Piekstraat Curbed

Rotterdam, NL

Significant changes are on the horizon for the Piekstraat area. The new tower at the tip of the ‘Feyenoord island’ is the first visible sign of this transformation. Future developments are also planned for the adjacent Hunter Douglas site and the ‘Rotterdams Tij’ area. The neighborhood is set to gain numerous new homes and amenities, with the public realm becoming greener and more vibrant. The project website describes the area as one that remains largely undiscovered, even by the people of Rotterdam themselves. While this may be true for many Rotterdam residents, parties like Skateland have been investing in this location for years. They have brought vitality to the Piekstraat by welcoming skaters. The colorful façade of the Skateland building serves as a prime example of their efforts to literally add more color to the street.

On the other hand, the Piekstraat currently remains a drab, grey environment. The public space is designed primarily for cars and freight traffic, and its location on the island leaves it somewhat cut off from the rest of the Feijenoord district. This secluded setting has led to issues such as people loitering in parked cars, littering, and even illegal car racing. With this proposal, we aim to initiate a positive change in the public realm through placemaking, encouraging the various users of Piekstraat to adopt positive use of public space.

Scale: Street

Client: Municipality of Rotterdam

Role: User centered designer & visual artist

In collaboration with: Jelmer Konjo, Skateland, Gemeente Rotterdam

“How can we start transforming the industrial, unpleasant, car-dominated Piekstraat to a pedestrian friendly street through skateable art?”

The objective is to help create a street that is colorful, and conducive to physical activity. Our primary focus is the sidewalk a.k.a. the "curb", which is in this case a former asphalt turning circle for trucks. The curb will serve as a space for social interaction and new forms of positive use of public space. By introducing skateable sculptures made of recycled material, found on the streets, we will bring vibrancy in front of Skateland. This encourages skaters to venture beyond the indoor facility, inviting them to utilize the street more frequently for sports and physical activity. In doing so, we soften the transition between indoor and outdoor spaces, giving the street a more positive appearance. We will further enhance this effect by adding color and lighting to the streetscape. This represents the first phase in the transformation of the public realm along Piekstraat.

Kids from the local primary school designed the floor painting with us. We tried to learn them how to influence their physical surroundings and connect the project to the existing neighborhood

A few days of painting in the sun.

And designing the skateable sculptures, made of material that we found on the streets: the barricade block and the fasts flatbar made of nitrogen gas tanks.