architecture guide
MEI ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS
MEI ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS Mei architects is an enterprising, knowledge-intensive office that focuses on development and innovation in architecture. The office was set up in 1994 by architect Robert Winkel and is based in Rotterdam. Mei is particularly noted not only for transforming existing buildings such as the Jobsveem warehouse and Delfshaven factory in Rotterdam, and the Chewing Gum factory in Amsterdam, but also for completing striking new-build projects and urban designs. Curiosity and openness typify the attitude with which the office deals with commissions, partners and contexts. Above all else, Mei is interested in the occupants of its buildings. What opportunities does the architecture offer them? What new prospects and potential for social interaction does it create? The work of Mei has been widely published and received numerous accolades.
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Photography: Ronald Tilleman - Schiecentrale Rotterdam (1)
ADDRESS Schiehavenkade 522 3024 EX Rotterdam CONTACT pr@mei-arch.eu +31 10 425 2222 WEBSITE & SOCIAL www.mei-arch.eu meiarch meiarch mei_architects_and_planners
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MEI ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS A ROTTERDAM OFFICE Rotterdam is the city of the future. So states Dezeen, based on many encounters with architectural experts. Landmark buildings are popping up across the city and with experimental construction they are transforming the Netherlands’ second city into a world-class destination for architectural innovation. Most acclaimed examples are De Rotterdam by OMA, the Market Hall by MVRDV, and the new Central Station by the combined team of Benthem Crouwel, MVSA and West 8. This newfound status was confirmed by the city’s selection for Lonely Planet’s list of the top 10 cities to visit in 2016. Here, Rotterdam was described as “a veritable open-air gallery of Modern, Postmodern and contemporary construction”. But Rotterdam has more to offer. For example, since the 1990s the city has done much to boost its cultural status, in particular with the grouping of Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, the Kunsthal and Het Nieuwe Instituut (previously the Netherlands Architecture Institute) around Museumpark. On the less official cultural circuit, too, the city as witnessed a lot of dynamism in recent years. Pop-up stores, a young and vibrant culinary culture, and a favourable climate for start-ups in the cultural field are just as decisive for the city. Even so, Rotterdam remains above all a city of architecture, especially modern architecture. Enthusiasts of traditional architecture, or of the typical houses that line the canals of Holland, will find little to their liking here. It is in this modern and professional architecture climate, which offers space for experimentation, both literally and figuratively, that an architecture office like Mei architects and planners has succeeded in flourishing. The office has been active in Rotterdam since 1994 and it has explicitly identified itself with the bold approach to architecture in the city. Irrespective of their context, the various projects completed here by Mei appear to pay little heed to history. But appearances deceive, for in reality the projects harmonise perfectly with their immediate environment and with the architectural tradition of Rotterdam.
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Photography: Ossip van Duivenbode - team Mei at Gouda Cheese Warehouse (1) | Skyline of Rotterdam (2)
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The growth of the city, and with it the roll-up-your-sleeves attitude and no-nonsense mentality, has gone hand in hand with the development of the port since the nineteenth century. Strength by the economic impetus from shipping, a professional architecture climate emerged, exemplified during the early modern period by the Witte Huis ‘high-rise office’ in 1898, one of the tallest office buildings in Europe at the time. In the inter-war years Rotterdam definitively secured its reputation as a city of modern architecture. Among the best-known works of the period are the Van Nelle Factory by Leendert van der Vlugt, the Bergpolder apartment block by Willem van Tijen, and the Kiefhoek housing district by J.J.P Oud, but they are certainly not the only highlights. The bombardment of 10 May 1940 and the war years that followed brought this development to a sudden halt. Urban development in the post-war years focused on the reconstruction of the port and the almost totally destroyed city centre. In contrast to many other reconstruction