Rotterdam-based architecture firm Barcode Architects has unveiled design for a new mixed-use tower in Rotterdam, the 110-metre tall building will be the first triangular tower built in Rotterdam. Construction of CasaNova is expected to begin as of 2019 and to be completed by the end of 2021.

Called CasaNova, the new tower aims to change Rotterdam's skyline with its distinctive silhouette, as it is located in the rapidly developing Maritiem District, where nine new residential towers are planned. Situated at at Wijnhaven 65, the tower will provide a boost to the area’s revitalization with a transparent plinth on all sides, opening the ground floor activity to the street. 

The studio used "sunlight" and "sight lines" to give shape the tower; the triangular form provides visual privacy from neighbouring towers, optimal lighting conditions and wide views towards the harbour and the city centre. 

Like a dancer holding a gracefully balanced pose on the tip of their toes, the slender tower elegantly meets the plinth by tapering the lower four stories. With its angular form and sensitivity to the surroundings, CasaNova is both an appropriate and unique addition to its context.

"Higher residential densities are transforming the district from a quiet office area to a lively mixed-use urban neighbourhood. The Wijnhaven street also connects Rotterdam’s main art street Witte de Withstraat with the bustling Oude Haven and the iconic Markthal just around the corner," stated the firm in its project brief. 

"Prominently located on this main urban axis, CasaNova’s transparent plinth and luxurious space for cafes and boutiques will contribute to a lively pedestrian environment. The streetscape is also given a more human scale by separating the plinth and tower volumes, and by the collective green roof terrace on the fifth level," the studio added.

The dwellings will be finished with high-quality materials and fall within the mid-and high-end price range. Each floor will include three apartments with spacious balconies at one of the triangle’s tips, bathing the interior with natural light and offering a 300-degree view of the city from each unit.

CasaNova’s strong social component offers a new model of urban living. The plinth’s services and collective spaces are coupled with Barcode Architects’ adjacent tower The Muse, currently under construction. 

The two towers share the 1,500-square-metre lush green fifth-level roof garden, where residents can meet, share a drink and enjoy the view. Shared spaces include a fitness centre, flexible office spaces, and ateliers. Residents can also rent a meeting room and reserve a mini-loft for their guests. 

Together, the coupled towers offer an urban living experience with both privacy and spaces for socialization, and are a refreshingly new addition to Rotterdam’s cityscape.

Project facts

Project name: CasaNova

Year: 2017 - present

Location: Wijnhaven 65, Rotterdam

Status: Technical design, construction to begin in 2019, expected completion by the end of 2021 

Client: VOF Wijnhaven 65

Programme: Residential, Parking, Retail, Roofgarden 

Building area: 22.000m2

Building height: 110m

Design team: Caro van de Venne, Dirk Peters, Tim Brans, Wim Sjerps, Jelena Nikolic, Ilaria Ronchi, Cristóbal Middleton, Leire Baraja, Ellen Rouwendal, Jelmer Amory, Arthur Lachard, Piotr Kalbarczyk, Francesco Illuminati, Marta Falchi, Jordi Jorba.

Collaborators:

Construction: Pieters Bouwtechniek

Installations, physics, fire safety, acoustics: ABT 

Cost management: VGG

All images courtesy of Barcode Architects

> via Barcode Architects