Dutch architects Office for Metropolitan Architecture have announced the start of construction on De Rotterdam, a complex of three interconnected towers that will be the biggest building in the Netherlands.
Work will start on the 150 metre-high towers in December in Rotterdam.
See all our stories about OMA/Rem Koolhaas in our special category.
Here’s some info from OMA:
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Press Release: Groundbreaking scheduled on OMA’s De Rotterdam, the largest building in the Netherlands
Rotterdam, July 10 2009 – De Rotterdam, a complex of three interconnected mixed-use towers designed by OMA, will go under construction in December this year, the developers MAB and OVG announced today.
The project is located in the old harbour district of Wilhelminapier, next to the iconic Erasmus bridge. The three stacked towers reach 150 metres high, producing a gross floor area of approximately 160,000m2, making De Rotterdam the largest building in the Netherlands.
OMA’s architectural concept produces more than sheer size: urban density and diversity – both in the program and the form – are the guiding principles of the project. De Rotterdam is conceived as a vertical city, accommodating offices, apartments, a hotel, conference facilities, gym, shops, restaurants, and cafes.
The towers are part of the ongoing redevelopment of Wilhelminapier, and aim to reinstate the vibrant urban activity – trade, transport, leisure – once familiar to the neighbourhood. De Rotterdam is named after one of the ships on the Holland America Line, which used to depart from the Wilhelminapier in decades past, carrying thousands of Europeans emigrating to the US.
The design for De Rotterdam started in 1997. OMA founder Rem Koolhaas said: “It’s a miracle that construction will finally begin. One of the positive outcomes of the economic crisis is the drop in the cost of materials and construction, which has given new energy to long running projects like this one.”
The project is led by OMA partners Rem Koolhaas, Ellen van Loon and Reinier de Graaf and the associate in charge is Kees van Casteren.
The total investment in the project is €340m. Completion is expected in 2013.
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Posted by Marcus Fairs
July 10th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
the biggest building in the netherlands and the most boring oma project yet?
July 10th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
it only looks boring
originally the lifts had a trick as far as i remember, worth to check this project before abandoning it from one image. and years and years it has been worked on
July 10th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
ste, a project is supposed to be funny????
July 10th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
@ste: Oh come on, please! This is one of the most interesting projects of OMA yet, please read delirious NY and analyse the program of this project, then you know why this project is one of koolhaas’ long pursued fascinations in built form.
July 10th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Kolhaas I love you
July 10th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
OMA has crossed the line from mocking bad buildings to just doing bad buildings.
July 11th, 2009 at 1:36 am
Awsome. Finally this get built.
July 11th, 2009 at 11:32 am
If i were to do this in my design class i’d get an average grade.
July 11th, 2009 at 11:36 am
I like brutal stuff….unfortinately ..Koolhaas is on his way to become the new Norman Foster-an architectural and financial PRIMADONA
July 11th, 2009 at 11:56 am
@tkap: you mean crossed the line 11 years ago?
July 11th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Any more drawings\images on this anywhere?..
July 11th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
… getting built thanks to the crisis, actually
July 11th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Can someone elaborate the interesting parts ? I for one would like to know.
July 12th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Finally this building will come up, after all those years…an essential building from the OMA oeuvre. Rotterdam can add another OMA-gem to its collection
July 12th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Read my response to De Rotterdam (and Zeebrugge) at my blog, The Zero of Form…
http://thezeroofform.wordpress.com/2009/07/11/as-the-wheel-turns/
July 13th, 2009 at 9:46 am
Big as the theme of expression, can sometime harm the real potential of a project. The facade of the first to third is not right.
July 13th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
“…three interconnected towers…” whith all this mass its just read as one big mf coloss…
July 13th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Whatever your opinion is… it is impressive!
Here’s a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACKvs_cwnYg
July 14th, 2009 at 1:00 am
I think I know the girl in the yellow top…
July 14th, 2009 at 2:26 am
I think the towers show great potential. Since we only have one view of them up here, I don’t think it makes sense to get too excited or too disappointed yet.
HOWEVER, the podium of the building looks really, really boring in both renderings. We shall see.
July 14th, 2009 at 9:26 am
well said PIT
July 16th, 2009 at 8:45 am
Shame. I used to hang out behind that site, just next to Luxor Theatre. It used to be a quiet place where one could enjoy a nice sunset over Rtm’s skyline, during the summer. I guess a man’s got to build what a man’s got to build :]