100 years of architecture in Rotterdam

2000: KPN building "Belvedère"

On the Wilhelminakade next to the sourthern end of the Erasmusbridge stands the landmark regional office of the telecom company KPN. It was designed by the internationally acclaimd Italian architect Renzo Piano. Famous for his design of  the  Centre Pompidou in Paris (jointly with Rodgers) and in the Netherlands for his design of the NeMo exhibition space in Amsterdam. 

The Belvedère is one of the first projects on the Wilhelminapier. It is a 98 meter high office building, of which all four facades are different. Most striking is the eastern side inclining 6 degrees towards the bridge at the same angle as the tower of Pisa. Piano being Italian will have been a factor. The inclination is also an answer to the inclining pylon of the bridges and its suspension cables. The facade is supported by metal column of almost 50 metres. The glass facade is divided into a grid pattern with a thousand apple green lights forming a animation screen. Animations are being developed by video artists especially. They are shown until 10pm each day after which they are replaced by the shape of the moon.

Between the bridge and the building is the  'Tower of Numbers', a design by the Australian   Peter Wilson. The top number indicates the world population, the lower one a random number.  Other numbers indicate time and a heart rate.

 


Also completed in 2000:

Millenniumtoren, Webb, Zerafa, Menkes, Housden
Skatebaan, D. van Peijpe
25kV bedrijfsgebouw, R. Winkel
Woongebouw de Landjes, Mecanoo
World Port Center, B. Foster
Ichthus Hogeschool, E. van Egeraat

100 years of Architecture- overview
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