plans for destroyed cities in Europe, the so-called ‘Basic Plan for the Reconstruction of Rotterdam’ by architect Van Traa was decidedly functionalist. To this day, an efficient traffic plan, complemented by the more or less free development of building blocks, serves — albeit with some modifications — as the starting point for urban design in the city centre. The basic plan offered plenty of scope for striking modern architecture, the best-known and most distinctive examples of which are the Groothandelsgebouw megastructure by architects Maaskant and Van Tijen and the Lijnbaan shopping precinct by Van den Broek & Bakema — the first trafficfree shopping street and, to a certain extent, also one of the first ‘shopping malls’ — flanked by high-rise slabs of apartments. Both buildings now enjoy the status of national listed buildings and will therefore continue to define the appearance of the city centre. With great care and an eye for existing architectural characteristics, the Lijnbaan is undergoing modifications to meet current standards. Mei architects and planners renovated one of the retail units in this first pedestrian shopping street. The original materials and details, which had disappeared over the course of various alterations, have been restored and interpreted in a contemporary fashion. This approach proved successful, for Mei has been appointed to come up with an integral strategy for all facades and shopfronts of the Lijnbaan. During the 1970s attention shifted from the rebuilding of the centre to the much-needed improvement and renewal of inner city housing neighbourhoods. At the time, Rotterdam stood for systematic urban renewal aimed at preserving existing morphology as much as possible. Little by little, building production in the city centre moved from new development on vacant sites to the renewal of existing structures. Not that the construction of modern architecture in the city centre had ceased. Indeed, the 1990s witnessed a huge spate of construction in the centre, especially along Weena boulevard. The city authorities pursued an active high-rise building policy, and a number of office towers and residential blocks increased building density in the central district covered by the basic plan. Such developments continue today. But genuine renewal took place elsewhere, for example along the River Maas in the older docklands. Ever since the post-war reconstruction years, port activity had gradually relocated downriver towards the sea, leading to the availability of older docks for redevelopment. The first major redevelopment operation Photography: Rotterdams Gemeentearchief - historic photo De Lijnbaan Rotterdam (1)
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targeted Kop van Zuid, the port area at the tip of the southern bank that connected directly with the city centre but was also partly responsible for isolation of housing districts further south. Mei architects and planners started to build in the 1990s, at precisely the time when two traditions overlapped: the ‘old’ modernism of post-war reconstruction, and the new challenge of renovation and redevelopment. If the architecture of Mei could be summed up in one slogan, then it would be something like: no-nonsense modernist redevelopment architecture. A sizeable portion of the office’s portfolio concerns the redevelopment of industrial port buildings on the basis of an approach that takes existing buildings as its point of departure, but offers it a new future through efficient, sculptural architecture. The Lloydkwartier district, a former port area on the north bank, is not only home to the office but also the location of a number of characteristic redevelopment projects, such as the restored and redeveloped Jobsveem building, and the redeveloped Schiecentrale, a former power station. The renewal of Schiecentrale took place in phases. First to be tackled was a relatively small part, the 25Kv building. Renovating the almost blank concrete box to create workspace for media companies involved removing the facade and replacing it with a zone containing a steel-and-glass front, corridors, stairways, a lift and toilets. All at once, this simple operation gave a strikingly modern and fresh accent to the drab architecture of the enormous structure. From then on the complex was modernised in a number of steps, sometimes by the addition of oblong volumes, sometimes by alterations to existing spaces. Using unconventional materials — or more accurately: experimenting with new applications of materials — is also a recurring theme in the work of Mei. For example, the exterior of the Kraton building, home to local broadcaster RTV Rijnmond among others, is faced in cast-iron panels decorated with various port motifs.
