BETA wins hybrid building in Rotterdam’s Baan District
In the rich context of the Baan district in Rotterdam, BETA has been chosen to design a residential building combined with a school, artist studios and a café. A total of four offices were asked for their vision on how to build on top of a former substation, how to expand the adjacent school and how to make a contribution to the city at eye level.
‘Stroomhuis’ is a design which quite literally builds on the rich history of this part of Rotterdam. Directly on the so-called ‘fire-boundary’ – the extents to which WWII bombing destroyed the city center of Rotterdam – the immediate context is layered with history. With ‘Stroomhuis’, an attempt has been made to connect to these layers and to invigorate the context with a new addition. Meeting plays an important role in the design; the central hall works as a connector between different urban conditions; higher up in the building collective spaces offer opportunities for encounters between neighbors.
BETA designed ‘Stroomhuis’ in collaboration with engineer IMd Raadgevend Ingenieurs. The competition was organized by project developer Leyten and their partner Menno de Vos, in close collaboration with the City of Rotterdam. The design will be elaborated after the summer of 2022 with construction expected to commence towards the end of 2023.