MOBIMALL

ROTTERDAM, 2002

On a daily basis 40'000 cars pass the prominent site of Noorderhelling which is along one of the major points of entry into the Rotterdam South. This unique situation combined with the character of the site create an opportunity for a 600m long building, the longest facade in Rotterdam and the largest car-sale site in the Netherlands: the 80'000 m2 MOBIMALL.
Serving as a dispenser for cars, the mobility center skims the traffic that visits the building, avoiding the pressure of a new junction. A car spiral (the helix) disperses all incoming and outgoing traffic to all levels of the building, including a huge roof parking which gives access to the showrooms below. This roof essentially becomes the new street level for both pedestrian and car traffic which then clears the space of the main level for a transparent showroom. The result puts strong emphasis on the display of the identity of the multiple car brands. The helix is a striking infrastructural sculpture in the visual corridor towards Stadium de Kuip. The showroom of the mobility center is comparable to the layouts of the car salons in Geneva and the AutoRAI Amsterdam.