MELT Rotterdam Central District

melt with me!

MELT is the design proposal for the tender for the redevelopment of the Delftseplein in Rotterdam.

MELT is a place. MELT is not just a building to live, work and spend the night, but above all a destination where people meet. The multifunctional, publicly accessible building is located right next to Central Station and is the connecting link in Rotterdam’s Central District. The 140-metre high building fits in logically between the existing buildings and contributes to Rotterdam’s urban ecology with its many building-related greenery.

The municipality of Rotterdam, together with NS and Prorail, put out the tender for the redevelopment of the Delftseplein location. Anyone standing on the Delftseplein can see the imposing architecture of the Central Station, next to it the Groothandelsgebouw and the richly detailed Central Post. A location with a lot of potential, but not yet an attractive location. The redevelopment of this place is an urban puzzle due to different interests and preconditions. A complex and challenging tender for us to participate in.

The design for MELT follows the principles of the current 2011 high-rise vision. A Rotterdam layer up to 29 metres and a narrower volume above that (mid-rise), which is further narrower from a height of 69 metres (high-rise). The design distinguishes itself by stacked functions with one central entrance to stimulate meeting. The human scale of the ground floor contrasts – through scale and rhythm – with the high-rise. MELT Hospitality (the hospitable living room) and the Grand-media café are located in the plinth. The wide, central staircase in the lobby is the pivot of the public programme in the Rotterdam layer, with a permanent mixture of people, atmospheres and activities. At the same time, the green roofs of the substructure and the central building are public and semi-public outdoor spaces.

An integral sustainability strategy has been drawn up for MELT. The design focuses on BREEAM Excellent and fits in with the sustainability ambitions of the municipality. MELT contributes to circularity in an innovative way. For example, the hotels in the mid-rise can easily be converted into small apartments. And the offices in the low-rise can be converted into homes. In addition, extra attention has been paid to energy neutrality, adaptability, smart water solutions, a mobility plan and ecologically meaningful greening.

MELT is not just a stacking of functions and programs. The limited space on the ground floor asked for a convincing solution to bring together the different flows within the building. MELT is a dynamic place where facilities, users and environment merge completely with each other.