De Rotterdam, a complex of three interconnected mixed-use towers designed by OMA, will go under construction in December this year, the developers MAB and OVG announced today.

The project is located in the old harbor district of Wilhelminapier, next to the iconic Erasmus bridge. The three stacked towers reach 150 meters high, producing a gross floor area of approximately 160,000m2, making De Rotterdam the largest building in the Netherlands.

OMA’s architectural concept produces more than sheer size: urban density and diversity – both in the program and the form – are the guiding principles of the project. De Rotterdam is conceived as a vertical city, accommodating offices, apartments, a hotel, conference facilities, gym, shops, restaurants, and cafes.

The towers are part of the ongoing redevelopment of Wilhelminapier, and aim to reinstate the vibrant urban activity – trade, transport, leisure – once familiar to the neighborhood. De Rotterdam is named after one of the ships on the Holland America Line, which used to depart from the Wilhelminapier in decades past, carrying thousands of Europeans emigrating to the US.

The design for De Rotterdam started in 1997. OMA founder Rem Koolhaas said: ‘It’s a miracle that construction will finally begin. One of the positive outcomes of the economic crisis is the drop in the cost of materials and construction, which has given new energy to long running projects like this one.’

The project is led by OMA partners Rem Koolhaas, Ellen van Loon and Reinier de Graaf and the associate in charge is Kees van Casteren.

The total investment in the project is €340m. Completion is expected in 2013.

From the project description:

‘De Rotterdam is conceived as a vertical city: three interconnected mixed-use towers accommodating offices, apartments, a hotel, conference facilities, gym, shops, restaurants, and cafes. The towers are part of the ongoing redevelopment of the old harbour district of Wilhelminapier, next to the Erasmus Bridge, and aim to reinstate the vibrant urban activity – trade, transport, leisure – once familiar to the neighbourhood. De Rotterdam is named after one of the ships on the Holland America Line, which used to depart from the Wilhelminapier in decades past, carrying thousands of Europeans emigrating to the US.

The three towers reach 150 metres high, with a gross floor area of approximately 160,000m2, making De Rotterdam the largest building in the Netherlands. OMA’s architectural concept produces more than sheer size: urban density and diversity – both in the program and the form – are the guiding principals of the project. De Rotterdam’s stacked towers are arranged in a subtly irregular cluster that refuses to resolve into a singular form and produces intriguing new views from different perspectives. Similarly, the definition of the building changes according to its multiple uses internally.

The various programs of this urban complex are organized into distinct blocks, providing both clarity and synergy: residents and office workers alike can use the fitness facilities, restaurants, and conference rooms of the hotel. And these private users of the building have contact with the general public on the ground floor, with its waterfront cafes. The lobbies for the offices, hotel, and apartments are located in the plinth – a long elevated hall that serves as a general traffic hub for De Rotterdam’s wide variety of users.’

More pictures: www.oma.eu.