The Rotterdam: Love it or hate it

The Rotterdam skyline keeps growing and growing. Huge buildings stand next to cranes building new huge buildings. The 'Kop van Zuid', the area on the southshore of the river Maas, is the leader when it comes to new buildings. In this area the motto seems to be: the bigger the better. At this moment a project called The Rotterdam is being realised on the Wilhelminapier. A building which is called a 'vertical city', because it has everything. In The Rotterdam you can work, eat, relax, sport and live. The building has the immense surface of three skyscrapers and is designed by the reknowned Rotterdam architect Rem Koolhaas.

Rotterdam

Though the local government is proud to have a futuristic building like that, to me, as a citizen of Rotterdam it just looks like they are gonna build a wall dividing Rotterdam in two. But since I'm not an expert on architecture, I decided to ask to young Rotterdam architects on their opinion on The Rotterdam.

Foam Architecten:

'Without a doubt, the building will draw new attention to the city and its river.'

"One of the things we love the most about our office in the Creative Factory is the first class view on the city of Rotterdam. With the windows open during these summer days we can see and hear the growth of the Wilhelminapier, the sculptural Erasmus Bridge in its background. An icon that is slowly withdrawn from our view, as five bright red cranes gradually lift up the city’s new namesake and statement: ‘De Rotterdam’.

The largest building of the Netherlands will be finished in 2013, filling up one of the last empty spaces at the waterfront of the pier. Without a doubt, the building will draw new attention to the city and its river. What’s of special interest to us, is whether the building will be able to improve the livability of the city’s waterfront. With the public space playing a key part in our quality of - community - life, we are curious to see if ‘De Rotterdam’ will adapt the cities plans of transforming the public space into a ‘city lounge’. Can the building that will define the new skyline of the city also define and stimulate new ways of public life, or will the statement grow bigger than the common life at ground level?

The coming years we’ll be carefully watching the city growing and changing. Let’s hope that with the realisation of ‘De Rotterdam’, the quality of public space and life will rise to the same level as the improving view from our office."

More FOAM? Check: www.designbyfoam.nl

ZeroLogic, ir. Farhan Alibux:

'I'm not against the building itself, but against the thought behind it .'

"It will be completed in just a few years, Hollands' largest building and one of the highest, The Rotterdam. Designed by OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture), led by star-chitect Rem Koolhaas. OMA and Koolhaas became popular about two decades ago with their bold designs and cocky ideas. And for a long time I was a fan of their work.

The design for The Rotterdam dates from the early nineties when OMA did a study for the plot on 'Kop van Zuid'. And what is being built today, is just that what they conceived 15 years ago, and that is a shame. The past 15 years there have been great advances in technology and in thinking about high rise. In the current economical, cultural and social climate new thinking about high rise requires new types of high rise.

I'm not against the building itself, but against the thought behind it. There still is a shortage of affordable housing and a vast surplus of office space. During the economic malaise office buildings were deserted by shrinking companies. The Rotterdam does not in any way even attempt to do something about these national problems. Our dear municipality has already agreed to rent 25000 sqm. of office space in the Rotterdam. These are some very expensive offices that will need to be paid with tax money.

I feel insulted that Rem Koolhaas calls the Rotterdam a vertical city. A city is known for its variations, functions, forms and colours. The Rotterdam is nothing like that, just floor after floor of lettable surface area.

I'm not really amazed that the Rotterdam is being built the way it is now and I'm not against its construction. Because something had to be built on this location anyway. The Rotterdam is a reflection of the values and morals of our society. And it is our own doing that has realized it, our taxes pay its construction and our votes chose the people that are having it built. At its core the Rotterdam is being realized for commercial exploitation without an eye for our environment, sustainability and the future. But built to feed our desire for wealth and excess, and isn't that exactly what our contemporary society stands for?"

More ZeroLogic? Check www.zerologic.eu