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Photography: Jeroen Musch - Lloydkwartier district (1) | historic photo Lloydkwartier district 1970 (2)
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In terms of architecture, the final phase of the scheme, the big residential and office slabs of Phase 4B, harmonise perfectly with the big gallery-access residential slabs built in the 1950s and ‘60s. After completion, the resulting ensemble feels like a small yet modern city made up of various styles of architecture built in different periods. A similarly historical layered quality enhanced by new development is also illustrated by the Factory in Delfshaven. This motley clutter of residential and commercial buildings that had grown together over time has been entirely revamped from within with the insertion of a central atrium with corridors, stairways and lifts, but externally the existing layered and informal character has been preserved. The nineteenth-century Jobsveem development, on the other side of Schiecentrale, presented a different sort of re-use challenge. Built for transhipment, the extremely deep structure needed to be converted for residential use. In the process, the facade and the characteristic loadbearing structure inside had to be preserved. Daylight penetration in the living units was problematic owing to the depth of the building. This problem was solved by punching a number of huge openings in the facade and in the volume at the back of the building, and by fitting the homes with fully glazed fronts to the atriums. Paradoxically enough, this intervention has scarcely lessened the character of the large brick facades. Instead, it has just added a new large-scale element to the composition. Across the water of the River Maas, on the Katendrecht peninsula, Mei is currently working on the redevelopment of the Fenix warehouses to accommodate a mix-use programme. On top – and separated from the existing building by an intermediate zone –200 loft apartments are arranged around a central courtyard. Once again, the history of the port is combined with modern lifestyles and materials. A bold move, yet one that is sensitive to the historical context and to a present-day sense of community spirit. text: Piet Vollaard | translation: Billy Nolan
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Photography: Jeroen Musch - Factory Delfshaven (1) - Jobsveem (2)
1 SCHIECENTRALE 4B
10 BRIDGE OF SIGHS
MULTIFUNCTIONAL COMPLEX
CONNECTION BETWEEN TWO
ROTTERDAM
MONUMENTS SCHIEDAM
2 HOTEL STROOM
11 THE FOUR WORLDS
MULTIMEDIA HOTEL
COMMUNITY BUILDING
ROTTERDAM
SPIJKENISSE
3 JOBSVEEM
TRANSFORMATION OF AN OLD
MONUMENT
FACTORY
ROTTERDAM
4 25KV BUILDING
AMSTERDAM
13 GNOME PARKING
RE-USE OF A FORMER TRANS-
PARKING GARAGE
FORMER HOUSE
ALMERE
ROTTERDAM
5 KRATON 230
14 DE VERKENNER
MULTIFUNCTIONAL BUILDING
RESIDENTIAL TOWER
ROTTERDAM
UTRECHT
6 FACTORY DELFSHAVEN
15 GOUDA CHEESE WAREHOUSE
TRANSFORMATION OF AN OLD
LOFT APARTMENTS IN FORMER
FACTORY
WAREHOUSE
ROTTERDAM
7 LIJNBAAN 77
GOUDA
16 DE GENERAAL
RESTORATION OF A NATIONAL
RESIDENTIAL TOWER
MONUMENT
RIJSWIJK
ROTTERDAM
8 MCDONALDS
NEW MCDONALDS PAVILION ROTTERDAM
9 FENIX I LOFT APARTMENTS ON TOP OF A WAREHOUSE ROTTERDAM
PROJECT INDEX
12 GUM FACTORY
RE-USE OF A NATIONAL
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14 16
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10 ROTTERDAM
THE NETHERLANDS MAP
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ROTTERDAM CITY MAP
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SCHIECENTRALE 4B MULTIFUNCTIONAL COMPLEX location function contributed by
Rotterdam (2008) housing, office, mixed-use development EelcoDekker
Schiecentrale 4B is the final block in the redevelopment of the former Schiehaven power plant. It contains 55,000 m2 of programme: 156 live-work units, 20 ground-access quayside houses, supermarket, gymnasium, 400 parking places and a semi-public deck with sun terrace, podium and playground. This combination of functions adds life to the area, which has become the hub of the creative industry in Rotterdam in recent years. Schiecentrale 4B is a new building wrapped around the northwestern sides of the old Schiecentrale plant. The scale and size are in keeping with the metropolitan docklands context. The slab shape means that every residential unit enjoys views of both the River Maas and the city of Rotterdam.
ADDRESS Schiehavenkade 1- 526 3024 Rotterdam WEBSITE www.schiecentrale.nl
The offices and live-work units are accessible from a gallery faced in a specially woven stainless-steel screen. Attached to the gallery are storage units - normally hidden away in the basement, but now eye-catching objects. All spaces on the west side of the building have glazed facades with floor-to-ceiling harmonica doors. The free floor-plans of the lofts allow residents to determine the arrangement of rooms.
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Photography: Jeroen Musch (1,3) | Ronald Tilleman (2)
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HOTEL STROOM MULTI MEDIA HOTEL location function contributed by
Rotterdam (2005) bar, hotel restaurant MI_MOA
The transformer house, with hotel and restaurant Stroom situated inside, is part of the redevelopment of the former Schiecentrale on Lloydpier, Rotterdam. In recent years this former electricity generating plant, has developed into the center of the creative industry of the city. To accommodate the restaurant and the hotel, the former transformer house is increased with a glass extension. The high spaces are intended for a restaurant and a hotel with 21 rooms. In the glass extension are the stair cases and the suites of the hotel. These clear elements and transparent side facade give a vivid picture. The existing faรงade facing the Lloydstraat consists of a big, closed brick surface, that is only interrupted by a small glass supplement. The industrial character
ADDRESS Lloydstraat 1 3024 EA Rotterdam OPENING HOURS daily:
7.00 - 23.30
WEBSITE www.stroomrotterdam.nl
of this area is maintained by deliberately not to place large windows in the rooms. The hotel rooms get daylight from above: by roof windows, making the stars to be seen at night.
