Blaak16

The very dated, dilapidated building had a heavy, closed façade. The aim was to turn this into a high quality, sustainable building.

For this transformation, the building was completely stripped down to the concrete frame. The entry hall was drastically enlarged and heightened through the removal of floor elements. The exterior has a new transparent façade and a completely new, comfortable climate control system has been installed. Each floor has been made rental-ready, with new ceilings, lighting and installations.

The top floor has been entirely dedicated to the building installations. Through installation of a more efficient climate control system, the space required for building mechanicals has been halved. Now the top floor has very high ceilings, making it a wonderful location for meetings and gatherings. At the same time, the roof has been made accessible and can be used as a terrace with a breathtaking view of Rotterdam.

The materialisation accentuates the existing volumes and provides lots of light on the work floors. The architecture ties into that of the surrounding historic buildings of Zuidblaak and the modern high-rise buildings around the Wijnhaven. The sustainability ambition for the renovation was high. Both BREEAM Excellent and Well certificates were awarded.