Architecture

Rolf.fr Studio: renovation of an old building in Rotterdam

Studio Rolf rotterdam-01
Rolf.fr Studio: renovation of an old building in Rotterdam it has been modified: 2023-09-01 di Benedetto Fiori

La reconstruction by the Studio Rolf.fr of an old building Rotterdam transforming it into a home+studio led to an architectural spectacle experimenting with space and time. 

The new metal window frames protruding in places form a stark contrast to the existing black painted facade and the old windows which have also been painted black heralding a new era and a completely different way of living and working. Inside, all the floors and walls have been removed, reducing the interior into one large communication space. Just like in the facade traces of the past are visible everywhere inside. On the walls an old railing and holes of wooden floors, beams, to reveal the subdivision of the previous house. The new house has a completely new interior arrangement.

In the center is a wooden clapboard construction which forms a huge, sculptural element, also functions as a shaft for wiring and plumbing, finds its way through the interior complex upwards, and with its distinctive shape , penetrates and marks the communication of the spaces between the four walls of the historic building thus, together with the new floors, they form open living spaces. 

All unnecessary or redundant elements: staircase, balustrade, balcony, fences, railings and doors have been left out to achieve the highest possible level of spatial abstraction. Floors, walls, stairs and ceilings merge and sometimes seem to evoke something impossible as in Escher's paintings. The ground floor of the house contains a large workshop on the inside and a bamboo garden on the outside. 

Above, a semi-open space has been created for living, cooking and eating, sleeping, a bathroom and walk-in closet. On the upper level, on the roof, the old tiles have been removed to make way for a greenhouse. The plants however are outside on the terrace, while in the conservatory there is a hot tub which gives an amazing view over Rotterdam while bathing.

The facade was designed in collaboration with Zecc Architects

You Might Also Like