“It is rightly called Lumière, as a beacon of light and space.”

On the website of the Lumièretoren.nl you can read an interesting interview with Vincent Panhuysen, founding partner, and Aldo Trim, managing architect. They talk about the connection with the monumental environment, how Lumière will play a role in the greening of the city and the many functions of this new iconic building.

Part of the interview can be read below.

Can you tell us more about the concept behind Lumière?

Aldo: “It will be a building of mixed functions right in the centre of the city. On this location you can enjoy a diverse programme; a place where you can sleep, work and have fun. This makes the Lumière project very special compared to other Dutch towers. The interesting thing is that it was originally Maaskant's idea to deal with the surroundings in this way. Maaskant envisioned that people work, live and experience in the same place. We are continuing this vision in this plan."

Vincent: “Historically, the Kruiskade has been a very important street in Rotterdam. In fact, it is one of the oldest streets in the city. It is the street of culture and entertainment, with the Old Luxor theater as an example. Naturally, the Lumière cinema was located here, on which the name of the building is based. It is the only street in Rotterdam Centre that has retained its shape after the bombing. After the rebuilding of the city, Kruiskade fell behind on the rest of the new centre. Gradually it has regained its ambiance, but there are still many more opportunities.”

“Maaskant wanted to turn the Kruiskade into a street where all functions can be mixed together. You can see that in the City House; shopping combined with working and living. That way you get a dynamic metropolis."

What will Lumière look like? And how does Lumière fit into the surroundings in terms of design?

Aldo: “The tower itself stands tall in the city and will have a place in the Rotterdam skyline. It gradually fans out towards the foot, where Lumière really finds its place in the location and the immediate surroundings. It stands with one foot on the Kruiskade, with the main entrance facing the atrium. An important factor is the connection with the monumental surroundings. At the bottom at the base, the building fragments and takes on the recognizable architecture that matches the rebuilding of Rotterdam. In this way it fits in nicely with the Kruiskade, such as the Hilton, but also the City House and all other buildings around it. Those buildings all have a certain structure that was typical of the fifties and sixties.”

“On the one hand, Lumière is an abstract, metropolitan building, but near the bottom it becomes more and more refined. This creates beautiful terraces, patios and a large green passage that is very generous and offers access to the existing courtyard. The houses have a lot of outdoor space and residents can enjoy a generous ceiling height, which is special in a high-rise project. You don't see that very often. The houses have recessed balconies, they have a certain depth effect.”

Vincent: “We are going to position the building in such a way that a lot of light remains everywhere and everything remains clearly visible and the surrounding buildings remain in their values. The spatial quality transforms from an expedition courtyard to a pleasant place to stay. The Lijnbaanhof will remain accessible to the public and there will be more to experience.”

How is space created?

Aldo: “The City House will play an important role in the experience at street level. Now the City House has opened shops on the Kruiskade. Manhave intends to open the shops to the court as well, on the other side. Both Lumière and the City House will give the old Lijnbaanhof an impulse, with quality of life, shops and restaurants. In this way, the City House, the Lijnbaanflat and Lumière will really create a new space.”

Read the rest of the interview with KAAN Architecten on the Lumière website (currently only in Dutch).