A complete renovation on the city centre
01:
The Opportunity
Smack dab in the Rotterdam’s city centre, close to the famous Market Hall, the office building at Blaak16 has undergone a complete renovation.
02:
The solution
The very dated, dilapidated building had a heavy, closed façade. The aim was to turn this into a high quality, sustainable building.
For this transformation, the building was completely stripped down to the concrete frame. The entry hall was drastically enlarged and heightened through the removal of floor elements. The exterior has a new transparent façade and a completely new, comfor-table climate control system has been installed. Each floor has been made rental-ready, with new ceilings, lighting and installations.
03:
The Result
The top floor has been entirely dedicated to the building installations. Through installation of a more efficient climate control system, the space required for building mechanicals has been halved. Now the top floor has very high ceilings, making it a won-derful location for meetings and gatherings. At the same time, the roof has been made accessible and can be used as a terrace with a breathtaking view of Rotterdam.
The materialisation accentuates the existing volumes and provides lots of light on the work floors. The architecture ties into that of the surrounding historic buildings of Zuidblaak and the modern high-rise buildings around the Wijn-haven. The sustainability ambition for the renovation was high. Both BREEAM Excellent and Well certificates were awarded.
Meet the team
Jeffrey van der Wees
Senior Interior Architect (EMEA Grade - Senior Surveyor)
Utrecht, The Netherlands
Related Services
Project Development Services
Whether you are an occupier or a real estate investor, working with a single asset or an international portfolio, we support you with an extensive range of Project & Development Services.
Learn More
Interior and Office Design Consulting
The place for all your high-end interior and office design needs.
Learn More
Total Workplace
For employees today the workplace experience is increasingly important. It’s no longer just about the pay and benefits.
Learn More
Stories
Ruimtebehoefte
Structural trends and developments such as digitalisation, scarcity economy and institutionalisation of sustainability, which gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic, have major implications for the work function.
Learn More
INSIGHTS
MarketBeat
Cushman & Wakefield’s Marketbeat reports provide a detailed quarterly analysis of the Dutch commercial real estate market. Covering the office, retail, industrial & logistics, and living sectors, the reports offer insights into supply, demand, and pricing trends at both market and submarket levels.
Jos Hesselink • 16/07/2025
Insights
In the podcast series "The Value Of..." several Cushman & Wakefield commercial real estate experts discuss what they value.
29/03/2022