Powerhouse Company reshapes Rotterdam with floating office and supertall Rise tower
Rotterdam serves as a European laboratory for urban regeneration, and Powerhouse Company, founded in 2005, is a key player. The firm integrates architecture, engineering, development, and construction through its spinoff RED Company. Its Floating Office in Rijnhaven, built for the Global Center on Adaptation, is a self-sufficient manifesto: a wooden structure on 20 concrete caissons, with 900 sqm of photovoltaic panels producing 110–115% of energy needs and a heat-exchange system using port water. The BaanTower, under construction, offers rental apartments with shared amenities. Rise, set for completion by 2027, will be one of Europe's tallest residential complexes at 280 meters, combining social housing, private residences, hotel, and offices. Early projects like Villa 1 (nominated for the 2008 Mies van der Rohe Award) and Villa B in Monaco established the studio's integrated design approach. The Codrico Terrain redevelopment further exemplifies their urban vision.
Key facts
- Powerhouse Company was founded in 2005.
- The Floating Office in Rijnhaven houses the Global Center on Adaptation.
- The Floating Office uses 20 concrete caissons and a wooden superstructure.
- 900 sqm of photovoltaic panels produce 110–115% of the building's energy.
- BaanTower is currently under construction with rental apartments and shared amenities.
- Rise will be 280 meters tall and completed by 2027.
- Villa 1 was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award in 2008.
- RED Company was created a decade after Powerhouse Company's founding.
Entities
Artists
- Stefan Prins
Institutions
- Powerhouse Company
- RED Company
- Global Center on Adaptation
- ASICS
Locations
- Rotterdam
- Netherlands
- Rijnhaven
- Monaco
- Europe