Urban context

The new production hall of the Huisman Equipment firm is an important part of the urban context of Schiedam. Due to its size and height, the hall is immediately visible from both water and land, occupying a prominent place. The striking scene of the banks in the port of Rotterdam, with colossal and abstract shapes of large cranes and installations, was determining in the architectural design of the exterior of the production hall. At night, an almost abstract image of thousands of lights without a recognizable pattern arises. These observations served as an inspiration for the design of the production hall of the Huisman Equipment firm in Schiedam. Despite the extraordinary height of 66 meters, the aim was not to characterize the hall as a typical high-rise building. The final design is more a colossal, almost mysterious sculpture by the water than a production hall.

Design

By allowing the cantilevered big door and its articulated sections to be the form-defining element of the exterior, the hall is given her sculptural and almost mysterious form. In the final design, each element of the door has been given a cantilever, resulting in an inclined façade. The lamella shape of the door has been extended over the whole façade. The lower part has the smallest height and the above parts become increasingly taller. To allow plenty of daylight inside, the door is covered with translucent material. During the day this allows daylight into the hall. In the evening the show of lights is reversed and a nice glow shines outwards. Due to this, the hall takes a prominent place in its surroundings, both during the day as well as in the evening.

Project: 515