size: perimeter urban area: 2 ha location: Westewagenstraat Rotterdam, The Netherlands date: 2010-12 status: Feasibility Study client: Gemeente Rotterdam, Stadsontwikkeling
The urban renewal project of the Westewagenstraat in the heart of Rotterdam addresses as well urban issues as architectural ones. Being part of the Wederopbouwplan from renowned Dutch Architect Witteveen the area constitutes a historic monument within the modern post-war centre of Rotterdam. Derelict housing towers and back-sides of commercial buildings however lead to the decay of the neighbourhood, turning it into a precarious state. The feasibility study develops strategies how to improve the urban connectivity and update the architecture of the high-rise buildings, converting them into adaptive mixed-use structures for working and living.
