The Vertical High Tech Campus
Esthablishing a new economical identity in the densified city center of Rotterdam
J.W.L. van den Heuvel (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
J.M. van Zalingen – Mentor (TU Delft - History, Form & Aesthetics)
J.P.G. Holst – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Teachers of Practice / AE+T)
H. Smidihen – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - History, Form & Aesthetics)
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Abstract
Since the neoliberal implementation in the government plans of Rotterdam in 1987, the vision of the city changed quite radically. A decade before the change, the city rejected high-rise buildings. But since this new vision, called ‘Nieuw Rotterdam’, got approved, Rotterdam implemented a high-rise vision which made the city as it is today; defined by a modern character and full of high-rise buildings, at least for Dutch standards. Yet, this high-rise implementation is only a small attribution of the conducted vision that was established in the late previous century. Neoliberal implementation goes further than merely implementing American-like high-rise buildings. It concerns the economics; particularly the liberation of the market and the multinational business trend that defines the contemporary economical appearances of both city and country. Since the drastic changes in city vision, Rotterdam opened up its borders and adopted a desire for foreign business, to upgrade their economical game and compete against the economic prosperity of other cities. Rotterdam therefore changed quite radically since Nieuw Rotterdam was practically implemented. Its buildings grew, its habitants grew and it became a popular place for tourists. In the Netherlands, Rotterdam is known today for their rich modern architecture and its modern appearance. However, the aspect of business, is less thriving. While it started to aim at welcoming more foreign business about thirty years ago, Rotterdam today is still struggling to find and welcome foreign companies and multinational business into its city. One of the primary reasons for this, is that both the city centre and its economical heart of the RCD, lacks an economical identity. Rotterdam did have its identity of the industry and the port, yet the neoliberal growth and privatization of those instances led to the translocation outside the city centre. In addition to this, the economic sector of industry became less favourable, since the tertiary sector of a business service economy predominates a neoliberal oriented city. The project of the Vertical High Tech Campus explores the promising economical sector of high tech in combination with its research and business aspects in an urban environment as a step towards providing a new economic identity for the city of Rotterdam.