The World Port Centre in Rotterdam (WPC) overlooks the city and surrounding harbour from its prominent location at the far western point of the Wilhelmina pier, next to Mecanoo’s iconic Montevideo Tower. Designed by Norman Foster and completed in 2000, the WPC facilities were no longer fit for purpose. Mecanoo was commissioned to upgrade the ground floor and part of the first floor of the 32-storey office building. Good accessibility, improved connections to the outside, social interaction and an inviting street level are principles that guided Mecanoo’s renovation. Mecanoo’s user perspective method creates a concept to use the lobby as the start of the working environment by facilitating various activities. All activities enable a grand entrance and an interesting and comfortable place to stay. The concept enfolds, based on the semi-circle form of Foster’s building, with various rooms where diverse activities, both formal and informal, could be facilitated. Rooms to meet, rooms to drink, rooms to relax, rooms to wait, rooms to work, rooms to have an event. The Rooms both facilitate the formal functions, such as security, the welcome desk and lockers, as well as more informal amenities like a meeting space, lounge areas and the main bar for bigger events. The design uses the space along the facade for seating and locates all facilities along the building core with improved sightlines and inside-outside connections. Design elements with a strong identity, such as the Rotterdam Port Authority backlit logo and the airy curtain above the bar are visible from the exterior. These iconic elements add value and create a sense of place for the employees and visitors. New programmes including check-in booths, a coffee bar, and areas for informal meetings activate the double-height entrance hall. A new spiral staircase connects the lobby and first floor and offers scenic views of the water. Using the semi-circle shape at different scales and in various ways, Mecanoo created a cohesive interior design. Durable materials were chosen to match the character of the area. Metal, wood, leather, concrete and upholstery, with sound-absorbing surfaces create a tactile and textured backdrop for the various rooms. The location of the different materials are determined by how the different rooms will be used, both from an acoustic and durability perspective. The lifts lobby was upgraded with cladding that emphasizes the cut in the building core. Water ripple hammered metal panels hint to the harbour, and the new dark ceiling matches the entrance area. Prioritising the health and wellbeing of all its users, the project pursues WELL certification. By using natural sound-absorbing materials we created a pleasant working environment. We reused many of the existing internal elements and finishes, such as the ceiling, flooring, the ventilation for fresh air and the convectors for heating the space. We used certified wood and low maintenance materials that can be re-used.
World Port Centre Rotterdam
Mecanoo
Bronze

1 / 15

Ruud de Bruin
Creative Director
at Ace & Tate
Some really nice use of materials,...
4.47
6.2
4.51
3.79
4.74

Frank la Rivière
Principal Architect/Designer
at Frank la Rivière Architects
6
7.5
7
6
6.63

Jocelyne Sacre
Design Strategist
at Consultant
Beautiful use of material. The choi...
5
7
7
6
6.25

Alexandra Cuber
Director
at Fogarty Finger Architecture
5
7
7
6
6.25

Michael Schwab
Founder and Sustainability Designer
at In Pretty Good Shape
While I like some details here, I t...
6
7
6
7
6.5

Chasing Wang
Founder and Assistant Professor
at Nong Studio and D&I Tongji University
7
6
6
6
6.25

Asell Yusupova
Strategy Director
at UXUS
Variety of seating modes, biophilic...
6
7
7
7
6.75

Larry Traxler
SVP - Global Head of Design
at Hilton Hotels
6
7
7
7
6.75

Nicolas Demers-Stoddart
Partner
at Provencher_Roy
The hanging light foil is a nice fe...
7.03
7.2
6.12
7.03
6.85

Drew Gilbert
Design Manager
at OBMI
Love the biophillic design and the...
7
7
7
7
7

Sanjit Manku
Associate Partner
at Studio Jouin Manku
7
5
7
6
6.25

Katharina Fischer
Creative Consultant
at Katharina Fischer Design and Speaking Spaces
5
7
6
5
5.75

Victoria Stiles
Retail Design Manager
at Mirvac
The biophilic design creates a mean...
6
8
7
7
7

Xie Peihe
Founder & Chief Designer
at AD Architecture
5
6
6.5
6
5.88
Designer
Client
Unifore and Marathon Asset Management
Floor area
1550 ㎡
Completion
2021
Budget
2000000
Finishes
Furniture
Finishes
Finishes
Sanitary