Construction starts on The Modernist, providing 421 homes and 12,750 square metres of office space opposite Rotterdam Central Station

Construction has started on the MVRDV-designed complex The Modernist opposite Rotterdam Central Station. The 60,000-square-metre complex contains a total of 421 apartments, 12,750 square metres of offices, and a plinth with commercial spaces and a passage through the building. The Modernist is the third and final phase of the redevelopment of the Weenapoint by Maarsen Groep. With this addition Rotterdam’s Central District, which is currently dominated by office buildings, will be given a more mixed urban character.

On December 6th, Chantal Zeegers, Rotterdam’s Alderman for Climate, Construction, and Housing, signalled the start of construction in a ceremony at the site. The complex on Kruisplein will form a recognisable city entrance from Rotterdam Central Station with its inviting plinth and residential towers. The plinth of the building will feature a passage through its centre that offers a new, easy access to the renovated inner courtyard of the Weenapoint that is publicly accessible to everyone. The ground and first floor of the plinth will house restaurants, a café, co-working spaces, offices, and a fitness studio, while the remaining four floors of the plinth host office space. Multiple entrances help to connect all spaces to the street level, including the passage and the lobby of the adjacent FIRST Rotterdam building on the Weena. These connections create a lively ground floor, including outside office hours.

The Modernist increases the number of residents in the Rotterdam Central District, in an area mostly comprising office buildings in the direct vicinity of Rotterdam Central. The two residential towers contain 421 apartments. At the top of the south tower there are 88 owner-occupied apartments. The remaining apartments in both towers comprise 175 standard rental properties and 158 rental properties available at below-market rates for middle-income residents. The apartments vary from 45 to 120 square metres, of which the majority have 1 to 2 bedrooms, and 88 per cent of the apartments have an outdoor space in the form of a loggia or a roof terrace on top of the plinth.

A striking aspect of the design are the so-called “sun cuts” – recesses in the towers that allow extra sunlight at street level on the Kruisplein. These recesses are determined by the high-rise regulations of Rotterdam, which designate ‘sun spots’ in the public space where new buildings may not cast additional shadows at specific times of the day. The design by MVRDV creates a physical expression of this combined data on the urban landscape and local regulations.

At 125 metres, the south tower provides a counterpart to the Millennium Tower opposite. The north tower, at 70 metres, is lower and narrower, allowing as many apartments as possible in both residential towers to have a view of the Kruisplein and Central Station. The project has a single-level underground garage with a limited number of 59 parking spaces, while there are several spacious bicycle sheds at street level. This encourages residents and other users of The Modernist to use bicycles or public transport instead of the car.

“The Modernist refers to the reconstruction architecture of Rotterdam”, says MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs. “The clear volumes and the raised plinth refer to the buildings around the nearby Lijnbaan. In this way, The Modernist gives a first impression of the city when you arrive at Rotterdam Central Station.”

“The Modernist, with its distinctive architecture, will strengthen the gateway to our vibrant city centre”, says Alderman Chantal Zeegers. “The launch of this project also marks the beginning of new developments in the Rotterdam Central District. In this dynamic area around the central station, a total of 4,000 homes and 100,000 square metres of office space will be realised. Together with other projects, The Modernist contributes to the positive growth of our city.”

“We are extremely proud to be realising The Modernist”, says Monique Maarsen, CEO of Maarsen Groep. “This milestone has been made possible through intensive collaboration with the Municipality of Rotterdam, Stebru, and our partners ASR, NLV, and Rabobank. With 421 homes and modern office spaces, we are making a significant contribution to the development of Rotterdam Central District as a mixed-use urban centre. The Paris-proof offices, which we will retain in our portfolio, especially illustrate our commitment to quality and sustainability. We are already in talks with several parties regarding the office space.”

The Modernist is a design by MVRDV for developer Maarsen Groep. This is the final phase of the redevelopment of the Weenapoint, which previously included the construction of the FIRST Rotterdam building, the transformation of Weena 750, and the renovation of the courtyard and the listed building Koepelgebouw. Maarsen Groep has selected Stebru as the main contractor for the realisation of The Modernist. All homes have been developed with an A+++ energy label, while the offices have been certified BREEAM-NL Excellent and will be delivered with an A++++ energy label. Completion of The Modernist is expected for the end of 2028.

See more of The Modernist here.