The former Hudson’s Bay/V&D building, located at the head of the Koopgoot in Rotterdam, will be transformed into “AIR,” a sustainable mixed-use building. VolkerWessels company Visser & Smit Bouw has signed the construction agreement for the redevelopment. NEOO acted as delegated developer on behalf of the owners: Angelo Gordon, Schröders Capital, and NEOO.
This redevelopment presents a complex inner-city challenge, addressing issues of renovation, construction logistics, and leasing flexibility. Following a phase of construction team planning and preparation, the agreement was signed with Visser & Smit Bouw. The company is responsible for the structural construction and coordination of the separately contracted installation contractors: A. de Jong Installatietechniek (mechanical), Steegman Elektrotechniek (electrical), De Groot Installatiegroep (sprinkler systems), Piet Noordzij (sanitary), and ThyssenKrupp (elevators). Construction has already commenced, and the project is expected to be delivered in the fall of 2023.
The building will be transformed from a department store into “AIR,” an outward-facing, highly sustainable, mixed-use building with BREEAM Excellent and WELL Gold certifications. It will feature two floors of retail spaces, including tenants such as Jumbo and C&A, alongside a public bicycle parking facility.
The top five floors will house spacious offices under the name AIR Offices, offering large floor plates and high ceilings. To accommodate this new office function, the existing round rooftop structure will be removed, and the building will be topped with three additional floors, including a parking deck and rooftop pavilion. After redevelopment, the building will have a total gross floor area of approximately 36,000 m².
