BENTHEMPLEIN WATER SQUARE

Rotterdam lies at the outflow of the Scheldt, Meuse and Rhine Rivers, making it vulnerable both to inundation from rainfall and sea level rise and storm surges that move up the Rhine River. The City is protected with the Maeslant Barrier, a project completed as part of the Delta Works initiative in 1997. Dutch firm de Urbanisten has developed water squares since 2005 in the Netherlands, but Benthemplein was the first square to be built in 2013 in Rotterdam. The water squares are public spaces that also function as drainage infrastructure to collect and store water during periods of intense rainfall. Benthemplein Square in Rotterdam negotiates a challenging developed urban location between a church, college, youth theatre and gym. The barrier is constructed of two massive gates that are controlled by a supercomputer that shuts the gates in the event of an encroaching storm. Benthemplein Square absorbs water from the pavement and the rooftops of surrounding buildings in three concrete basins of different depth that are used for recreational and leisure activities in dry times. When the city’s canal system can absorb the water, the water storage ponds are released and the water disappears. One of the ponds is a stage, another a skate park, and a sports court. In addition to the concrete ponds, plantings that filter water are placed around the site, as well as water-tolerant trees. The square creates a design typology that could be used across cities that need infrastructure that does not require replacing or designing additional sewer systems to transport storm water out of cities.
2013
2.22 acres
2 feet above sea level