BP Rotterdam Refinery, NL
BP Winner of the Public Award, Rotterdam Architectuurprijs 2011 and nominated for the Daylight Award 2012. Publication in Jaarboek Architectuur In Nederland 2011/12.
As youngest and largest oil refinery in The Netherlands, BP RR exposes a powerful dynamism which is reflected in their offices, situated safely in close proximity to the oil refinery. It was the aim of GROUP A to design a building that expresses the objectives of the company, including providing a sustainable, safe and healthy working environment for the staff.
The site along the d'Arcyweg-area is located in the transition zone between the industrial landscape of refineries and the Brielsemeer directly across the Hartel Canal. The key position is situated in the prominent curve of the A15 motorway. The underlying landscape vision envisages the construction of a high dune body along the curve of the highway. The landscape intervention provides, together with the need to create a safe workplace against possible explosion of the oil refinery, unconventional conditions for the office building. Starting point in the design is to highlight the circumstances of the site, in both the exterior and the interior of the building. The building is on the north site nestled into the landscaped dune, while on the south side the building emerges from the dune, thereby optimising views out and the entry of natural light.
In the interior the dune is visible in a dynamic way and forms part of the work environment. An organising atrium space is cut out from the man made dune. Full of light and with changing dimensions by the undulating cutting edge to the dune side. The wall on the cutting edge is covered with timber slats that differ in color and size. And evoke an association with geological layers. The extensive use of natural materials like wood, concrete and natural stone emphasise the 'nature' and robustness of the company. The atrium is flanked by two parallel office wings. Office floors, each linked by bridges, are in open connection with each other and the atrium. Meetings take place in box-shaped volumes, pushed into the atrium as 'sky-boxes'. The entire BP RR organisation operates in one open space according to 'The New Ways of Work'. The final result is a working environment whereby landscape, building and interior literally flow into one another.