Multi Development and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) - Mixed-Use Development - Coolsingel, Rotterdam
Date: 10 Jun 2008
Developer Multi Development and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) today presented the revolutionary concept design for an innovative mixed-use building situated in the heart of Rotterdam's shopping district, the Coolsingel. It will create a unique connection between Lijnbaan, Binnenwegplein and Beurstraverse.
A historic ABN AMRO building is integrated in the 120.000m2 project that offers approximately 30.000m2
of retail and 75.000m2 of office, residential,culture and leisure space. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2011, opening in 2013. The investment value is euro 500 million.
Alderman Karakus in a first reaction said to find the design of Koolhaas to be an asset for the city. "This is what we need in Rotterdam. It is innovative, it is unique and it confirms our reputation as the city of architecture in the Netherlands."
Rather than a tower project competing for height, this design aims to reconfigure the identity of the city center by inserting a pure form of a cube to spatially reorganize its external context and generate floor surfaces to allow for a wide range of public programs. Systems of voids within the cube
introduce spatial configurations that bring daylight into the cube whilst providing views to the surroundings.
This form of a cube strengthens the building as connecting link in the Rotterdam city center. By choosing for mass instead of height a rich variety of space is being created. The systems of voids within the cube show the different spaces from the outside and the inside. This, and the attractive mix of programmes, will invite and stimulate people to go to the higher levels (vertical city) until the top floor, called "the balcony of the city". The 120.00m2 project offers approximately 30.000m2 of retail, 40.000m2 of offices, 20.000m2 of residential, and 15.000m2 of culture and leisure. There are approximately 600 parking spaces. Multi Development is convinced that the center will be a focal point of activities that will boost the activity in the center, also in the evening.
Hans van Veggel, Chairman of Multi Corporation said: "With the Koopgoot (Beurstraverse) ten years ago Multi introduced a showcase for sustainable public space that connected two parts of the city, with pedestrian zones and traffic in separate layers but yet connected. The new project strengthens the identity of this backbone and creates through its mass and the systems of voids a new iconic building in the city".
The open space of the site is a courtyard surrounded by historic monuments including the ABN-AMRO building; an impressive bank building that was the first to be erected in the city center after the air raid in World War II.
"OMA considers it a challenge to integrate these valuable buildings within the design. The bank will be given a prominent role in the new plan," said OMA partner, Floris Alkemade."It will form the base for the new developments and the striking entrance will become a main address on Coolsingel. The current owner, ABN-AMRO, will remain an important user in the future but with new retail program the building will be reinvigorated and become more accessible," he said.
The base of the cube will consist of 5 floors of retail and within these floors connections with the surroundings are established with the Lijnbaan, Binnenwegplein, Coolsingel, Beurstraverse with the potential to connect to an existing underground station. Parking for both residents and offices will be situated below the retail floors.
Public program such as restaurants, exhibition and media spaces are situated in the middle of the cube and on the top floors. From these floors the public will be able to overlook the entire Rotterdam area. The biggest challenge of attracting the public to travel upwards within the building is resolved through the use of slanted public elevators that stop at selected few floors to make an event of the travel.
The municipality's ambitions for the future development of the center aim to enhance the physical quality of the public domain and the quality of life in the inner city. Multi and OMA feel that with this design it is capable of fully supporting these ambitions. Programmatic mixture, environmental value and engagement with the surrounding public domain are essential elements in the design.
On 5th June the City of Rotterdam presented its Binnenstadsplan (Inner city Programme). Key element is the City Lounge; the city center city as a vital quality area to meet, stay and enjoy. Shopping, living, culture and leisure are important values in this programme. The new project gives a strong contribution to the so-called Ground scraper; not only high-rise but also strengthening of the public realm.
In recent months Multi and OMA have had constructive meetings with the departments involved (OBR and dS+V) to further develop the plan and to fine-tune it to the cities' ambitions. For this reason in this stage already a strong and well thought-out image can be presented. In the period ahead all parties will further evolve the plans in cooperation with stakeholders. The intention of the municipality, OMA and Multi is clear: this is an important boost for the city that fits seamlessly into the Inner city Programme and all parties will give their maximum effort to realize them.
Energy-efficient concepts play an integral role in the development of the design with close collaboration with energy consultant to optimize the daylight condition and energy use inside the building.
In order to realize the project Multi has bought the buildings of the former Jungerhans shop and of the ABN AMRO. The Jungerhans building and the buildings behind the monumental ABN AMRO building will be demolished. Multi will be the investor and shall cooperate with ABN AMRO in development. ABN AMRO will return as tenant in the new project. KBC Real Estate did the financing of the existing real estate.
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