New Luxor Theater

The peninsula in the Rotterdam harbor district of Kop van Zuid is closer to Manhattan than to a traditional European city. The historical footprint was completely erased after German bombing during World War II, allowing construction to begin as it did in the days when New York wasn't yet called New York and belonged to the Dutch. The construction boom in Kop van Zuid began when the urban planning project by Teun Koolhaase was approved in 1987, reportedly inspired by London’s Docklands. However, I would look for inspiration even further back. Since 1873, a regular line departed from Wilhelminapier on Kop van Zuid to America, and at the end of the peninsula, there lies the historic building of the Hotel New York. In 1996, the Erasmus Bridge connected the city center with the southern bank, and construction work in the harbor could fully commence. Foster, Piano, Mecanoo, de Architekten Cie, Kraaijvanger & Urbis, and EEA constructed one-hundred-meter skyscrapers here, with others (one even reaching 300 meters) on the drawing board. However, the human and cultural scale remained intact. Next to a small gem by Korteknie & Stuhlmacher and a historic building by Van den Broek & Bakema, the new Luxor theater by the German architectural firm Bolles + Wilson joined in 2001, which won with its unconventional design over five other invited architects. During the public presentation of the competition projects, the audience chose the project of the home OMA. However, the realization was entrusted to Peter Wilson.
The musical theater, designed for 1520 spectators, wraps 360º around the entire building with a single facade that is meant to resemble the wooden ships docked in the harbor with its horizontal slats. The building has no main or secondary facade, no front or back, no more or less important parts. The delivery area was given the same care as the shining tower with the inscription "Luxor." The bulging western facade is as interesting as the painted eastern side. Behind the warped tomato-colored facade, its authors continued their sculptural play inside. The specifics of the assignment gave rise to both a landscape and intimate dimension of the interior. Giant ramps serve for pleasant strolling, and despite its size, the hall feels personal. However, the strongly sculptural expression does not overlook the functional aspect. One-fifth of the total budget went to the backstage facilities. Since foreign companies primarily perform at Luxor, the theater management relinquished workshops and large storage of props. It had to be perfectly resolved to supply the visiting theater groups. It is thus not a problem to get three giant trucks close to the stage at the same time. Driving down the Luxor delivery ramp is slowly becoming a dream for every truck driver. Even more attention was given to the generous entrance for theater visitors and the intermission areas (foyer Rhine and foyer Maas). A slightly dramatic concept for the interior spaces offers breathtaking views. Rotterdam's Manhattan has thus gained its very own Broadway.