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Photography: Hotel Stroom (1, 2,3)
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JOBSVEEM RE-USE OF A NATIONAL MONUMENT location function contributed by
Rotterdam (2007) housing, office, renovation Mei
The former warehouse and national monument Jobsveem, also known as St. Job, on the quay of the Lloyd Pier in Rotterdam, has been changed significantly. The design by Mei in collaboration with architect Wessel de Jonge breathes new life into the old warehouse. Since its completion in 1913, is was extremely introverted. This was done to protect the stored goods from too much daylight, rain and wind. The structure involved the use of construction methods that were very advanced for their time: long floors (130x25m) with cast-iron columns of different heights. Converting it to apartments and commercial spaces was an opportunity to bring daylight into the building with 3 glazed atria. The light courts of glass and steel emphasise the monumental
ADDRESS Lloydstraat 2-200 3024 EA Rotterdam WEBSITE www.facebook.com/ JobsveemRotterdam/
components that have been carefully restored. They are lively, light spaces where residents can meet one another. In warm weather, and also in the event of calamities such as fire, the glazed roof opens and a light breeze blows through the atrium.
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Photography: Jeroen Musch (1,2,3)
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25KV BUILDING RE-USE OF FORMER TRANSFORMER HOUSE location function contributed by
Rotterdam (2001) office, renovation Mei
Mei architects and planners played an important role in transforming Schiecentrale - the former electricity generating plant on Lloydpier in Rotterdam - and its surroundings into the creative centre that it now is. Mei turned the originally introverted and blank transformer house, called 25 kV building located on Lloydpier, into a transparent structure that houses various businesses. The transparency of the new structure was achieved by removing the originally blank faรงade over the full length of the building and replacing it with a steel frame faced entirely with glazed panels. The new volume contain all supporting facilities for the adjacent 46 office spaces such as toilets and pantries. This corridor between the offices and the
ADDRESS Lloydstraat 9-19 3024 EA Rotterdam WEBSITE www.schiecentrale.nl
service spaces is a shared zone that functions as a space for encounter. Because all daylight enters the building through this zone, even the toilets and pantries are made of glass, albeit translucent glass for privacy reasons.
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Photography: Luuk Kramer (1,2) | Jeroen Musch (3)
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KRATON 230 MULTIFUNCTIONAL BUILDING location function contributed by
Rotterdam (2007) office, recording studio olivier_van_den_hoven
Part of the larger Schiecentrale Complex in the former harbour area Lloydkwartier, this new building will house the local TV broadcasting station, its studio’s and offices. The Schiecentrale used to be an electricity plant, now transformed into a creative melting-pot of 80 different film, audio-visual and Information and Communication Technology businesses. The complex consists of the 25Kv Building, the Trafohuis, Hotel Stroom, the canteen building, and more living and working space. The façade of this building, clad with cast-iron panels has a special pattern, designed by Studio Job. It refers to the former steel-industry of the harbour area, and was chosen for its ‘dirty’ look, and the resemblance to the cast-iron covers on street-holes. The plates,
ADDRESS Lloydstraat 23 3024 EA Rotterdam WEBSITE www.schiecentrale.nl
now orange, will soon rust more and change into dark brown, leaving rusty, red water, which will be disgorged. The choice for this material leaves visitors to think it is also one of the renovated and reused buildings.
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Photography: Jeroen Musch (1,2,3)
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FACTORY DELFSHAVEN TRANSFORMATION OF AN OLD FACTORY location Rotterdam (2013) function mixed-use development, office, renovation contributed by Mei ADDRESS
In the heart of bustling Delfshaven on the banks of the river Schie is an old characteristic industrial complex located which has lost a lot of its luster and vibrancy in the course of the years. The by time grown together agglomeration of characteristic buildings has become in an almost irreversible process of decline by years of vacancy and neglect. The strategic design of Mei is based on the preservation of the still existing aesthetic, cultural, historical and constructive quality, whereas the collapsed and dilapidated areas are replaced by an atrium adding spatial (light, air and space) and programmatic quality. The atrium forms the “heart” of the building as a meeting place for entrepreneur.
