Mecanoo was commissioned to renovate the interior of the Beurs-World Trade Center (WTC), one of Rotterdam’s modernist architecture masterpieces. Designed by J.F.Staal in 1940, the WTC began as a stronghold of trade and industry, later acquiring the WTC tower at the centre of the complex in 1986.
While this addition brought new energy to the building, it also damaged the interior. Many original details disappeared under plasterboard panels, layers of paint, canopies and zigzagged facade elements. The design removed these additions to accentuate the original features of the WTC.
The proposal also revitalises the ground floor retail gallery. The unique round and gently curved roof of the old cafe, the former meeting room in the Chamber of Commerce, and the trusses in the old trading hall are restored to their former glory.
Additionally, the combination of steel and glass regains prominence. Smooth, white walls ensure greater unity throughout the spaces, creating a new, business-like atmosphere.
The ten old entrances are replaced by one new central lobby. Views were opened to the central city boulevard from the entrance hall without damage to the original sections of the building.
A temporary pavilion known as Digital Port Rotterdam was designed for a section of the trading hall, hosting workshops focusing on the application of ICT in business. Various atmospheres throughout the spaces were achieved via the strategic use of luminescent materials, light, image and sound.