Rotterdam, 25 November 2021 - Area developer AM has given the go-ahead for the construction of 24 unique two-storey flats in the BABEL residential building in Rotterdam. The striking complex combines the traditional single-family home with an apartment building. This creates a residential tower with two-storey homes. With this offer, BABEL responds to the demand for housing for families who want to stay in the city. 

 

BABEL will be located on the Lloyd Pier on the corner of Kratonkade and Loods Celebes and will comprise a total of 24 two-storey homes and 24 parking spaces in a closed garage. It is a lively and idiosyncratic building, stacked like a pyramid to create terraces, on top of which are the outdoor spaces of the dwellings. A communal walkway runs around the building and upwards, facilitating encounters between residents. The walkway also connects the various flats and outdoor spaces. The building's column structure allows for flexible layout, also in the future. The addition of rich greenery to the terraces gives BABEL a natural and pleasant appearance.

 

The generous flats have a spacious living room and three or four bedrooms, making them suitable for families with children. The large amount of light in the flats also makes them ideal spaces for working from home, for example. The size of the various residences varies from approximately 80 m2 to 190 m2 and they all have a loggia, balcony or terrace on the side of the Schiehaven or with a view of the river Maas. The range also includes a luxury penthouse of around 190 m2 with three terraces. Prices start at € 500,000. At the moment, there are still a few homes available. Residents of BABEL can also make use of the spacious collective garden between the Lloyd Yard and BABEL residential buildings. This will be a green and pleasant semi-public place for meeting and relaxing.

 

The prize-winning design of BABEL comes from architect Laurens Boodt. The construction is in the hands of Kroon en de Koning. Completion is expected in the last quarter of 2023.

 

 

Residents will be encouraged to cycle more often thanks to the excellent bicycle accessibility and an easily accessible bicycle shed on the ground floor of the building. This will contribute to a car-free and sustainable residential area.

 

With the development of BABEL, AM is implementing its social themes of Inclusive City and City and Area Maker. The development of BABEL will help transform Lloydpier into a liveable and attractive district in the middle of Rotterdam's urban context. BABEL gives families the perfect opportunity to live in the centre of Rotterdam: urban yet relaxed.

 

AM to start construction of BABEL complex in Rotterdam 

 

Lloyd Yard, located on the Lloyd Pier in Rotterdam, consists of six unique buildings, each with its own character. The design of Lloyd Yard translates the history of the Lloydpier and the quayside image of the past - large buildings and sheds with their own appearance and constantly changing in size and height - into a residential building that distinguishes itself by different styles and identities. Not a standard unit of form and function, but a playful combination of structures and materials that are inextricably linked.

 

The building has 83 owner-occupied dwellings with housing types ranging from one and two-storey flats to four-storey townhouses and penthouses. The homes range from about 94 m² to about 171 m², with the possibility of an extra loft in some cases. On the Kratonkade side, 53 rental homes will be built, including 30 mid-range homes. The diverse range of dwellings will ensure diversity for the future residents.

 

 

Silvie Bruijning of Kondor Wessels Vastgoed (VolkerWessels), alderman Bas Kurvers of the municipality of Rotterdam, Ivo Zweekhorst of Kroon & de Koning (VolkerWessels) and the three architects (Paul de Ruiter Architects, WE architects and ZUS) together symbolically launched construction on Wednesday 27 October 2021 in the presence of all parties involved and the future residents and self-builders. 

 

Alderman Bas Kurvers (Building and Housing): "Lloyd Yard shows a nice mix of different types of homes that are geared towards meeting each other through the communal courtyard. Both starters and families will find their new home at the Lloydpier. The building has an exciting architecture that builds on the beautiful port of Rotterdam. And with the Maas Window, there is a great view of the Maas."

 

 

Paul de Ruiter Architects and WE architects are responsible for the design of the six buildings. The bringing together of different shapes and styles in one building gives Lloyd Yard a lively dynamic. The Maas Window, a large facade opening, attracts attention with a swing and a wide view over the Maas, and raises the question of what is going on behind it. The Maas Window is not only accessible to the residents, but also to the neighbourhood, thus acquiring a social recreational function in the Lloyd District. 

 

The wild and robust inner garden, the landscape aspects and the public elements, such as the gates and the footbridge, were designed by ZUS [Zones Urbaines Sensibles]. The design takes into account a green and healthy environment for all residents and users. In the collective roof garden above the Meuse window, residents can grow vegetables, fruit and herbs. Thanks to the unique cooperation between the three architects, all the buildings have become one with the landscape.

