Rotterdam's Grand Experiment With Architecture That Mutates Over Time
Can architecture be future-proof? OMA reckons so and has created a mutable behemoth that combines offices, housing, retail, and more.
There's no shortage of grand gestures in high-profile buildings tailored like a bespoke suit for a specific client and function. Once the original tenant moves out, however, the structures are often gutted—which is expensive—or demolished—which is taxing on the environment. In designing Rotterdam's new city hall—dubbed the Timmerhuis—the Office for Metropolitan Architecture opted for a multi-purpose approach. Intended to be future-proof, the pixelated mixed-use structure can morph over time, demonstrating a new paradigm for sustainable urban design.