Group of Buildings Rotterdam, Netherlands

Posted by admin on November 6, 2010 Architecture Design

This Group of Buildings ‘De Boogjes’ designed by the architect Hammel is located in the centre of Rotterdam on the Nieuwe Binnenweg and consists of four building blocks comprising shops on the ground floor with three floors of apartments above and the Hotel Emma at the end of the street where it meets the Eendrachtsplein. Mecanoo’s design is rendered in highly contrasting materials. The existing complex is built entirely from masonry, concrete ornamentation and wooden window and doorframes. The ceiling of the awning is made of unpainted perforated aluminium panels. The names of the shops are applied to the opal glass on the front of the awning.

Design brief with to bring the storefronts forward by 2.60 metres. The shops in turn gain more window space and the pavement is shifted towards the street. The shops also acquire an awning, which at the two ends of the street is raised up in the form of bookends. This serves to create a grouping of the four blocks and enabling the complex to present itself again as a single entity. The two bookends display a changing selection of poems administered by Poetry International Rotterdam, using separate white letters behind glass.

Existing complex Group of Buildings

Bring the storefronts forward Group of Buildings

Shops names on opal glass Group of Buildings

Turn gain more window space Group of Buildings

Ceiling of the awning Group of Buildings

Highly contrasting materials Group of Buildings