On a construction site proverbially the size of a postage stamp, Stebru and Drees & Sommer have done a great job. In the heart of Rotterdam they built a residential tower for young city residents. OurDomain Rotterdam Blaak, at the foot of the André van der Louwbrug, is an ode to the reconstruction after the Second World War and with the modern skylounge, we raise a toast to the future.
“This place was worn out with an unpleasant and dark tunnel, without social control. You parked your car there when you went to the city. There was therefore no connection between the Oude Haven and the Wijnhaven area and there is now,” says Ton Heijmans (Drees & Sommer)
The last puzzle piece
OurDomain Rotterdam Blaak has been realized in a historic place: between the André van der Louwbrug and the Willem de Kooning Academy at the Wijnhaven. This place was almost completely destroyed by the German bombardment on May 14, 1940. “This was the last piece that had not been built on since then,” says Steenbrugge with a certain pride. “Architect Charlotte ten Dijke of Tangram has reflected this in the design and the enormous facades. It had to be a tough, robust Rotterdam reconstruction architecture. She succeeded. The facade cladding with a whimsical print refers to the chaos after the bombing of the city center is special. It refers to those dark days while at the same time paying tribute to the hope for the future. Take a look at night! It is literally and figuratively a beacon of light.”
Read the full article (in Dutch) here