A new brightly-colored rooftop installation opened up this week in Rotterdam. It includes a 30-meter-high aerial bridge that connects a few of the city's rooftops. Designed by Rotterdam Rooftop Days and MVRDV, the "Rotterdam Rooftop Walk" is designed to bring awareness to the city's rooftops and demonstrate how they might be used as an added layer of public infrastructure within the city. The installation will run from May 26 to June 24.

This is a neat idea and not just because I like bright orange things. Rooftops are, by and large, underutilized assets within our cities. It behooves us to do more (I just wanted to say behooves). But I think it's important to keep in mind that aerial bridges and rooftop spaces can come in many different forms. I think you could argue that there are aerial bridges designed to enliven forgotten spaces (like this example here) and there are aerial bridges designed as a solution to appalling and inhospitable ground planes.

Sometimes these inhospitable spaces are because of extreme climates and sometimes it is because we forgot how to design spaces that are actually enjoyable for pedestrians. The former of these two scenarios is, I guess, more excusable. But I do think that many cities lack the kind of densities needed to animate multiple layers of public spaces. Often you need to pick where you want to focus people's attention.

Still, bright orange walkways. Neat.

The Fenix Lofts & Docks in Rotterdam's Rijnhaven port district is a cool example of adaptive reuse. The base (or podium) is a warehouse that was built in 1922. It has a concrete structure. On top of it, a new 9 storey apartment building (also concrete) is supported using a steel table and frame that goes through the existing warehouse.

Here is a photo from inside the warehouse:

Parking is accommodated above grade within a portion of the existing warehouse. You don't want to go underground here. This is certainly not the most cost effective way of building new housing, but it is a solution that could work in some situations. If any of you have a site or are looking at a site with an existing building worth preserving, this might be an option to consider.

Architecture by Mei Architects. Photos by Marc Goodwin. For more information, check out Dezeen.

I am working from home today, like many of you, I'm sure. The patio door is open and the news is on in the background talking about some sort of nasty bug that's going around. It's not half bad, except I prefer working in an office and being around other humans.

But never mind that, this recent article from the WSJ has me wondering where I can buy a 2,700 square foot loft for €1 and end up with the following renovation for under US$450,000 (photo by Rene de Wit):

A former school in Rotterdam, the city sold off the building as 7 residences. The loft you see here was the gym. Major foundation work was required (costing about US$565,000), but that got split up across all of the buyers/residences and factors into the number I threw around above.

At 2,700 sf, it's not your typical urban residence. But it is interesting to see how they designed the space to be suitable for a family. There's a separate children's "suite" hidden behind the millwork next to the dining area. Look closely and you'll be able to see the door.

For floor plans and more photos, including some before shots, click here. It's worth seeing more of this place. Two storeys in the city is such a luxury.