From port area to an accessible and open green space for Rotterdammers
For the development of the quarantine site, Mei has set up a transformation framework as a basis for the Master Plan. The national monument ensemble forms the foundation of the spatial framework. Together with BVR, the historical and landscape structure has been defined, within which new additions and expansions are subtly incorporated.
Project info
Status
In development
Historical context
Well hidden in the Port of Rotterdam lies the Quarantine Area, a green oasis with artistic installations and old brick barracks. It’s a special spot in Rotterdam, and not without reason. In 1934, the site was established as a quarantine location where infected sailors could be dropped off before their ship entered the Rotterdam port. Nowadays, it’s a free-spirited place owned by Port of Rotterdam and has been a national monument since 2010. A few dozen enviable artists live and work here.
The Quarantine site is located on an isolated peninsula on the southern bank of the Maas, next to RDM and near the village of Heijplaat. Together with BVR advisors, Mei is exploring ways to give this old quarantine facility a new purpose as a place to work and relax, a self-sufficient island, an accessible and open green spot for the people of Rotterdam.
Construction process
The site on the Beneden Heijplaat was considered a suitable location, not just because of its direct location on the Maas, but also because of its proximity to the center of Rotterdam, in connection with the supply of staff and goods.
The government was closely involved in setting up the facility because this location was also meant to become the main headquarters for the Netherlands. Construction plans were therefore submitted to the National Building Service. The advice given was to design buildings for long-term use, rather than semi-permanent quality, which had often been the case until then. This resulted in Rotterdam being one of the few facilities in the world with stone buildings instead of wooden barracks. As a result, Rotterdam has one of the few remaining intact quarantine facilities.
