they are the opposite of the stuffy stereotype: “At Savills, the data analysts are at the table with the rest of the teams, visit clients, give presentations, supply interesting insights and facts for media publications, and on and on. The possibilities and applications of real estate data are endless.”
Raymond, Rick and Thijs would be happy to tell you more! Get in touch on +31 (0) 20 301 20 00. www.savills.nl
Data and related innovations are playing an ever greater role in our modern world, and Savills has
that
Rotterdam is a city of many parts. Adjacent to the Central District Association is the Rotterdam Centrum - Business Investment Zone (BIZ), with a full-time four-person team appointed to manage activity in this core retail district, each with their own portfolio. This past summer, the organization welcomed Pauline Buurma as its new director, a woman passionately committed to the city centre and to the hands-on, can-do mentality of its citizens.
“I wanted to get into politics to work on social engagement. I started as a district councilor for Amsterdam-Zuid. After that I spent eight years working as a municipal councilor, with a focus on construction and housing. After that period, I was approached by a property owner to mediate in the local prob lems arising from the construction of the Noord-Zuid metro line. From there I wound up joining several retailers’ and real estate owners’ associations in the City Centre. I did that work for nearly twelve years, and then I saw this interesting job come up in Rotterdam Centre.’’
“Rotterdam has been working hard for some years to carve out a place on the map. It was easier and faster in many cases to get things done here, compared to Amsterdam, which of course I noticed straightaway. The need to stem the tide of visitors to the capital was hampering my work there. The job for Rot terdam-Centrum felt like a tailor-made opportunity, because I can use all my skills to bring this BIZ to a next level. Rotterdam was one of the first cities to have such a large BIZ. We have a good budget to cover a sizeable area, in which we work with a team of four people, each with their own focus area.”
“People in Rotterdam are very proud of what they’ve accom plished in the past few years, and the whole dynamic is as tounding. It is a very vibrant city and of course I hope to add to that. We are currently working on greening the district
with flowers and plants. We’re also creating space for new concepts. On Korte Lijnbaan the focus is especially on pro moting a more diverse offering to attract different publics. I am really enjoying the project we’re working on with proper ty owners, real estate agents and the municipality to create a corridor running from Schouwburgplein through Korte Lijn baan to Stadhuisplein. Next year, I have to set out a roadmap for the next five years, so that will be a nice challenge.”
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE OF ROTTERDAM CENTRUM, WHAT IS THE FOCUS?
“We are continually looking for ways to entice and surprise customers to come here and keep coming back. Alongside developing and planning fun seasonal campaigns such as for autumn and Christmas, we also have partnerships with for example the Jarige Job foundation to organize a tour past eight surprise locations in the city. Area cleanliness and safe ty are key priorities and always important. Beyond that, sus tainability and planting are also an urgent topic, and I think we could make great strides with that if we agree on a shared vision with all the major actors.”
IN WHAT WAY CAN ROTTERDAM CENTRAL DISTRICT AND ROTTERDAM CENTRUM STRENGTHEN EACH OTHER?
“We are both distinctive and complimentary. RCD has offices, but also the creative hub in District East. That’s really a cool area that attracts a totally different group of people. We are trying to create cohesion through planting, with Weena play ing a more connective role between the two urban districts. Beyond that, there are various topics on which we overlap, like mobility and accessibility.”
Hobby: open water swimming Favourite spot in RCD: Jack Bean for the Ultimate Kimchi Special
40
Time is the new space: nieuw nachthonk in het ten dode opgeschreven Schieblock
Het is een gure herfstavond, regen en wind teisteren de Schiekade en het bijbehorende Block. Toch is het druk op de uiterste hoek van het gebouwencomplex. Voor de deur van het recent geopende Time is the new space (TITNS) staat een groepje mensen tussen de paarse basilicumplantjes te praten en te roken. Op de plek waar ooit de keuken van Biergarten was (toen een expositieruimte werd, daarna een podcastruimte van online radiostation Operator werd en verstofte tot opslagplaats), groeit nu een bloemetje uit het harde beton. TITNS bundelde het verleden van de locatie samen en doet dienst als ruimte voor podcasts, exposities, clubavonden, workshops en lezingen. Handig, als deel van de Biergarten heeft TITNS dezelfde horecavergunning als het terras.Daarom was het voor oprichter Wouter Marselje relatief makkelijk om een nieuwe plek op te zetten. Zeker in het Schieblock is dat niet simpel.