Mathenesserdijk 410-416 3026 GG Rotterdam WEBSITE www.defabriekvandelfshaven.nl
The levelled business units gather around the atrium and make use of the existing characteristic façade openings around which are retained. The additions that are made are minimalistic and possess a uniform colour palette to maintain the spatial quality.
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Photography: Jeroen Musch (1,3) | Ossip van Duivenbode (2)
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LIJNBAAN 77 RESTORATION OF NATIONAL MONUMENT location function contributed by
Roterdam (2013) renovation, shop, retail Mei
Commissioned by ASR Vastgoed Mei architects and planners thoroughly renovated Lijnbaan 77, a national monument in Rotterdam. The typical details of the fifties and the original use of materials were the main starting points in the design. Lijnbaan 77 is one of the first post-war national monuments of the Netherlands. This period of reconstruction is a very important development in the history of Dutch architecture. It is a period of recovery and scarcity, but it also represents optimism and renewal.
ADDRESS Lijnbaan 77 3012 EM Rotterdam OPENING HOURS Estimated opening hours shops: Mon-Thu: 10.00 - 18.00 Fri: 10.00 - 21.00 Sat: 10.00 - 17.00 Sun: 12.00 - 17.00 WEBSITE www.rotterdam.nl/ lijnbaan
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Photography: Ossip van Duivenbode (1,2)
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MCDONALDS NEW MCDONALDS PAVILION location function contributed by
Rotterdam (2015) horeca, kiosk, restaurant Mei
In contrast to the false note struck by the old building on this prominent site at the junction of Coolsingel and Meent, the new McDonald’s pavilion gleams like a shiny diamond in the heart of historical Rotterdam. With the most compact core possible surrounded by the most transparent façade possible, the new pavilion preserves views of the monumental Post Office. Featuring three entrances, the fully glazed lobby is easily accessed from the public space outside. Just like the historical buildings in the area, the pavilion boasts a ornately modulated facade, carried out in one single material: brass. Rich and warm in appearance, brass is also vandal-proof and sustainable. Installations are integrated into the roof as a
ADDRESS Coolsingel 44 3011 AE Rotterdam OPENING HOURS 24/7 WEBSITE www.mcdonaldsrestaurant.nl
fifth facade. McDonald’s is open day and night, which is why its night-time appearance is important. The brass is perforated to form a ‘veil’ around the building. Various degrees of perforation lend the design a richly layered quality.
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Photography: Ossip van Duivenbode (1), Jeroen Musch (2,3)
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FENIX I LOFT APARTMENTS ON TOP OF A WAREHOUSE location function
Rotterdam (2018) housing, mixed-use development, culture cluster
The Fenix warehouses were originally built in 1922 in Katendrecht, Rotterdam. Parts of the quay and warehouses were destroyed towards the end of the Second World War. In 1954 the quay was rebuilt and the warehouses rose from the ashes and were renamed Fenix I and Fenix II. In the 1980s port activity relocated westwards and the warehouses were abandoned. In 2009 Heijmans initiated the design and development of the Fenix I warehouse. In 2013 Mei was selected for the redevelopment and the design of a new volume projected on top of the warehouse. A mixed programme of housing, workspaces and the Culture Cluster is planned for the older lower levels, called Fenix Docks.
ADDRESS Veerlaan 3072 AN Rotterdam WEBSITE www.fenixlofts.nl
On top of this Mei designed about 200 loft apartments whose occupants can arrange the interiors as they wish. The apartments can be divided both horizontally and vertically, a unique concept in the Netherlands. An in-between layer consisting of a gigantic spaceframe structure separates the existing warehouse and the new volume above.
