The Penthouse floats a good three metres above the Las Palmas building, held aloft on thin steel columns. This two-storey office volume is rounded off vertically at the head ends in deliberate contrast with all other buildings on Wilhelmina Pier. The maritime mood projected by the Penthouse refers to its waterside location and to the history, inextricably interwoven with shipping, of the Kop van Zuid project on the south bank of the river Maas.
The Penthouse stands on 23 columns, special attention having been paid to the feet to enhance the floating effect. The main core of Las Palmas stitches together old and new elements, lending stability to the whole. A large goods lift in this core ascends to a roof terrace lying below the volume of the roof structure and containing 14 parking places. Above, the white volume opens up to the north and south with storey-height butt-jointed glazing. Both directions offer an unimpeded view of the river, the Rijnhaven harbour basin and the shorelines of the city beyond. The Penthouse acts as an eye-catcher anchoring the refurbished Las Palmas in the skyline of Wilhelmina Pier.
Client
OBR OntwikkelingsBedrijf Rotterdam and OVG Projectontwikkeling
Architect
Benthem Crouwel Architekten
Gross floor area
2.350 m²
Start design
2003
Start construction
2006
Completion
2008
Source:Benthem Crouwel Architekten