Het is ook een bijzondere ontwikkeling, net op het moment dat je denkt dat de nachtcultuur van het Schie(kade) block ten onder gaat aan hoge flats en lege kantoorpanden, is er TITNS. De raad is akkoord met het nieuwe bestemmingsplan voor het gebied. Er moeten 650 woningen komen in twee torens van zeventig en tweehonderd meter hoog, en maar liefst 39.000
vierkante meter aan kantoorruimte langs het spoor. Ook al is de gemeente naar eigen zeggen voornemens “de mix van cultuur, horeca en design te behouden”, een post van het plan op de Instagram-pagina van de gemeente deed veel stof opwaaien: de vijftienhonderd opmerkingen onder het bericht waren ziedend van toon en richtten zich met name op de angst dat de vitale nachtcultuur van het gebied verloren zal gaan. Het Schieblock is het hart van de Rotterdamse nacht: Perron, Annabel, Poing, Reverse, Roodkapje, Biergarten, Operator Radio en sinds kort dus Time is the new space. Ook daar maken mensen zich zorgen. “Woningen en uitgaansgelegenheden gaan heel moeilijk samen. Als er niet goed over wordt nagedacht, verliest Rotterdam een heel belangrijke culturele plek”, aldus een bezoeker.
Als je aankomt op de hoek van het Schieblock, naast club Poing en boven restaurant OX, ruik je de geur van het eten uit de rondom gelegen keukens. Het is licht misselijkmakend, de onverwachte hint wierook uit het TITNS-pand is welkom. Binnen overal kaarsen. De rookmachine staat aan, de dj’s van duo Sim City draaien gemoedelijke house. Het geluid is vol en helder maar staat redelijk zacht, wat de pre-party’er die wil kletsen een dienst bewijst. In de loop van de avond gaat volume omhoog.
Op een groot scherm in de hoek wordt Do I smell smoke? vertoond; een experimentele film over een van
de heetste zomers ooit in Rotterdam. Middenin staan oude bioscoopstoelen en een geïmproviseerde garderobe, wat de ruimte in tweeën deelt: aan de ene kant de dj-booth en dansvloer, aan de andere kant de bar en tapijten op de grond om een huiselijke sfeer te creëren. Het geheel contrasteert met de omgeving. Voor de deur is het koud en hard, beton en grijs. De Gulpenerlantaarn, de drukte van langslopende paraplu’s, het neonbordje met ‘open’, de camera’s die overal rond het Schieblock hangen en de oranje gloed die van de Schiekade afstraalt creëren een cyber punk-achtige atmosfeer. Of overdrijf ik nu?
In elk geval is het TITNS een ongrijpbare plek. Vanavond is het een volwaardige club met dj’s, morgen is er een twaalf uur durende live radiomarathon georganiseerd door Extra Extra Magazine en de dag erna de albumrelease van de experimentele band Puppies in the Sun. Er worden workshops gegeven, podcasts opgenomen en vergaderingen gehouden. Onder andere over de toekomst van het Schieblock. Op de vraag of Time is the new space een blijvertje is, antwoordt Marselje cryptisch: “In principe blijf ik hier zitten en evenementen organiseren tot ik weg moet. Wanneer dat precies is hoor ik te zijner tijd wel. Het duurt nog wel even.”
This city is sizzling with all kinds of hotspots. In the Central District, too, there are loads of colourful, delicious and fun places to go. For this issue we’ve lined up three unique places that are well worth a visit, each with its own story and style.
If you’re looking for a place to eat de licious veggie, vegan or organic beef burgers, this is the place to go! Bur gertrut is Roodkapje’s cosy hamburger restaurant where you can have a bite to eat, enjoy a drink and most of all; have a great time with each other. Besides a wide range of options besides burg ers, like coffee, tea, homemade (vegan) cakes, healthy salads and soups - there’s much else to enjoy such as art and mu sic. The restaurant profit supports the cultural program of Roodkapje.
