De Piek Stacks a New Urban Identity

2017–2025 – De Piek, Feijenoord Island, Rotterdam: KCAP's 74-metre residential tower for Heijmans Vastgoed transforms a former industrial site at the tip of Feijenoord Island into a catalyst for Rotterdam-Zuid's waterfront revitalization. Drawing inspiration from the area's factories, warehouses, and cranes, the 142-unit tower reinterprets industrial heritage through stacked volumes that reference shipping containers. Progressive housing typologies including waterlofts with private moorings, drive-in ateliers accessible via car elevator, and double-height skylofts offer panoramic views of the River Maas and city skyline while pioneering new residential possibilities for waterfront living.

Project Highlights

The Urban Catalyst

Standing 74 meters tall at the tip of Feijenoord Island, De Piek is a residential tower that brings new life to a previously overlooked industrial area in South Rotterdam, with 142 apartments and a ground-floor café that opens the quay to public use.

Strategically positioned next to the Piek bridge, De Piek is part of a broader vision to convert the former industrial zone into a lively urban quarter blending residential, commercial, and public functions. By anchoring residential living at the waterfront, the tower reactivates the connection between city and river. As the first project in a series of planned developments, it demonstrates the area's potential and sets the stage for future transformation: a place where industrial rawness meets contemporary urban vitality.

Industrial Heritage as Foundation & Inspiration

Feijenoord Island bears the imprints of a rich industrial legacy. For decades, shipyard Fijenoord (1825–1935) and later Hunter Douglas (1933–2023) were the engines of the local economy. This layered history serves not as a backdrop but as an active source of inspiration for De Piek.

The design translates the architectural language of warehouses, factories, and stacked containers into contemporary architecture. The staggered volumes rise above the quay, creating a robust profile reminiscent of the construction and expansion of industrial buildings. This composition underscores the site's rawness, while the refined materialisation and expansive glazing introduce a new residential quality. In this way, industrial heritage is not merely replicated but reimagined as the foundation for a new identity along the river.

Sustainable Mobility

Located within walking distance of Rotterdam Zuid station, the tower's design deliberately promotes sustainable transport and reduces reliance on private cars. Cycling and shared mobility are actively encouraged through generous, easily accessible bicycle storage and two shared car parking spaces with integrated charging points at the building's entrance. The parking garage, positioned on the third and fourth floors, benefits from natural ventilation, enhancing both occupant comfort and energy efficiency.

Typological Diversity

The tower offers diverse housing typologies (57-232 m²) with generous outdoor spaces and high ceilings, including Waterlofts with private mooring docks, Drive-in Lofts with car elevators, Panoramic Lofts with river views, and double-height Skylofts overlooking Rotterdam's skyline. The stepped design creates collective rooftop terraces, while integrated parking allows future conversion to living space, ensuring long-term adaptability.

Material Articulation

The materialization of De Piek connects the robust harbor context with contemporary sustainability principles. The base aligns with the scale and texture of the existing quay buildings, constructed from a rugged palette of brick, profile steel, perforated cladding, and expanded metal, accentuated by graphic signage. This solid foundation anchors the building in its industrial environment and establishes a direct link to the island's past.

The upper structure introduces a lighter and more reflective façade language in galvanized steel. Prefabricated façade panels in timber frame construction are modular and demountable, designed for future reuse. This circular construction references the stacked containers that have long characterized the harbor's image. Rust-colored accents frame windows and recessed façade planes, creating a warm, lived-in appearance within the industrial composition. Large glazing enhances the relationship with the city and the water, presenting the tower as an open and recognizable beacon along the Maas.

"By anchoring life at the waterfront, we don't just build residences—we rebuild a city's relationship with itself. De Piek transforms a forgotten edge into a vibrant new identity."
​- Irma van Oort, Partner KCAP

Project Team

Architect: KCAP

Client: Heijmans Vastgoed

Contractor: Heijmans Utilitaire Woningbouw

Advisors: IMd Raadgevende Ingenieurs, LBP | SIGHT, Techniplan

Typographic Design: Monice Janson Typografie

Photography: Ossip van Duivenbode

Project Drawings

Project Photography

Year: 2017 - 2025

Status: Completed

Disciplines: Architecture

Client: Heijmans Vastgoed

Program: 22.000 m2 residential; c. 142 apartments, restaurant, indoor parking facilities

About KCAP

KCAP is a leading international design practice specializing in architecture, urbanism, and landscape architecture. Founded in 1989 by Kees Christiaanse, the firm is today led by seven partners — Xavier Blaringhem, Jeroen Dirckx, Ruurd Gietema, Anouk Kuitenbrouwer, Irma van Oort, Ute Schneider, and Edward Schuurmans. From its offices in Rotterdam, Zurich, and Paris, KCAP’s team of over 100 international professionals works on a diverse portfolio of projects across Europe and Asia, shaping sustainable, human-centered environments at every scale.

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