Ideals in Stone

In the video series "Ideals in Stone," OPEN Rotterdam reveals the motives with which Rotterdam has been built over the centuries. Who makes the city? With which ideals? What are the parallels between past and present?

The second episode examines the origins of high-rise housing in Rotterdam. And it examines what we can learn from pioneer Willem van Tijen, who designed the first residential flats in the Netherlands. His vision will be compared with the vision behind building high-rise housing today.
In order to map out the high-rise housing of today, various developers and architects of recent projects such as Fenix I, the Groene Kaap, the Zalmhavenentoren and SAWA will be spoken to.

According to Robert Winkel, it is crucial not to leave change to the market, but to do it yourself. For the realization of SAWA, he therefore founded Nice Developers alongside his architectural firm Mei architects and planners, together with associate Mark Compeer.

We think it is very important to show the coming generation that these kinds of buildings can be made. (...) If you really want to make that improvement with housing and the environment around it, you have to do it yourself.

Watch the entire episode at OPEN Rotterdam: openrotterdam.nl/the-emergence-of-high-rise-housing-in-rotterdam-in-a-new-ideals-in-stone