 

Construction consortium Kroon en de Koning and Boele & van Eesteren (both VolkerWessels) will realize Lloyd Yard. The project is expected to be completed in the autumn of 2023.

 

 

Lloyd Yard is built for the future. This means that changing mobility is taken into account and the use of means of transport in the future is anticipated. For example, by offering shared cars and charging points for electric cars. A great deal of attention has also been paid to the circular use of materials and sustainability, so that the dwellings will be energy-neutral.

 

 

The design also includes space for ten self-build plots. Self-builders get the chance to realize their own dream home in Lloyd Yard, where they are in control and can make decisions about the design and construction of the home.

 

 

"Who am I? And where do I come from? Where are the roots of my story?" With these questions, researcher and photographer Lisandro Suriel began a search for his own identity. From his research, 'Ghost Island' came to life: a series of works in the setting of the Caribbean.

 

Lisandro's photos, full of magical realism, can be seen from 9 October onwards at Chrysalid Gallery in Rotterdam.

 

With the series 'Ghost Island', Lisandro deconstructs the orthodoxies of people from the African Diaspora by rediscovering a forgotten past. The title stands for his own insular background on his native island of St Martin and at the same time refers to the complex West Indian web of overlapping histories, collective identity, intermingling of cultures in the Black Atlantic and the persistence of intangible elements from the past. Ghost Island' is Lisandro's investigation and discovery of his own identity, but also the collective identity of his ancestors.

 

Although he grew up in the Caribbean, Lisandro never had the chance to investigate his own history. All he learned at school was that his story began with Columbus and slavery. Although the story of the diaspora is rooted in the transatlantic slave trade, the true history is much more complex than a narrative of colonialism. Many stories of and about the diasporic past have escaped documentation and remain stuck in familiar examples of violence and oppression. Ghost Island' is for those people who want to look beyond the question of who they really are.

 

As a child, Lisandro Suriel regularly withdrew into imaginary and wondrous worlds inspired by his surroundings. To this day, fantasy worlds form a common thread in his work. Lisandro is a photographer and artistic researcher, born and raised on Sint Maarten. He received a Bachelor's degree in photography from the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and a Master's degree in Artistic Research from the University of Amsterdam. As part of his master's thesis, he analysed twentieth-century illustrations of Caribbean mythology in relation to cultural aphasia. This research forms the basis of his ongoing artistic project 'Ghost Island'. This year, Lisandro was elected FOAM Talent 2021 and was selected for the prestigious Photo Vogue Festival 2021.

  

Chrysalid Gallery in Rotterdam is a non-profit art foundation that focuses on diversifying art, or how art is created, produced, distributed and consumed. The gallery was founded in 2016 by Alexey Shifman under the name Raw Streetphoto Gallery. In order to provide a sharper focus on conceptual and radical art, the gallery changed its name to Chrysalid Gallery in early 2020. The gallery represents young and daring artists from all over Europe and gives them the space to experiment and grow.

  

 

ROTTERDAM, 3 August 2021 - Today, Rotterdam's first English gastropub opens in the middle of the lively Witte de Withstraat. Dutch Dukes invites all Rotterdammers and visitors to the city to experience the relaxed English pub atmosphere at its finest. The pub offers typical English dishes, such as fish & chips and steak & guiness pie, but patrons can also choose appetizers such as avocado fries and bean balls. The dishes are prepared fresh daily, and the drinks menu is filled as a matter of course with British beers, ciders and gin tonics.

 

Not only the menu and drinks menu, but also the interior has a classic gastropub look. With a burgundy, oak and brass colour palette and stained glass, guests imagine themselves in bustling London. 

 

 

 

Rotterdam is known for its cultural diversity. With countless culturally diverse restaurants and cafés, you can see, taste and smell that. There is no shortage of choice, but a typical English pub has yet to emerge. That is why Rotterdam hospitality entrepreneur Frank Roolaart (owner of HAL4 aan de Maas) is opening the city's first English gastropub today. "English pubs used to be known as dark, smoky pubs where people hung out at the bar. These old-fashioned pubs have now been elevated to quality gastropubs where friends, colleagues and acquaintances come together. Rotterdam deserves a similar place where people discuss their working day, enjoy fresh dishes and toast to life", says Frank Roolaart.