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Architects: Barcode Architects
Lead Architects: Dirk Peters and Caro van de Venne
General Contractor: SBB Ontwikkelen en Bouwen
Client: VOF Wijnhaven 65
Photographers: Hans Wilschut
A triangular residential tower has risen in Rotterdam's Maritime District: CasaNova. The 110-meter-high tower forms an ensemble with The Muse on the adjacent plot. With CasaNova - and The Muse – the architect is working on a new generation of high-rise buildings that combine a distinctive living experience with stimulating social interaction between residents. CasaNova features a striking design. Volume has been cut away below and added above so that the building seems to balance on a pedestal like a sculpture.
The unusual shape offers CasaNova's residents a unique living experience with spectacular 300-degree views of the city. The slender volume also creates optimal sightlines and daylight in the surrounding buildings and space for a 1,600m² roof garden where CasaNova and The Muse residents can meet. Around the roof garden - the collective heart of both buildings - is a gym, co-working spaces, a large kitchen that residents can rent, and even hotel rooms that can be reserved for guests.
These shared functions are not only economically efficient but also create liveliness. The Muse and CasaNova are connected and reinforce each other. CasaNova fits seamlessly into the high-city environment. Its all-sided design and recognizable volume give a new impetus to the Wijnhaven area, which is transforming from an anonymous office district to a full-fledged part of the city center. Hand-cut panels of the red-brown natural stone give the tower an artisanal and warm character. Towards the top of the tower, the panels have increasingly wider, smooth-polished flattenings. The elements reflect the sunlight, creating a changing appearance during the day and making the top appear to merge with the sky.