Office building The Leuve

Office building De Leuve is a building on the Schiedamsedijk in Rotterdam, designed by architects Willem van Tijen and Huig Maaskant and built between 1955 and 1959. De Leuve is a good example of postwar reconstruction architecture, with a modern and functional design.

The first floor is arranged for stores and has a transparent appearance due to the many glass windows. Above the stores are offices that are easily adaptable to the needs of different businesses. The modern architectural style and the use of new materials such as aluminum and steel make The Leuve a typical example of reconstruction architecture.

A fun fact about the De Leuve office building is that the northern facade (toward Coolsingel) has very narrow window strips because of a legal dispute over the height of the windows. This gave the architect the opportunity to create a unique design where the north side is a kind of negative of the other three glass facades. Take a tour around the building to see that change for yourself.