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Impressions: Mei architects and planners & WAX (1,2,3)
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BRIDGE OF SIGHS CONNECTION BETWEEN TWO MONUMENTS location function contributed by
Schiedam (2014) bridge, private house Mei
After constructing a glazed connection on the ground floor in 2003, Mei was asked to design a second connecting bridge between two monuments; a complex challenge owing to the difficulty of bridging the height difference, the demands that come with working on a listed structure, and the need for privacy. Mei succeeded in strengthening the value of both buildings by respecting and preserving their existing character. The new bridge, a self-supporting structure of steel and glass, is faced in white perforated steel panels. Refined, abstract 3D motifs that refer to the original cast-iron ornaments of the balconies are incorporated into the panels by means of rubber presses. What happens inside cannot be seen from outside, but
ADDRESS Lange Nieuwstraat 3111 AE Schiedam
occupants do enjoy outside views. The bridge is reversible to allow future owners to remove it if desired. The warehouse can also be restored to its original condition because the openings made in the facade have the same proportions as the original window frames.
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Photography: Jeroen Musch (1,2,3)
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THE FOUR WORLDS COMMUNITY BUILDING location function contributed by
Spijkenisse (2009) housing, mixed-use development Mei
In the Dijkzone in Spijkenisse the ‘Four Worlds’ is being realised. An out-of-the-ordinary apartment complex bordering straight on the Old Meuse river. Visually, the building is divided into four separate parts referring to the neighbourhood structure that is typical of Spijkenisse. Every neighbourhood will have its own identity, enhanced by the use that is made of specific materials. Meeting places are important elements of the design. The building has a recreational deck offering amongst others barbecuing facilities, a petanque court, a tennis court and a large greenhouse. In addition, the randomly staggered balconies invite residents to strike up a conversation with their neighbours. Artist Milou van Ham collected hundreds of words that represent
ADDRESS Hongerlandsedijk 3201 LG Spijkenisse WEBSITE www.devierwerelden.nl
Spijkenisse’s identity. These words have been cast into the façade and balcony elements.
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Photography: Jeroen Musch (1,2,3)
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GUM FACTORY TRANSFORMATION OF AN OLD FACTORY location Amsterdam (2008) function mixed-use development, office, renovation contributed by Mei ADDRESS
The former gum factory (kauwgomballenfabriek) in Amsterdam has been transformed into a creative and extrovert mix of buildings for creative and extrovert users. The complex was used by Maple Leaf for brands like Sportlife. The most robust building in the complex is converted to a premises for creative businesses. The building was built in the early 70’s and used as production and storage space spread over three floors. Because of its function, the building has a heavy concrete and steel construction and high levels six meters by a very special spatial quality. The high areas are used as a workplace, while meeting rooms and concentration workplaces are realized in the mezzanine floors.
Paul van Vlissingenstraat 8 1096 BK Amsterdam WEBSITE www.kauwgomballenfabriek.nl
Due to the heavy construction it is possible to construct an additional volume onto the building. The new volume is unique in form and materials of the existing building, but because of the restrained, industrial metal and glass materials also a “marriage” with this huge building.
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Photography: Jeroen Musch (1) | Mieke Vullings (2,3)
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GNOME PARKING PARKING GARAGE location function contributed by
Almere (2010) car park Mei
The development of the Gnome parking garage (kaboutergarage), with 413 parking spaces, is part of the expansion of the city centre of Almere-Buiten. Features of this plan are a lot of green and a clear urban structure. At the architectural level many experiments with innovative materialisation and new constructions have been made, as also in the Gnome parking garage. The special facade of the garage contains natural elements, like integrated plant containers with specific plants based on the orientation of the facade. By using a vacuum forming technique, commonly utilized in the automotive industry, the perforated facade panels show characteristic images of the province of Flevoland like birds, windmills, garden gnomes
ADDRESS Straat van Florida 1334 PA Almere OPENING HOURS 24/7
and bird houses. The perforation of the sheeting supplies natural ventilation in the parking garage and creates an open atmosphere, especially at night.
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Photography: Jeroen Musch (1,2,3)
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DE VERKENNER RESIDENTIAL TOWER location function contributed by
Utrecht (2016) housing Mei ADDRESS
De Verkenner is located in the neighbourhood Kanaleneiland in Utrecht. This new 50-metre-tall tower occupies a special position among the new developments of this typical post-war urban district and acts as a gatekeeper for these developments. The tower contains a mixed housing program: 71 free-sector rental apartments in the top section, 15 social-sector rental apartments for autistic youth and 9 live-work apartments in the plinth. The concrete façade elements feature a tactile relief. This effect is strengthened even further by 13,000 ceramic tiles produced by Royal Tichelaar. In collaboration with artist Milou van Ham 16 different verses are pressed onto these tiles, thus enhancing the building’s identity and relation with its surroundings. The earth-
Churchilllaan 3527 GW Utrecht
colored tiles give both residents and passers-by a friendly sense of home. The tiles even continue on the underside of balconies and galleries. The result is an inviting building that will stimulate the sense of community.
