PLP Architecture and developer Provast have unveiled a new timber and concrete tower for Rotterdam. The project, dubbed “Tree House,” was designed to create an open and sustainable environment for residents and visitors in the city center. Rising 140-meters, the 37-story building will be sited next to the Central Station as the tallest hybrid structure in the country.
PLP made the Tree House’s glazed facades to be punctuated by long timber-clad balconies, including some connected by staircases. As the team outlines, the upper levels will house 275 apartments, with 185 set aside for private rentals and 30% reserved for the mid-market sector. Below this, 15,000m2 of office space will be geared towards innovation and technology companies and include coworking areas curated by operator TQ. A seventh-floor restaurant will face a planted terrace, while at the ground floor, shops, cafes and a multi-function events and performance space provide a mix of amenities for the city’s use. The project team is working with De Dépendance, Rotterdam’s diverse platform for culture and debate, to create socially relevant programming throughout.
Partner Ron Bakker from PLP Architecture said, “We enjoy designing buildings that push boundaries, and this is an innovative, sustainable, mixed-use tower, with a hybrid timber structure, almost on top of Rotterdam's Central Station - a new typology for future cities.” The building will feature a part-timber structure with a concrete core, significant reused and recycled materials, rainwater collection and reuse and CO2 storage. External balconies and terraces feature plantings and greenery, spreading up towards a crown of three glazed greenhouses filled with trees and gardens to emphasize a commitment to biodiversity.
Construction is expected to begin in 2021, with completion in 2024.
