Rooftop

From Willem de Kooning we have been commissioned to design a rooftop at the shopping centre of Zuidplein. It is a very large roof of 45,000 m2 which is also very full of solar panels, skylights, and ventilation grilles. I wanted to create my concept around all these elements.

When I started designing my rooftop, I wrote down a few things that are important for my design. It is an open roof for the public, where people come together and walk across the entire roof in a flowing line in a logical walking route. It was therefore important to me that every corner on the roof is interesting again so that people walk the entire route and don’t turn back halfway. An important element in my design is the use of light. Both during the day and in the evening, you follow a flow of light or shadow over the roof. You follow the light, and the light follows you.

I use the light in different ways. During the day, this is the sun of which I use the shadow as a result. In the evening these are different elements. The path is formed by a wooden platform. In the evening some of these planks light up and show you the way. You are guided further by luminous strips in a smooth movement that you can easily follow to the next goal.

The most important thing about my concept is that you don't have to think about the route, and you can comfortably walk on the roof.

You can also walk comfortably on the roof if you feel safe, for example there are narrowed passages in some places so that you do not notice the expansive roof for a while.

Height differences on the rooftop

Stain plan

Goal plan

Moodboard

Sketches

End result: