The Erasmus University College, beautifully located at the Nieuwemarkt in the centre of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, is now officially in use.
The former municipal library from 1924, a free interpretation of the ‘Amsterdamse School’ style, was designed by the city architect D.B. Logemann, with Art Deco sculptures on the facades by J.P.H. van Lunteren and stained glass windows by J.W. Gidding. It is one of only a few buildings that has survived the bombardment of the city centre in May 1940.
The restoration and transformation design by Erick van Egeraat was developed according to the principles of the Venice Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites. The architect reveals and restores the exceptional beauty of this building, with its generous decorations, coffered ceilings, wood paneling, natural stone elements, sculptures and stained glass that had all been fully concealed behind gypsum board walls and lowered ceilings for decades. The building boasts one of the first reinforced concrete structures in The Netherlands, which is fully intact and integrated into the new educational building. In addition to restoration works, the architect adds suitable, but decidedly contemporary elements to make this a faculty that meets the design brief and contemporary standards. The core of the building has an elegant atrium with glass walls, and with new glass elevators, to allow daylight to penetrate the building. A fully glazed new floor is added within the existing envelope, for additional workspaces and offices. The functionalist structure of the former book depository could not be kept, but has been emphasized in the new design with a customized light design.
The Erasmus University College (5000 m2) is a subtle transformation that allows this monument to be re-activated, and adds a magnificent asset to the Erasmus University and the city of Rotterdam. It fits in a long line of both transformation projects and education buildings designed by Erick van Egeraat. Other education buildings nearing completion are the Paulinum Building for the Leipzig University, and the Sberbank Corporate University just outside Moscow, Russia.