Montevideo
| Client | ING Vastgoed Ontwikkeling B.V. |
| Completion time | 1999 - 2005 |
| Market | Commercial real estate |
| Team | |
| In collaboration with | Mecanoo |
| Location | Rotterdam |
| Project scope | 57,530 m² bvo |
| Expertises | |
Using New York as an example
The urban design for the Wilhelmina Pier by Francine Houben of Mecanoo stipulated that the buildings yet to be developed should be designed as vertical cities. Metropolitan objects – such as endless rows of balconies – were prohibited. The Montevideo tower has become a sleek and detailed tower, inspired by New York skyscrapers.
Structural design
The top three floors form a penthouse with a swimming pool. Additionally, the building houses various office spaces, retail spaces, and hospitality venues.
Up to the 27th floor, the building consists of an in-situ concrete structure. The upper layers are supported by a steel structure, allowing for flexible layout options. The Montevideo also features a two-level underground parking garage.
By incorporating steel in parts of the construction, the building is not only more flexible in terms of layout but also lighter. As a result, the building could be founded on the first sand layer, making its construction more cost-effective.
Three components
The tower consists of three components, both programmatically and structurally, that align with its function. The ground floor and the first two levels are kept as open as possible structurally. Strong steel is used for the columns, and the concrete core and braces provide stability. Stability is now achieved through diagonally placed steel profiles directly behind the facade; the so-called facade tube structure.
Of course, designing three different construction principles also meant that bridging structures had to be developed. For this purpose, heavy beams were developed, composed of plates with a maximum thickness available in S355 quality.
Montevideo Rotterdam was a finalist for the International Highrise Award in 2006.
Images © Luuk Kramer, Cor van Eldik, and Marcel van Kerckhoven
