Historical buildings lose their original function and are in need of a second or even a third life. How can they be transformed into the reality of today in such a way that they gain renewed social significance and financial value, while at the same time maintaining their identity and spatial quality? We visualise opportunities and conditions by mapping the essence of the cultural heritage and the core qualities; a sort of baseline measurement. What have previous generations done at this location? How did the building or the ensemble of buildings relate to the environment? Which are the crucial design issues and how is the design to be placed within the architect’s oeuvre? What kind of memories, associations and feelings does the building evoke? From such research questions we distil the ingredients for a new chapter in the architectural and usage history. This certainly does not only concern monumental buildings. Buildings can be very ordinary and nevertheless have great symbolic significance. In those cases, it is the intangible value which counts and which can play a special role in the context of a new construction. We translate our findings into a valuation assessment, a quick scan, a cultural heritage assessment study or a proposal for a monument inventory. Our principals often ask us to share our thoughts on transformation possibilities or planning guarantees in the follow-up process.

CASE 1

THE ROTTERDAM EYE HOSPITAL

Cultural heritage assessment and valuation

commissioned by: Coup BV, Delft

‘A measure of practicality with a romantic touch,’ is how architect Ad van der Steur characterised his design for the Eye Hospital in Rotterdam. At its completion in 1948, the monumental building was a state-of-the-art hospital with a stylish interior and housing the most recent equipment. The Venetian-like building volume, the striking main entrance and the facade ornaments reflected the importance of the institute. The building provided a complete and comfortable healing environment right in the centre of the city. In the garden and on the roof terrace, patients could relax in the open air. In the reconstruction plans for Rotterdam the building functioned as one of the prominent cornerstones of the monumental city boulevard along Coolsingel and Schiedamse Vest. To this day, the complex has functioned as an eye hospital. In a cultural heritage assessment of this soon-to-be monument, SteenhuisMeurs provides an insight into the history of the institute and the site, and defines the important spatial themes and core values of this remarkable ensemble.

The Rotterdam Eye Hospital

CASE 2

FEIJENOORD STADIUM, ROTTERDAM

Cultural heritage assessment study and valuation

commissioned by: Stichting Gebiedsontwikkeling aan de Maas (2021)

Feijenoord Stadium was designed by Brinkman & Van der Vlugt architects and has been in use since 1937. In 1994, the stadium roof and the hospitality building (Maasgebouw) were added. The future of the stadium has been under discussion for years. There are plans for a new building, combined with adaptive re-use of the old stadium (De Kuip) or for a second transformation of the existing stadium. As part of the planning process, the municipality has requested an independent cultural heritage assessment of Feijenoord Stadium, which was drawn up by SteenhuisMeurs. The assessment describes the history of the stadium, covering the establishment and construction of the complex as well as its subsequent use and the spatial experience. In the heritage value assessment, the different meanings of De Kuip are taken into account: the stadium is a monument of architecture, of football, of Feyenoord and of Rotterdam. The assessment does not indicate a course of action for the future, but is meant to deepen the ongoing discussion about the future of the stadium.

Feijenoord Stadium, Rotterdam

CASE 3

CENTRAL LIBRARY, ROTTERDAM

Cultural heritage assessment study (quick scan)

commissioned by: Merril Real Estate (2020)

The Central Library is a striking building in the centre of Rotterdam. It was completed in 1983, to a design by Jaap Bakema and Hans Boot (Van den Broek en Bakema). The library is located on the spot where Rotterdam originated in the thirteenth century. It is part of an ensemble of icons, including the Laurenskerk (church), the Blaakse Bos (complex of cube houses) and the Market Hall. The building is associated with the transition of Rotterdam from a port to a cultural city. In the 1970s, the need for openness, accessibility and multifunctionality increased, in response to the separation of functions in the context of post-war urban development. In addition, this library is one of the first to result from the 1975 Public Library Act, which defined the library as a basic facility accessible to all. Finally, it is an outstanding example of Post ’65 architecture (1965-1990). Characteristic for this period was the focus on social aspects, the human dimension, collectivity, liveliness, small scale and interconnectivity.
This study has been conducted in support of the development of ideas for the renovation of the Central Library, through which the municipality intends to augment the sustainability of the building. In conjunction with this, the challenge is to adjust and expand the number of activities. The question is how to combine these proposed interventions with the cultural heritage values. This cultural heritage analysis offers clear guiding principles for giving shape to the renovation assignment.

Central library, Rotterdam