Westerly Harbour Area

Behind dignified facades in a former harbor area of Rotterdam, a renovated complex of old warehouses is situated. There, an elongated courtyard is covered with a glass roof. This ‘floating roof’ is the highlight of the intervention project.
After a discrete entrance from the street, an inner street exposes itself. The atmosphere becomes secluded, because of the new roof. At the same time the space is experienced as an atrium.

Rolled hollow sections form the main structure of the roof. These roof beams are placed on top of short columns, so the construction is kept free from the existing warehouses. Wind pressure and suction are transferred by vertical tensioned trusses in the shape of fish bellies. Because of the linear fixing above the secondary steel profiles, the roof light has become very transparent.

Because of new functions such as restaurants, retail and art galleries, the former warehouses are totally rejuvenated.