MVRDV has revealed the design of the Harbour Experience Centre, an exhibition space and visitor centre which offers visitors a new perspective on the Port of Rotterdam
Fact File
Project Name: Harbour Experience Centre
Location: Rotterdam
Client: Port of Rotterdam
Size & Program: 3500m2 Museum
Year: 2021
Images: © MVRDV, © Kossmanndejong
Comprising a stack of five rotated exhibition spaces, the building stands out from its flat, open surroundings, offering spectacular views in all directions of the coastline, the port, and the ocean. The Harbour Experience Centre is scheduled to open in 2024.
The building takes a practical approach to its task with its simple functionality and industrial materials. Its shape is a direct response to the activities taking place inside and out: Each floor is square in plan and has a large panorama window that give a view of the buzzing harbour. The orientation of each floor, and the direction its main window faces, corresponds to its function: on the ground floor café, the window faces westward for views of the dunes and the North Sea, while diners in the fourth-floor restaurant can enjoy views of both the North Sea and the twinkling lights of the harbour in the evening.
The permanent exhibition, designed by Kossmanndejong, is spread over the three levels in between. Each level addresses a different theme, and the panorama windows are focused on elements within the port that enhance the content of the exhibition.
At the centre of the building is a large atrium that functions as an exhibition space in its own right. An explanatory kinetic sculpture will hang in its centre, with a model of the Port of Rotterdam underfoot. This impressive space is emphasised by the entrance from the ground floor, with a rotating door concealing the exhibition behind until visitors enter the voluminous heart of the building. Visitors can also ascend the building via staircases that provide a route up the various terraces to the rooftop. Along the way, showcase windows entice visitors to the exhibition inside.
The building’s materials are simple, industrial, and sustainable. The construction will be energy neutral, using steel from demolished structures, the façade panels will use partly recycled materials and have a high standard of insulation, and the acoustic ceilings will be made from recycled paper pulp. In turn, the building itself is designed with circular principles in mind: the structure will be demountable so that its parts can easily be reused, and the façade panels will be returned at the end of the building’s lifespan under an agreement made with the manufacturer. Even the building’s foundation, which avoids the use of concrete piles, is designed to leave no trace. With its compact volume, efficient insulation and mechanical components, the building’s energy can be locally generated by 266 solar panels and its own windmill.
Redefining The Workplace Experience
Figurr Architects Collective’s new head office design redefines workplaces for two innovative companies: Caivan and its subsidiary organization, the Advanced Building Innovation Company (ABIC). The design blends modern
A Landmark Development in a Historic Location
With the creation of the ‘Neuer Kanzlerplatz’ office district, Bonn now has an office complex in an attractive location that is equipped for the future. At the same time, the project has solved urban planning problems for the
A Unique Identity
Due to prevailing rules governing built-up areas, this project required a vertical tower since the ratio of built-up area permissible is 9 times the plot area. The vertical circulation core is planned on the southern side to mitigate heat gain and
A Social, Meaningful & Healthy Work Environment
The highly sustainable campus Eclipse is designed to foster an inspirational work environment. The 60-metre-high building offers approx. 27,000 m2 of light-flooded, contemporary office space with approx. 1,200 workplaces
A Robust & Sustainable Ensemble
De Zwarte Hond designs an office building and training facilities with an all-timber construction to create a circular, climate-adaptive, and nature-inclusive environment with high flexibility, scalability, and modularity. The new regional
The Misfit
Misfit]fit is a new six-storey, 32,000 sqft office building situated on a small vacant site in Toronto’s Liberty Village. The building’s program is comprised of four floors of flexible office space, retail at grade, and a rooftop sculpture garden
Reinforcing Sense of Community
Designed by ikon.5 architects, the L. Gale Lemerand Student Center transforms the Daytona State College campus. The 74,000-sqft L. Gale Lemerand student center at Daytona State College establishes an iconic presence to the campus along
Speaking A Personal Language
This 2400 sqft home in Southeast Bangalore, with parameters that go well beyond the physical and contextual realm, is a repository of memories and experiences, representing the ethos and cultural background of the family. The house evolved
Maximizing Efficiencies and Occupants’ Comfort
Xi’an, one of China’s largest inland cities, and the country’s ancient capital and historic eastern gateway of the Silk Road, has become a major hub for new technologies that include semiconductor manufacturing, robotics, aerospace
From Blueprint to Greenprint: Devising Renewable Energy in Residential Architecture
While responsible design principles remain the foundation of a sustainable building, embracing innovative strategies and harnessing the most effective tools during construction is just as essential in achieving the long-term