On 21 April the Central Plaza at the Weena Boulevard in the centre of Rotterdam is reopened after a thorough renovation of 6 month. The offices and parking were already renovated and completed in 2012. The complete refurbishment is achieved by GROUP A, commissioned by Unibail and Rodamco Fakton as projectmanager. The renovation of Central Plaza was announced winner of the Award Sustainable Architecture 2012.
Central Plaza was designed in 1992 by architect W. Th. Ellerman. The multi-functional development comprises besides approximately 20,000 m² office space, a parking garage, retail gallery, and residential tower. The 3,800 m² retail area is located on street level.
The objective of the large scale refurbishment of Central Plaza is to upgrade the offices and retail area to suit present and future requirements.
The overall refurbishment includes:
On the exterior, large new canopies with integrated lighting, will emphasise the entrance of both offices and retail area. The representative entrances will clearly stand out from the façade, inviting visitors to enter.
On the interior a comprehensive refurbishment of the two entrance lobbies will involve applying new natural stone floors, bamboo clad walls, and 3,5 meter transparent revolving doors. Reception areas on the individual floors will also be fitted out with bamboo clad walls and transparent lift doors, bringing in day-light. Both the shell-and-core office space, sanitary blocks, etc., will also undergo a comprehensive refurbishment.
On the interior of the retail area, floors will be provided with a new top coat, and shop fronts replaced. Signage and lighting fixtures, will be redesigned to provide orientation, atmosphere and coherency in the shopping area.
The Award for Sustainable Architecture is awarded each year by the Dutch Green Building Council. In new build, there is an award for sustainable design and sustainable use. There is also an award for sustainable renovation. The jury found Central Plaza is a good example of large-scale, sustainable renovation. After the renovation of all the installations the energy label raised from E to A.
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