Municipal government moves into OMA's De Rotterdam skyscraper
Part of OMA's colossal De Rotterdam building is now home to the Dutch city's municipal offices, with an interior laid out as a "vertical city" by a trio of designers including Studio Makkink & Bey (+ slideshow).
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_3.jpg)
Design firms Group A, Studio Makkink & Bey and Roukens + Van Gils were jointly responsible for the interior design of The Municipality of Rotterdam's new headquarters, spread over 33 floors in the central block of the skyscraper.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_5.jpg)
The offices are organised so the 22nd-floor reception hall and the 21st-floor restaurant form the "city centre", while work spaces, meeting areas and concentration rooms spread across the building are coined as "neighbourhoods".
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_12.jpg)
The metaphor is extended to areas with specific purposes – such as conference rooms, lounge areas, quiet zones and service facilities – which are designed as the "city squares" and "parks".
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_17.jpg)
In the public area, the double-height space is split into two zones. The larger area is furnished like a living room and incorporates a coffee bar to serve informal meetings.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_16.jpg)
The adjacent information centre for the city features a staircase that leads to the library, populated with books about Rotterdam.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_2.jpg)
"Moving the reception area from the ground floor to the middle of the building creates connections to the city deep into the structure," said a statement from the design teams.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_7.jpg)
The only structural change made to the building was the creation of an open stairway down to the restaurant below.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_10.jpg)
On this level – also two storeys high – eating areas are split up for dining at different times of the day.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_11.jpg)
During lunch, employees dining at the canteen sit at a long meandering table with a view of the river Maas and the Erasmus Bridge.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_1.jpg)
Large dining and conference tables, separated by transparent curtains, can be used all day.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_8.jpg)
Floors dedicated to office work are each arranged around a large central communal workspace, with a conference table in the centre surrounded by more intimate seating areas.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_9.jpg)
Facilities including lockers and a coat room are always located beside these areas so they can easily be found when visiting different floors.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_6.jpg)
Selected floors are designated as "park" or "square" levels, characterised by colourful furniture and flooring within larger conference rooms and quiet informal meeting spaces.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_13.jpg)
"A 'street naming committee' and poet Rien Vroegindewij have collaborated to give each special floor a name based on the title of a poem or a segment from a poem," said the designers.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_14.jpg)
Generous lift lobbies created as part of OMA's design are used as further meeting areas.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_15.jpg)
The majority of the furniture has been reused from the municipality's previous offices. Seats are reupholstered in a fabric from Danish brand Kvadrat, featuring a pattern of Rotterdam's street names designed by artist Andre Castro.
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_4.jpg)
"In order to create unity of style in the work environment, all of the desks have been fitted with two white side panels, which are connected by a large acoustic screen," said the designers' statement. "This gave the old desks a new frame."
![De Rotterdam interior by Studio Makkink & Bey and Group A](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2015/02/De-Rotterdam-interior-by-Studio-Makkink-and-Bey-and-Group-A_dezeen_468_0.jpg)
De Rotterdam completed in November 2013, when Rem Koolhaas told Dezeen why the monumental project is the most visible of his firm's skyscrapers.
Photography is by ScagliolaBrakkee.
Project credits:
Client: Municipality Rotterdam
Management: Brink Groep
Group A Team: Folkert van Hagen, Birgitta Rottmann, Raymond Leentvaar, Yi Tang, Brigitte van der Tuin, Pia Fischer
Studio Makkink & Bey Team: Jurgen Bey, Michou Nanon de Bruijn, Pim Bangert, Li Canida Lumthaweepaisal, Bruno Vermeersch, Jaap Bosma, Rianne Makkink, Anja van Zoomeren
Roukens + Van Gils: Rolf van Gils
Main Contractor: BAM Utiliteitsbouw bv