De Landtong - ‘City within the city’
The project 'de Landtong' on the ‘Kop van Zuid’, is a 4 hectare new urban development in the old harbour area in the southern reaches of Rotterdam. The sheer magnitude of the project, the contrast between unity and variety in programme and size, and the history and topography of the locality together form a unique framework. It makes the project a ‘city within the city’, a new urban typology within the austere urban master plan.
While the classic block is defined by continuous edges, the complex morphology of ‘de Landtong’ is the outcome of a three-dimensional composition of slabs, towers and strips, with form related to programme and orientation. The programmatic requirement of 625 houses made it possible to design houses and apartments of an unprecedented typological abundance. Diversity was also possible in terms of public circulation, private outdoor space and articulation of fenestration. Street facades are generally orthogonal, with occasional punctuation by descending volumes.
The gallery block to the east has a combination of lift/ double-height gallery/ portico access to the housing units. Three terrace blocks then descend southward, to be accessed via double-height central corridors. Lifts access both the apartments with through-lounges, and the patio penthouses to the west which parallel the river Maas. These offer spectacular views towards the city centre. With their spatial, atrium-like composition, the single-family town houses to the south are oriented to the old inland port. In combination with the low eaves of the terrace slabs, these rows form an almost suburban street wall. In contrast, the high north wall forms an urban silhouette with its sculpture of terrace block pinnacles and interjacent turrets. The inner courts of ‘de Landtong’ are grouped according to various themes: a quiescent patio area, an area open to the public, and a large section shaped by an active sports and recreational zone.
Differentiation, diversity and variation have been worked through down to the finest detail. A unique brick was developed for the façades. Special attention was paid to integrating the interior and exterior environment for all dwellings, and to the relationship between the smallest unit, the house, and its surrounding areas. The subtle solidity of the whole contrasts with the diversity of the inner and outer spaces, the numerous typologies, and the multiplicity of residents. This is intended to reflect urban nuances, verve and complexity – to make ‘de Landtong’ an integral urban component, a 'city within the city'.