Multi Development and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) have presented the design for a mixed-use site in Rotterdam's Coolsingel shopping district. The 120,000 m[sup]2[/sup] project will incorporate a historic Abn Amro building and will offer 30,000 m[sup]2[/sup] of retail, 40,000 m[sup]2[/sup] of office, 20,000 m[sup]2[/sup] of residential and 15,000 m[sup]2[/sup] of culture and leisure space. Investment in the project is EUR 500mln and construction is projected to begin in 2011, with completion set for 2013.
Multi Development and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) have presented the design for a mixed-use site in Rotterdam's Coolsingel shopping district. The 120,000 m2 project will incorporate a historic Abn Amro building and will offer 30,000 m2 of retail, 40,000 m2 of office, 20,000 m2 of residential and 15,000 m2 of culture and leisure space. Investment in the project is EUR 500mln and construction is projected to begin in 2011, with completion set for 2013.
As opposed to the more conventional tower the project has been designed in the form of a cube. The cube's base will comprise five floors of retail as well as connections to the surrounding areas of Lijnbaan, Binnenwegplein, Coolsingel, Beurstraverse. The top floors will consist of restaurants, exhibition and media spaces, and the system of voids within the cube will allow for daylight to reach inside as well as expansive views of the city. The upper floors will be reached by slanted public elevators that only stop at selected floors.
Hans van Veggel, chairman of Multi Corporation, commented: 'With the Koopgoot (Beurstraverse) ten years ago Multi introduced a showcase for sustainable public space that connected two parts of the city, with pedestrian zones and traffic in separate layers but yet connected. The new project strengthens the identity of this backbone and creates through its mass and the systems of voids a new iconic building in the city.'
