Our proposal for a chain of interventions in the centre of Rotterdam originated from a shared interest in the loss of the old city centre, the ungainly post-war reconstruction and the consequences the city still has to shoulder today. Statues make literal reference to the tragedy of the bombing raid, although the city's rich history has been erased and forgotten. We noticed that certain sites in the inner city have been subject to ever changing spatial conditions. For us this is a clear example of hybrid urban space that consistently manages to neutralize change. This made time a key factor for the research and the design strategy.
An analysis of the morphological growth of the city centre from the 17th century to 2010 was hitched to the city's spatial characteristics today. For important places we designed interventions that emphasize received urban structures or restore a former ambience to the current condition. These interventions proceed from the city's lost history and are adjusted to suit today's wishes as well as future transformations.
Our new building enters into an enduring relationship with the existing urban structure. It is a 'solid' with space enough for a wide array of duties. The presence of monumental buildings on site creates a receptive though delicate historical ground to fill in. The new building is a hybrid ensemble whose programme connects to the city's public domain both physically and in terms of function. The various components of the city block - hotel, pop/rock venue, city office - are packed together like a rugby scrum. A central arcade is the hybrid spine physically relating urban, public and private spaces.
The master plan also lends itself to a collaboration between three independent designers. Following a prearranged set of design guidelines and rules, each function can be fleshed out individually while preserving the quality of the whole. Three designs were developed, two by Jue Qiu and Teera Dhanamun for two distinct city offices and a hotel by Philip Mannaerts.
Jue Qiu's design is a new interpretation of the city hall as a theme park. Its public space is a transitional zone expressed as a carpet. In 'Play Rotterdam' by Teera Dhanamun the city information service, municipal offices, exhibition space and facilities for the creative industry converge in Rotterdam's circulation zone. The temporality of architecture is the key to generating public space in this historical and diverse urban block. Philip Mannaerts' hotel is a three-dimensional composition consisting of a solid block of hotel rooms with a long life expectancy and an elevated public platform of a flexible and temporary structure. The central core is a hybrid element pulling the design together.