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Photos: Ossip van Duivenbode (1,3) | Milou van Ham (2)
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GOUDA CHEESE WAREHOUSE LOFT APARTMENTS IN FORMER WAREHOUSE location function
Gouda (2017) housing, renovation
ADDRESS
In 2015 the former warehouse ‘De Producent’ in Gouda exists exactly 100 years. The building is a national monument and has always functioned as a cheese warehouse. Now cheese production moves to another place, this striking building can be developed into a residential building with beautiful loft apartments.
Wachtelstraat 52 2802 EV Gouda WEBSITE www.kaaspakhuisgouda.nl
Mei developed a plan to remove part of the roof and create an atrium in the heart of the building. The plan takes into account the special role that the warehouse has taken in the history of Gouda cheese. There will be room for 50 lofts.
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Illustrations: Mei architects and planners (1,2), photo: Ossip van Duivenbode (3)
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DE GENERAAL RESIDENTIAL TOWER location function contributed by
Rijswijk (2018) housing Mei
The former headquarters of the Dutch tax authorities in Rijswijk will be transformed into residential building ‘De Generaal’. With a new glass façade and internal renovation this centrally located office tower will transform into a spacious, flexible and sustainable apartment building that gives great views around. The former office building was built in 1966 using an innovative building system (so-called Jack Block method). Mei architects and planners has developed a plan to transform the building into a modern residential building with sustainability as a key focus. The General will house about 192 apartments, ranging from 70 to 100 m2. Each apartment gets a private terrace or loggia. The existing basement of the former building will be re-used to house
ADDRESS Steenvoordelaan 2284 Rijswijk WEBSITE www.wonenindegeneraal.nl
the individual storage rooms. Part of the ground floor is reserved for commercial facilities.
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Impressions: Mei architects and planners & WAX (1,2,3)
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MEI GUIDES YOU AROUND GUIDED TOURS BY THE ARCHITECT A feature of Mei architects is the attitude of curiosity and openness with which the office deals with commissions, partners and contexts alike. To enhance its power of thought and action further, Mei enters into alliances with parties in the field. Mei likes to share the expertise it accumulates in the process. That is why Mei creates space not only for acquiring knowledge but also for imparting it through presentations, workshops, guided tours and guest lectures at universities.
ADDRESS Schiehavenkade 522 3024 EX Rotterdam CONTACT pr@mei-arch.eu +31 10 425 2222 WEBSITE
Fascinated by history, Robert Winkel regularly guides visitors around the Lloydkwartier area to talk about the origins and development of the Schiecentrale building, and the role played by Mei in its transformation. Interested in a guided group tour around the Lloydquarter, the Schiecentrale or any other project by Mei? Phone or email us to make an appointment. The Mei office is located in the Schiecentrale 4B building, so we would be glad to show you around!
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Photography: Mei architects and planners (1,2)
www.mei-arch.eu SOCIAL meiarch meiarch mei_architects_and_planners
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Architecture Guide - Mei architects and planners publication by MIMOA
Credits Mieke Vullings, Roderick Trompert (MIMOA) Robert Winkel, Marloes Koster (Mei architects and planners)
Photography Jeroen Musch (cover) - De Verkenner Utrecht Jeroen Musch (A) - Jobsveem Rotterdam Jeroen Musch (B) - McDonalds Rotterdam Mei architects and planners & WAX (C) - Fenix 1 Rotterdam Ossip van Duivenbode (D) - Gnome parking garage Almere
Text Piet Vollaard - preface Billy Nolan - translation preface
Š 2017 MIMOA All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the publisher. The publisher and author of this book and all products related to this book have used their best efforts in creating this product. Neither the publisher nor the authors make any representation of warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents of this edition and assume no responsibility for errors or omissions.
Publisher: MIMOA B.V. | www.mimoa.eu ISBN: 978-90-816264-4-6 Third edition: January 2017 Limited edition