Pathé Schouwburgplein

Projectinformatie

The Pathé cinema on Schouwburgplein in Rotterdam was fully renovated, for which we designed and detailed the structural engineering aspects. This was a challenge we were happy to accept because Jaap Westerman, director of SWINN, had also been involved as a designer when this building was initially developed.

The project consisted of various elements. A restaurant was realised between the De Doelen concert hall and Pathé, for example, which makes walking from the railway station to the square a lot more pleasant. The restaurant was built atop the former entrance to the car park situated below the cinema. The structural challenge in this case was to responsibly displace the extra load to the foundation. At the same time, the pedestrians’ entrance to the car park was altered, requiring the addition of new staircases. This complex project was facilitated through our 3D model, which provided clear illustrations of the various phases: the existing situation, the demolition phase and the new situation.

The next phase involved the restoration of the cinema’s entire façade. It was also elevated slightly near the technical room, based on a design by Koen van Velzen. From a structural engineering standpoint, this was challenging during the execution phase because heavy equipment and scaffolding could not simply be placed on the existing basement deck. A detailed plan was developed for this in close consultation with the contractor. Additionally, SWINN was involved in working out the various details of the façade construction.

In conclusion, the entire interior of the cinema was refurbished, including new seating and an IMAX screen. SWINN inspected the increased load and provided the necessary advice with regard to the installation of the projectors and the sound system.