ROTTERDAM, 19 November 2025 – A new automated parking system will be installed in De Sax on the Wilhelminapier. The project focuses on compact, fully automated parking for residents, with extra attention to fire safety and 24/7 monitoring.
Automated parking for De Sax
Lödige Industries has been selected to design and deliver the automated parking facility for De Sax, a future residential complex on the Wilhelminapier in Rotterdam. The system will serve residents of the two tower blocks that make up the development and is intended to handle parking in a dense part of the city without adding a conventional multi storey car park at street level.
The parking structure will sit above ground between the two towers, behind a glass façade. In total, the facility is planned to offer 334 parking spaces spread over ten levels, including 34 charging points for electric vehicles. Residents will hand over their cars at entry bays, after which the system stores and retrieves vehicles automatically.
Focus on space, safety and EVs
Because cars are moved and stored by machines rather than drivers, the parking decks can be built more compactly than a traditional garage. This is intended to free up space in and around the building for housing and other functions, while still providing a substantial number of parking spaces on site. Automation also reduces the amount of internal traffic in the garage itself, since residents no longer drive through the structure.
Fire safety has been given a prominent place in the design. The system in De Sax will be equipped with a foam based extinguishing installation that is certified for both conventional vehicle fires and fires involving electric vehicles. This is presented as a key safeguard for an enclosed, automated facility where a large number of cars are stored close together.
Operation, monitoring and maintenance
Lödige will not only install the parking system but will also remain involved in its daily operation. The company plans to provide long term maintenance and round the clock remote monitoring, so that technical faults can be identified quickly and the garage can remain available to residents. The combination of local service teams and remote diagnostics is intended to keep waiting times and interruptions to a minimum.
According to the planning, construction of De Sax starts in November 2025. Lödige expects to begin work on site in April 2028, with completion of the parking system scheduled for May 2030. Over the full life of the building, the system is expected to support a steady flow of residents returning home and leaving again, without additional car movements at street level.
Largest planned automated parking system in the Netherlands
The installation in De Sax is described as the largest planned automated car park project in the Netherlands so far. For Lödige, it follows earlier work on an automated facility at Vijzelgracht in Amsterdam, which is currently counted among the more advanced systems in the country. The Rotterdam project adds a large residential development on a high profile inner city location to that portfolio.
De Sax itself is being developed by BPD Bouwfonds Gebiedsontwikkeling and Synchroon, with a design by MVRDV. The project will add 916 apartments, commercial units and shared facilities on the Kop van Zuid, continuing the gradual transformation of the Wilhelminapier into a mixed residential and office district along the Maas.
How to find De Sax on the Wilhelminapier
De Sax will rise on the Wilhelminapier, on Rotterdam’s south bank opposite the city centre, close to landmarks such as Hotel New York and the cruise terminal. The area is served by metro station Wilhelminaplein, several tram lines and the Erasmus Bridge, making it easy to reach by public transport, bicycle or on foot from the inner city.
Drivers approach the pier via Erasmusbrug and Wilhelminaplein or via the Laan op Zuid corridor. On completion, the automated parking system is expected to absorb most resident parking on site, while visitors will continue to use existing parking garages and public transport links in the surrounding area.