YG Studios offers both yoga and high-intensity workouts, with fun, dy namic classes seven days a week. Their philosophy centres on integrating movement in daily life to create focus, provide strength, improve performance and help you relax. There’s a YG Studio in a great location near you!
Gare du Nord is Rotterdam’s go-to option for plant-based, organic food. Based in an old German railway car riage dating from 1982, the restau rant serves classic dishes with a veg an twist as well as organic beer. Their mission: food and drink that’s pure, for both humans and nature.
“I have stayed in a few hotels over the years and this is one of the best I have stayed in.”
“I am from Scotland originally, but I met my wife in Den mark and we have been living there for thirteen years now. I have worked and lived in many different places around the world, from the United States to Norway, Egypt and Singa pore. The company I worked for asked if I wanted to work in Rotterdam for a couple of months, so now we are here. In 1987 I worked in Schiedam for a while, but Rotterdam has changed a lot since then. It has been a breath of fresh air since I arrived.”
“When I arrived here I looked for a hotel close to the cen tral station. I found the Marriott Hotel and decided to stay for a week. It felt so comfortable that I never left. I have been here since September last year, so that’s over a year now. My initial contract was supposed to be shortterm, but that got extended and I expect to stay at least another couple of months. When I first signed my con tract, I planned to work ten days in a row and spend four days at home. But the company is quite religious and they don’t work on Sundays, so that makes me less flexible. Now I work Monday to Friday and go home to Denmark ev ery weekend.”
“It will never be home, let’s be honest. But it is a nice place to live. I have stayed in a few hotels over the years and this is one of the best I have stayed in. The staff is friendly, we can have a laugh and a little conversation when I get back in. To me, the staff is very important to make it bearable.”
“It’s been an interesting change. I cycle to work on my e-bike every day, 16 kilometres each way. I like the fact that you can cycle and walk wherever you need to go. Also, the public transport is organized really well. You can take a tram, met ro or train anywhere. And from there, it is never a far walk. What strikes me though, is that the cycling culture is very different from that in Denmark. People in the Netherlands are more reckless on their bikes.”
“If you’re talking nightlife, you’re asking the wrong man. I’m too old to go clubbing, but there’s a few restaurants I en joy going. The Italian restaurant Trattoria A Proposito, for example. It is a hidden place that you won’t often find in recommendations. Other restaurants I like are Restaurant Three for sushi, and The Golden Tulip for Indian food. The only thing I miss here is a pub – a ‘bruin’ café – where I can walk in and everyone knows each other. I don’t know many in this area. But I have to say, the older I get, the less I want to go to them.”
Delftse Poort was built in 1991 for the insurance firm Natio nale Nederlanden. The company acquired the Weena site in the 1980s and held a design competition for “a building that is classy without ostentation, simple and logical in conception”. From the five submissions, the entry by Frisian architect Abe Bonne ma was selected in 1986. Bonnema’s design was premised on the notion that a needle-like architecture is best for tall buildings in flat landscapes, as this accentuates the flatness of the setting. His choice of tinted glazing for the façades resulted in a building that adapts to its surroundings, reflecting the changing atmo spheric conditions from day to day. The building takes its name, Delftse Poort, from the former eponymous city gate that stood on Hofplein in the eighteenth century.
At 151 metres and forty floors, Delftse Poort was the country’s tallest building up until 2009, when it was surpassed by the Zalmhaven tower (215 metres). With Nationale Nederlanden leasing only a third of the property after 2015, Delftse Poort became a multi-tenant office building accommodating a wide array of services and amenities.
• Delftse Poort is the first office building in the Benelux to be awarded Wired Score Platinum certification for digital infrastructure and connectivity.
• On the low-rise section between the two tall towers is a flat, green rooftop spanning approximately 2,500 m2. It captures rainwater to mitigate both local flooding and heat stress.
• Delftse Poort is also home to more than 80,000 honey bees, spread across two beehives on the green roof of the low-rise section.
