With the final phase of Weenapoint, Kruisplein will be given a fresh new start. The complex has been designed by Jacob van Rijs, founding partner of Rotterdam architecture firm MV RDV . The construction of these two- to three-hundred apartments, 17,000 m2 of office space, and a commercial plinth will commence soon. Their completion is expected mid-2022.

According to Monique Maarsen, demolishing the current building at Kruisplein had always been part of the plan. “With the current zoning plan, we had the opportunity to add more floorspace. This move was always considered as a last step at this location, as the final phase of the overall development of this area of Rotterdam.” In consultation with the municipality, ten architects were approached, of which five were invited to present their vision. “Based on the presentations, three firms were then requested to work out their vision into a concrete plan and, from this, MVRDV was selected as the winner. This was the result not only of meeting objective, quantifiable criteria, but also of qualitative factors such as a feeling for the commercial value of letting the buildings and, simply, whether or not their style was appealing.”

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This article is published in STRICT magazine. You can read the full story online: https://rotterdam-centraldistrict.nl/strict/