You could be forgiven for thinking that this extraordinary design was dreamed up for the set of some kind of sci-fi movie. However, it's actually a real proposal for a major new mixed-use cultural building.
Named Rotterdam Rocks!, the proposal is designed by high-profile Dutch studio MVRDV and won a design competition organized by social enterprise Shift to inspire visitors to take action on climate change.
Slated for an upcoming district on the south bank of Rotterdam's Maas river, it's a real oddball. Nobody could accuse it of blending quietly into its surroundings, but whether you love it or hate it, the design definitely stands out, which seems to be the whole point.
It takes the form of seven huge moss-covered boulders stacked into a tower. Its textured facade will support soil, water, plants, and wildlife, extending the existing riverside park vertically, while multiple windows and external staircases are integrated into the rock-like forms. Inside, the mixed-use building will contain exhibition space, a hotel, event space, offices, a food court, a restaurant, and an observation deck. Visitors will move through cave-like interiors centered on an interactive exhibit named Elysium.
"The seven stacked rocks that make up the building are arranged around two key routes through the building's 'caves:' one for the exhibition experience and another for the project's hospitality functions," explains MVRDV. "A third exterior route twists up the sides of the rocks, leading to a publicly accessible viewing terrace, while the top of the building features a rooftop terrace for visitors to The Elysium. These terraces extend the riverside tidal park vertically, enveloping visitors in the nature that finds its home on the building's surfaces while offering spectacular views of Rotterdam. To enable this proliferation of nature on its surface, the skin of the building is covered with pockmarks and niches that provide space for soil, water, plants, and animals."
It's not just the appearance that's ambitious, but the proposed construction too. It will make use of reused steel, reduced-carbon concrete, and even 3D-printed construction, though details on this are still light at this early stage.
It's not clear yet how likely this project is to be realized, but it would certainly rank among Europe's most unusual buildings. That said, MVRDV does have form for extraordinary designs, and some of its notable works include the Valley and Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen.
Source: MVRDV
