CLASSY WITHOUT OSTENTATION
Delftse Poort was built in 1991 for the insurance firm Nationale Nederlanden. The company acquired the Weena site in the 1980s and held a design competition for “a building that is classy without ostentation, simple and logical in conception”. From the five submissions, the entry by Frisian architect Abe Bonnema was selected in 1986. Bonnema’s design was premised on the notion that a needle-like architecture is best for tall buildings in flat landscapes, as this accentuates the flatness of the setting. His choice of tinted glazing for the façades resulted in a building that adapts to its surroundings, reflecting the changing atmospheric conditions from day to day. The building takes its name, Delftse Poort, from the former eponymous city gate that stood on Hofplein in the eighteenth century. At 151 metres and forty floors, Delftse Poort was the country’s tallest building up until 2009, when it was surpassed by the Zalmhaven tower (215 metres). With Nationale Nederlanden leasing only a third of the property after 2015, Delftse Poort became a multi-tenant office building accommodating a wide array of services and amenities.
A WORKPLACE FOR ALL
As a multi-tenant office complex, these days ninety per cent of Delftse Poort is leased to forty different businesses. It has become a workplace for everyone, from remote workers and independent professionals to SMEs and global corporations. It is also home to a wide range of services and amenities, including a fitness centre, reception service, conference centre, two secured, guarded covered car parks and a bike facility, plus a dry cleaner’s and post and parcel service. Delftse Poort also offers a variety of food and beverage options, from a coffee lounge and DE Café to a restaurant on the third floor and the snug Italian family restaurant Trattoria A Proposito on the ground floor.
DID YOU KNOW…?
• Delftse Poort is the first office building in the Benelux to be awarded Wired-Score Platinum certification for digital infrastructure and connectivity.
• On the low-rise section between the two tall towers is a flat, green rooftop spanning approximately 2,500 m2. It captures rainwater to mitigate both local flooding and heat stress.
• Delftse Poort is also home to more than 80,000 honeybees, spread across two beehives on the green roof of the low-rise section.
NAME: DELFTSE POORT
ADDRESS: WEENA 505, ROTTERDAM
ARCHITECT: ABE BONNEMA
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE: NEORATIONALIST
DEVELOPER: PREDECESSOR OF ING REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
USER: MULTI-TENANT AS FROM 1 OCTOBER 2015
COMPLETED: 2 DECEMBER 1991
FLOORS: 40 (HIGHEST TOWER)
HEIGHT: 150 AND 93 METRES
SURFACE AREA: 106,000M2 GROSS FLOOR AREA, 66,000M2 LETTABLE FLOOR AREA