Rotterdam pavilion : Water City

Water is an ubiquitous element in Rotterdam that dominates the city's appearance as well as the life of its residents. The 'Rotterdam Water City' pavilion is designed to demonstrate how Rotterdam incorporates water in every aspect of the city life. Being Europe's lowest point below sea level, Rotterdam is very well concerned about climate change and water management. The Dutch capital is unique in terms of the vast number of projects that are being developed and implemented with respect to climate change. Participation in the World Expo is part of the Rotterdam Climate Proof programme within the Rotterdam Climate Initiative.

The World Expo 2010 in Shanghai is an extraordinary opportunity for Rotterdam to present itself as an innovative centre of expertise concerning water and delta technology. Visiting the 'Rotterdam Water City' pavilion will be quite an experience with the spectacular demonstration of how this metropolis and world port handles flood management now and in the future, despite climate change. The Rotterdam pavilion will offer organizations, institutes and companies opportunities to build a strong international presence, particularly in the area of water and delta technology.

Rotterdam takes the view that climate change is an opportunity. Innovative applications in the area of water management combine to make the city more attractive while at the same time boosting the economy. This makes this delta metropolis an inspiring example to other delta cities. In the years to come, delta cities all over the globe will have to adjust to climate change. Rotterdam has ample experience with flood management and water management: rises in temperature, heavier downpours, and higher river and sea levels require innovative solutions in this low-lying, densely populated urban area.

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DESIGN
Central to the design by the Willem de Kooning Academie are water, climate, flood management, and innovation. There will be a life-size levee, a water plaza, green roofs, and an artificial cloud mimicking the unpredictable climate of the Netherlands. Multimedia presentations, experiments, and 3D scale models will provide visitors to the pavilion with a realistic notion of the solutions Rotterdam has devised. The floor of the pavilion itself, for instance, consists of a water plaza that is flooded continually by an artificial cloud. No matter how hard it 'rains' inside the pavilion, the visitors will never get their feet wet!

LEVELS AND ELEMENTS
The design of the 'Rotterdam Water City' pavilion includes two levels:
Level 1: the water plaza surrounded by display panels.
Level 2: the levee and the floating spheres, both accessible by means of a specially designed staircase.

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MAIN FEATURES

Artificial cloud and water printer : An artificial cloud, changing colour depending on the desired weather, will flood the water plaza. A central element in the design is a water printer several metres high, displaying a variety of texts and images.

Water plaza : The water plaza – a Rotterdam invention – discharges water in times of heavy rain showers, preventing water from collecting in the streets and effectively flooding them. In dry weather, the plaza doubles as a playground for children.

Levee : Attracting people’s attention with a levee, Rotterdam instills a perception of safety in the city despite its location below sea level. Visitors are offered a chance to see inside the levee, effectively entering the heart of the levee to experience what it means to live below sea level. There are light projections, sound effects and theatrical effects to ensure that the experience is as true to life as possible.

Green roofs : Apart from pleasing to the eye, green roofs are also sustainable, energy-saving, sound-attenuating, and especially excellent places to store water in extreme downpours. The City of Rotterdam actively pursues the goal of realizing tens of thousands of square metres of green roofs in Rotterdam. The pavilion presents several demo roofs.

Floating spheres : Innovative and unique are the large floating spheres that form part of the design. A water city like Rotterdam is ready to meet the challenges of the future, a future in which living on water will become reality. One of the spheres can be used as a unique location for exclusive network meetings.

Presentations : The use of visual techniques allows the ‘Rotterdam Water City’ pavilion to provide a life-like image of various situations, creating the illusion, for example, that visitors are actually in Rotterdam for a brief moment.

Water is an ubiquitous element in Rotterdam that dominates the city’s appearance as well as the life of its residents. The ‘Rotterdam Water City’ pavilion is designed to demonstrate how Rotterdam incorporates water in every aspect of the city life.

Being Europe’s lowest point below sea level, Rotterdam is very well concerned about Climate Change and water management. The Dutch capital is unique in terms of the vast number of projects that are being developed and implemented with respect to climate change. Participation in the World Expo is part of the Rotterdam Climate Proof programme within the Rotterdam Climate Initiative.

EXPERTISE THAT DESERVES A GLOBAL AUDIENCE

The World Expo 2010 in Shanghai is an extraordinary opportunity for Rotterdam to present itself as an innovative centre of expertise concerning water and delta technology. Visiting the ‘Rotterdam Water City’ pavilion will be quite an experience with the spectacular demonstration of how this metropolis and world port handles flood management now and in the future, despite climate change. The Rotterdam pavilion will offer organizations, institutes and companies opportunities to build a strong international presence, particularly in the area of water and delta technology.

THE ROTTERDAM APPROACH

Rotterdam takes the view that climate change is an opportunity. Innovative applications in the area of water management combine to make the city more attractive while at the same time boosting the economy. This makes this delta metropolis an inspiring example to other delta cities. In the years to come, delta cities all over the globe will have to adjust to climate change. Rotterdam has ample experience with flood management and water management: rises in temperature, heavier downpours, and higher river and sea levels require innovative solutions in this low-lying, densely populated urban area.

THE DESIGN

Central to the design by the Willem de Kooning Academie are water, climate, flood management, and innovation. There will be a life-size levee, a water plaza, green roofs, and an artificial cloud mimicking the unpredictable climate of the Netherlands. Multimedia presentations, experiments, and 3D scale models will provide visitors to the pavilion with a realistic notion of the solutions Rotterdam has devised. The floor of the pavilion itself, for instance, consists of a water plaza that is flooded continually by an artificial cloud. No matter how hard it ‘rains’ inside the pavilion, the visitors will never get their feet wet!

LEVELS AND ELEMENTS

The design of the ‘Rotterdam Water City’ pavilion includes two levels:

• Level 1: the water plaza surrounded by display panels.

• Level 2: the levee and the floating spheres, both accessible by means of a specially designed staircase.

Artificial cloud and water printer

An artificial cloud, changing colour depending on the desired weather, will flood the water plaza. A central element in the design is a water printer several metres high, displaying a variety of texts and images.

Water plaza

The water plaza – a Rotterdam invention – discharges water in times of heavy rain showers, preventing water from collecting in the streets and effectively flooding them. In dry weather, the plaza doubles as a playground for children.

Levee

Attracting people’s attention with a levee, Rotterdam instills a perception of safety in the city despite its location below sea level. Visitors are offered a chance to see inside the levee, effectively entering the heart of the levee to experience what it means to live below sea level. There are light projections, sound effects and theatrical effects to ensure that the experience is as true to life as possible.

Green roofs

Apart from pleasing to the eye, green roofs are also sustainable, energy-saving, sound-attenuating, and especially excellent places to store water in extreme downpours. The City of Rotterdam actively pursues the goal of realizing tens of thousands of square metres of green roofs in Rotterdam. The pavilion presents several demo roofs.

Floating spheres

Innovative and unique are the large floating spheres that form part of the design. A water city like Rotterdam is ready to meet the challenges of the future, a future in which living on water will become reality. One of the spheres can be used as a unique location for exclusive network meetings.

Presentations

The use of visual techniques allows the ‘Rotterdam Water City’ pavilion to provide a life-like image of various situations, creating the illusion, for example, that visitors are actually in Rotterdam for a brief moment.

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