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Stretch

Project specification: Bachelor graduation project
Client: TU Delft
Description: Design a sportcomplex at the Schiehaven in Rotterdam and
integrate the building ‘The nieuwe Maaskant’ into the design
Time: 10 weeks
Role: Architect

‘Strek’ is derived from ‘Rekken en strekken’ and 'strekmetaal'. This refers to the building as sportcenter and the material used for the façade.

In Dutch expanded metal is written as ‘strekmetaal’. The material creates an interplay between raugh (metal) and light (the openness of the material), whereby daylight comes into the sportcentre, blocks direct sun, creates a visible activity from the outside and maintains the privacy of the sporters. Thereby ‘strek’ refers to the function of the building. ‘Rekken en strekken’ means ‘stretching’ and is closely connected to sport.
The sportcenter is located at the Schiehaven in Rotterdam, This area characterizes itself by her former harbor activities and the mix of current work and living spaces. This creates a combination of modern and old buildings.

The new sportcenter in combination with the old ‘Nieuwe Maaskant’ buildings suits well in this identity. During the design, the microclimate, buildings construction and the capacity structure where the most important aspects. This is all integrated by using sustainable materials and solutions to maintain the functionality of the building. Besides, the building is located outside the dyke of Rotterdam. This means that water and wind are very important topics to maintain the quality in and around the building.
This results in a building that is divided into 4 blocks on top of each other, whereby ‘The Nieuwe Maaskant’ is integrated in these blocks. The blocks create a diverse outlook and give the possibility to divide the mechanical systems. By using the same palette of materials, the blocks together form a coherent building.