CityScapes

Max Euwe Kwartier, Rotterdam

The Max Euwe Quarter kicks off the transformation of Brainpark I in Rotterdam with an ensemble for living and facilities in a green environment. Commissioned by BAKKERS | HOMMEN, GROUP A, ZZDP Architects and STIJNVANDENBOOGAARD ARCHITECTURE are designing three city blocks on the Kralingse Zoom. The programme combines approximately 750 rental apartments with catering, public facilities and green outdoor space designed by OKRA landscape architects. The design is anchored in the Brainpark I master plan of the municipality of Rotterdam.

Vibrant residential and working district

The Brainpark I master plan of the municipality of Rotterdam is transforming the former office park into a green multifunctional district on the edge of Kralingen Oost. With a characteristic building ensemble on the Kralingse Zoom, the Max Euwe Quarter forms the first link in this Rotterdam urban development. The design closely matches the Esplanade, the future pedestrian promenade that connects the Kralingse Zoom metro station with the Erasmus Campus. The intensification of the high-quality public transport network and improvement of the urban cycle network in the future, strengthen the inner-city qualities of this place.

Ensemble of city blocks

Three city blocks mark the Max Euwe Quarter on the Kralingse Zoom with variations in height, volume and material. The residential buildings step down towards the promenade, creating a series of roof gardens. The area between the buildings is designed as a green public outdoor space with inner courtyards. The public plinth with catering facilities in combination with collective mobility facilities, such as shared cars and shared bicycles, contribute to a comfortable living environment.

Green meeting places

In the design by OKRA landscape architects, the surrounding landscape penetrates the Max Euwe Quarter with a playful integration of paths and places to stay. Short routes are created between the buildings surrounded by a lush palette of plants and trees. This creates a lively fordable area where residents meet each other. The two inner courtyards form social hubs with access to the underlying parking garage. The network of collective roof gardens offers space for residents to meet.

MEK01

City block MEK01, designed by GROUP A, offers space for 299 apartments with public facilities at the head of the Max Euwe Quarter. The building consists of a substructure with a 70-metre tower above it. The substructure embraces a raised green inner courtyard that provides access to galleries and communal roof gardens. A spacious recess in the north facade opens up the raised inner courtyard with a view of the water. The red-coloured concrete facade gives the tower an elegant character with slender frames and open corners, while the substructure is more robust. The block will have a transparent public plinth where the entrances stand out as a special feature.

MEK21

The middle city block, designed by ZZDP Architects, is divided into two volumes by a connecting green strip. This strengthens the permeability of the quarter. The buildings of MEK21 derive their identity to a striking gold-coloured grid with staggered loggias and setbacks. This grid of ceramic facade elements is used for a stately front on the Kralingse Zoom, but also for a stepped, softer facade on the promenade side. Not only do the staggered facades create an interesting image, they also provide pleasant and private outdoor spaces for the apartments. In MEK21, 216 apartments are being realised.

MEK31

City block MEK31, designed by STIJNVANDENBOOGAARD ARCHITECTURE, marks the south end and the view from the Van Brienenoord Bridge. Both the tower and the substructure show a clear larding of light concrete floor edges with a refined facade grid in between. Grid, materialisation and detailing show a calm and refined dynamic in both the large form and in close-up. Staggered balconies and loggias in combination with terraced roof gardens on the park side give this residential building, with 232 apartments, a pleasant living experience and the human scale. The plinth of MEK31 gives and has access to all facilities, such as the public space with catering, offices, the mobility hub, the green public inner area, the park and the living.

The construction of the Max Euwe Kwartier has started.