NAME: DELFTSE POORT
ADDRESS: WEENA 505, ROTTERDAM
ARCHITECT: ABE BONNEMA
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: NEORATIONALIST
DEVELOPER: PREDECESSOR OF ING REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
USER: MULTI-TENANT AS FROM 1 OCTOBER 2015
COMPLETED: 2 DECEMBER 1991
FLOORS: 40 (HIGHEST TOWER) HEIGHT: 150 AND 93 METRES
SURFACE AREA: 106,000M2 GROSS FLOOR AREA, 66,000M2 LETTABLE FLOOR AREA
As a multi-tenant office complex, these days ninety per cent of Delf tse Poort is leased to forty different businesses. It has become a work place for everyone, from remote workers and independent profes sionals to SMEs and global corpora tions. It is also home to a wide range of services and amenities, including a fitness centre, reception service, conference centre, two secured, guarded covered car parks and a bike facility, plus a dry cleaner’s and post and parcel service. Delftse Poort also offers a variety of food and bev erage options, from a coffee lounge and DE Café to a restaurant on the third floor and the snug Italian fam ily restaurant Trattoria A Proposito on the ground floor.
To read more about this building, take a look at wederopbouwrotterdam.nl
Stationsplein 2
Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) is the national Dutch public transport company. The beauti ful central station of Rotterdam is located right in the middle of the Rotterdam Central District, and is the ideal location to start your travels.
Stationsplein 45
CIC is a platform for start-ups, entrepreneurs, companies, non-profit organizations and investors. CIC offers flexible workplaces for one person to more than 30 people, both pri vate spaces and private offices.
Weena 455
Unilever is a multinational company specialized in food, personal care and cleaning prod ucts. Unilever leverages their brands, people and partners to create a lasting positive impact on the world and its activities.
Weena 690
Workspot offers full-service offices in a size that suits your company. These offices are sit uated on different floors in the Millennium Tower, each with a stunning view.
In order to realize our ambitions and to optimally develop the potential of the district, we have been bundling all the knowledge and interest groups in the area into an associa tion since 2009: Rotterdam Central District.
Not only are we aware of and familiar with all of the developments in the area, we are also joining forces in the neighborhood to create a good reputation for the district. We are a catalyst for positive change. We discover, connect and take action to make this hap pen. In collaboration with with organizations, both small and large, investors, residents and the municipality, we are building a more social, green and sustainable area with an authentic and robust reputation. Our association stands up for the interests of your organization. Together we develop the area, we put it on the map. Join our community.
© Iris van den Broek
The association keeps you informed of developments of and stories from the neighborhood. We also host various events for the community, from lunch concerts to neighborhood drinks and substantive sessions. In this way, we stimulate connections and possible collaborations, good for expanding or maintaining your network. We join forces to work on area development and a good reputation of the district.
To achieve this we have:
• RCD Talks: knowledge sessions about and from the district
• RCD Events: network drinks, events and lunch concerts
• RCD Q&A: source of information and a brainstorming day for the neighborhood
• General meeting: meeting regarding the realization of the area plans
• News & updates: various substantive articles, interviews and news updates
• Magazine: 10,000 circulation, 4 times a year. RCD members advertise with a discount
• RCD Podcast: conversations with entrepreneurs from the area.
• Various active social media channels: Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook
• Monthly online newsletter featuring the latest news from RCD
Please contact Rob Ittmann (06 222 42 177) or mail to: info@rotterdam-centraldistrict.nl
Association Rotterdam Central District Weena 690 (14e verdieping) 3012 CN Rotterdam
For more information about RCD, please visit: www.rotterdam-centraldistrict.nl
1ST OF JANUARY @ CENTRAL LIBRARY, 3RD FLOOR
What do you know about Erasmus? Desiderius Erasmus is a world-re nowned Rotterdam native. His books helped to shape society as we know it today. In the Erasmus Experience, you’ll not only get ac quainted with the man himself, but also see the world as he did. Chat with someone who is 500 years old and share your opinion!
Playing games in an arcade, belting it out in the disco-style karaoke rooms with friends or partying in one of the club venues: at this clas sic Rotterdam arcade you can do it all. Their games are a blast from the past, with old-school faves like Sega Racer, Pong, Dance Dance Revolution, Pacman and Air Hockey taking you straight back to the 80s! Plus, there’s a tasty Asian-inspired menu. So, what are you waiting for? Come play!
