Robaver/Donner
Europe, Netherlands, Zuid Holland, Rotterdam, Coolsingel, Donner (slightly cut from all sides).
The brick façade on display here belongs to the former Rotterdamsche Bankvereeniging (Robaver, later merged into ABN/AMRO) in the centre of Rotterdam.
It was designed in ‘tranditionalist modern’ style (reinforced concrete skeleton) (by H.F. Mertens and was the first major (re-)construction project in the city centre of Rotterdam after its destruction in May 1940 (WW2). Construction was started in 1941, but due to the general war-construction freeze, it was only completed in 1949.
The building wasn't well received. For instance, one of the Rotterdam newspaper wrote: “It was an unforgivable mistake by the designer of the new city plan to allow a bank building in a place where it is possible to turn the Coolsingel into a lifeless street at night. As lively as the Coolsingel may become in the future, this building will remain an ugly, dark place in the evening cityscape and even during the day it will prevent a smooth transition from shoppers to the Binnenweg and vice versa.” (Het Vrije Volk 11-12-1952)
The bottom level of the buildings is now used by the large bookstore Donner. The building is currently being incorporated in the Forum redevelopment plan.
This is number 521 of Rotterdam architecture and 923 of Minimalism / explicit Graphism.
Robaver/Donner
Europe, Netherlands, Zuid Holland, Rotterdam, Coolsingel, Donner (slightly cut from all sides).
The brick façade on display here belongs to the former Rotterdamsche Bankvereeniging (Robaver, later merged into ABN/AMRO) in the centre of Rotterdam.
It was designed in ‘tranditionalist modern’ style (reinforced concrete skeleton) (by H.F. Mertens and was the first major (re-)construction project in the city centre of Rotterdam after its destruction in May 1940 (WW2). Construction was started in 1941, but due to the general war-construction freeze, it was only completed in 1949.
The building wasn't well received. For instance, one of the Rotterdam newspaper wrote: “It was an unforgivable mistake by the designer of the new city plan to allow a bank building in a place where it is possible to turn the Coolsingel into a lifeless street at night. As lively as the Coolsingel may become in the future, this building will remain an ugly, dark place in the evening cityscape and even during the day it will prevent a smooth transition from shoppers to the Binnenweg and vice versa.” (Het Vrije Volk 11-12-1952)
The bottom level of the buildings is now used by the large bookstore Donner. The building is currently being incorporated in the Forum redevelopment plan.
This is number 521 of Rotterdam architecture and 923 of Minimalism / explicit Graphism.