After the ‘subdued’ renovation of Museum Singer Laren left major projects such as Depot Boijmans behind in the Best Building of the Year election, the Malieklos social housing project has now won the Rotterdam Architecture Prize. The jury, chaired by professor of architectural theory Lara Schrijver, makes a statement with this winner: what the city really needs are not icons, but good, affordable houses.
The Rotterdam Architecture Prize, an initiative of the Municipality of Rotterdam, is organized annually by the Architecture Institute Rotterdam. Malieklos is a residential project in the Hillesluis district and consists of 54 apartments and 32 single-family homes in the social rental sector. According to the jury, the fact that the homes are built energy-efficiently, gas-free and equipped with solar panels proves that housing corporation Woonstad ‘takes its responsibility, for both the energy issue and the residents’ wallets’. The corporation is involved as a client in five of the ten nominated projects.
According to the jury, the true strength of the complex, designed by the architectural firm DP6, lies ‘in the inescapable quality of the architectural expression’. For example, the facade openings have been given a subtle curve, and openwork ‘Brazilian’ masonry provides ventilation and a beautiful light in the stairwell.
eye catcher
‘Of course we considered the Depot’, says jury chairperson Lara Schrijver about the choice of the winner. ‘You can’t ignore it, it’s a huge eye-catcher – beautifully made too. But it’s not what we need most right now.’ In the jury report, the assessment of the Depot refers to ‘a certain decadence’. ‘The major themes that are currently playing a role are the climate crisis and the housing crisis, whereby the gap between homeowners and tenants is growing and the question arises how to keep the city inclusive,’ explains Schrijver. “We now need all the design power to address those issues.”
Opposite the grand buildings for which Rotterdam is known, the small-scale housing project Malieklos shows how you can add quality to the living environment by building on the existing city and using existing (masonry) techniques. This is due to the precise urban planning integration, the beautifully masonry facades and details such as the planters and benches at the entrance. ‘And that with a limited housing budget, in a neighborhood where there is a major renewal task,’ says Schrijver.
Malieklos is located in South Rotterdam, where many neighborhoods are struggling with socio-economic problems and outdated homes. According to the jury, the project shows how the appearance of housing can have a positive effect on the environment. The street is shining again, the opposite playground has blossomed. Schrijver hopes that the use of architecture will generate more attention for a district of the city that has been ignored for a long time. She points out that it is precisely when building with limited budgets that ‘you need creativity to make something special’. The second prize is for Welschen 2, the transformation of an Overschiese reconstruction neighborhood. The public chose Depot Boijmans as the winner.