The Schiekadeblok is the easternmost part of Rotterdam Cen tral District, bounded by Schiekade, Schiestraat, Delftsestraat and Delftseplein, and better known as District East. Home to a creative-innovative ecosystem, this is the birthplace of the ‘new’ Rotterdam. Concerted efforts are underway in consultation with the Municipality of Rotterdam to give this ecosystem a permanent place in the district. Agreements have to be hammered out to en sure new initiatives continue to flourish during both the provisional phase and the redevelopment. A meeting was held on 29 September to take stock of the existing ecosystem and stake out its future.
If you have any suggestions, questions or want to post a message or ad, drop us a line at info@rcdpublishers.nl.
We’d love to hear what you’d like to read about in RCD Magazine!
Students of the Graf isch Lyceum Rotterdam mounted a public exhibi tion featuring portraits of people whose jobs bring them into contact with victims or perpetrators of street sexual harassment. The beautiful personal portraits were situated walking from Kruisplein to Rotterdam Central Sta tion in the month of Sep tember and October.
Amber is the electric car that gets you to all your meetings and appointments. You can drive straight from the office to your home or any other destination. Amber is offering a special discount for the RCD community. Sign up with offer code ‘RCD22’ and you’ll enjoy a 25-euro discount on every first Amber ride with in the initial three months following company registration. For details, see driveramber.com.
3MP online video
AKRD
Alticom B.V. Amber
Arconiko Architecten
ASR
Atelier van Berlo Bar Rotterdam bv
Big Room B.V./Reverse/Mykech Broodje Q
Carthago Consultancy
CBRE
CBRE global investors
CIC Rotterdam
Ciphix BV
Codarts Colliers
Conix RDBM
Cromwell Property Group
Cushman & Wakefield
DakAkker rooftopfarm foundation De Mik Bedrijfshuisvesting District East
DVDW advocaten Echo
Eneco
Eurekon
Gemeente Rotterdam
Greenberg Nielsen Greenchoice Groot Handelsgebouw High Potential Academy Holmris B8 Humanoids BV JLL LaatBloeien Lebkov & Sons Loer Architecten LS&H Lawyers LSI Ontwikkeling BV
Lucie Group B.V. Maarsen Groep Mess NS
Ooms Makelaars Bedrijfshuisvesting B.V. Pike Delivery Pluq Studio
PPF
Premier Suites Plus Rotterdam Provast Rabobank Rotterdam Roodkapje
Rotterdam Festivals
Rotterdam Marriott Hotel Rotterdam Partners Salsability
SaM& doethetgewoon. Sanderdebreukconsultancy bv Scapino Ballet Rotterdam Spaces Hofplein Steel Rides
Stichting De Nieuwe Poort Stichting Theater Rotterdam Studentflex
Time is the new space Unilever NV
Urban Minds B.V. Van der Stap notarissen vanStijl
Vereniging Rotterdam Central District Vereniging Verenigd Schouwburgplein VPS Workspot Wrap Maniacs WTC Rotterdam Yogaground ZUS
Our goal: With an excellent business climate, worldrenowned educational institutions within reach, and leading companies in many sectors from many countries, RCD has huge potential. Association Rotterdam Central District contributes to the RCD by realizing a well functioning area. The goal is to promote a district that has international appeal, and high quality working and living conditions.
Circulation: Free for the RCD district. The magazine is distributed by promo teams, loose circulation and HRM departments of companies within RCD to guarantee reaching the (sub)target groups of RCD.
Frequency: four times a year
Editor-in-chief: Romy Lange
Adjunct Editors: Céline Boute & Tessa Burger Intern: Sophia Etmans
Advertising: Please send an e-mail to info@rcdpublishers.nl for questions about advertising.
Art Direction and Graphic Design: vanStijl
Translation: Taalcentrum-VU
Printed by: magazine-masters.nl
Do you have a message for the editorial team or would you like to place an ad? Send us an e-mail at info@rcdpublishers.nl.
Copyright © 2022 RCD Publishers.
All rights reserved. Nothing appearing in this magazine (information, pictures, images) may be copied or reproduced, in any manner whatsoever, unless explicit permission has been given in writing.
The Modernist, 12.500m² office space and 369 apartments in Rotterdam Central District. A location beyond compare for people who live big. For brands that aim for the stars. For companies that embrace the future. Don’t make history, make the future The Modernist
