Lifeguard house, Rotterdam
Client municipality of Rotterdam
Commissioned by the municipality of Rotterdam, we made a design for the lifeguard house at the city-beach in Rotterdam.
The lifeguard is there to protect bathers. In our design this protective function is clearly visible. Two spaces are clearly present, as seen from the beach: the first aid and the office of the lifeguard. These two spaces contrast against the bright, cozy facade of the rest of the building. We have been inspired by the famous beach huts on one hand and the typical image of Rotterdam stacked containers on the other.
We came up with a compact building. Given the character and function of the building, the exterior is just as important. Therefore, we included the exterior space within the main volume. The areas of first aid and lifeguard -the protective functions- are pushed out. Thus the people of the first aid (bottom) and the lifeguard (on top) have a wide view over the beach. Also, the lifeguard has a wide view from the terrace outside. For swimmers, it is clear that they are protected by the two volumes with the big windows.
The variation in use during the seasons is clearly recognizable in the pavilion. In summertime the shutters create two entrances. At the end of the season, the building can be closed completely. The typical multiple colors of sea containers and beach architecture is reflected in the wooden facades. These colors make the building recognizable and cheerfull.