A striking new building has been built in the Rotterdam Rijnhaven: a complex of three floating half globes. The floating bodies are made of EPS and provided with a polyurea “skin” based on hotspray products By Prokol.

Climate-proof and face-defining

Because the pavilion floats, it automatically rises with the water level. This makes the pavilion an example for climate-proof building which is on the rise in Rotterdam. The innovative pavilion unites Rotterdam’s goals to halve the emission of greenhouse gas CO2 and to keep the city climate-proof in the future.

The building will be very recognizable due to its shape and can be seen from the Erasmus Bridge. The floating pavilion is the first result of Rotterdam Climate Proof (part of the Rotterdam Climate Initiative) to build climate-proof in areas outside the dykes.

Innovative and sustainable

Rotterdam has plans to build floating urban districts. During this century, floating residential areas will become an important part of The Stadshavens. People will live, shop, work and recreate on the water.

The Rotterdam ambitions with Stadshavens consist of 1600 hectares for sustainable development. The pavilion will demonstrate the possibilities of this renewal. After five years it will be shipped and used elsewhere in Stadshavens; this flexibility makes reuse of the pavilion easier which in turn contributes to its sustainability.

Design and development

The complex is designed by the Deltasync/PublicDomain Architects design team. It was built by Dura Vermeer. There has been collaboration with various study programs of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and Albeda College.