The historical heart of Katendrecht has been renovated and made more sustainable in recent years. Elements from the 19th and 20th century Rechthuislaan and Tolhuislaan were highlighted. Additionally, a new 21st-century layer was added. The social rental homes have been preserved, and there are also DIY homes and new owner-occupied homes.

The professional jury of the Rotterdam Architecture Prize (RAP) particularly admires how this project interacts with both the social fabric of multiple generations of Katendrechters and the physical fabric of streets and buildings. This is being frugal with Rotterdam, said the jury.

Environmental Park + De HER: More than an Environmental Park

The public chose Environmental Park + De HER in Overschie. This consists of an environmental park and circular center De HER. The environmental park is almost entirely built with reused materials. The basis of the building is a former laboratory of TNO, which has been rebuilt in Rotterdam. Various materials have been reused, such as bricks, bottles, and parts of old washing machines.

At the environmental park, Rotterdammers can leave items and materials at the Sharing Square. Entrepreneurs in De HER then use these materials to create new products or to conduct research into circular production. Thus, Environmental Park + De HER is an inspiring place where reuse and innovation come together.

Also Awards for Keilehaven and KOER

Tidal Park Keilehaven received the second prize from the public and an honorable mention from the professional jury. Voters find it particularly important that this place brings nature back into the city: We live in a concrete jungle, any initiative that adds nature to our living environment, I wholeheartedly support, wrote one of them.

KOER, a residential block on Laan op Zuid, received the third public prize and also an honorable mention from the jury. KOER is for me the example of how new construction should be: many different housing types, surprising and beautiful appearance, reuse of materials, shared inner garden, and nature-inclusive, said one of the voters.

Rotterdam Architecture Prize

The Rotterdam Architecture Prize is an independent award aimed at stimulating and highlighting architecture in Rotterdam. It is an initiative of the municipality of Rotterdam and is organized by the Architecture Institute Rotterdam (AIR). This year there were 39 submissions. The professional jury selected 10 projects from which the public could vote for the public prize. Additionally, the professional jury chose the professional prize winner and two honorable mentions.

The jury report is available at AIR and can be viewed online at www.rotterdamarchitectuurprijs.nl. Link opens an external page. Here you can also see which designers and builders were involved in the winning projects.