STC Rotterdam

Bolidt News

STC Rotterdam

On Wednesday 29th May, the new Shipping and Transport College (STC) on the Waal Harbour in Rotterdam celebrated its official opening. Architectural studio DP6 designed the building, which was ready in 2012 to welcome the students of this practice-oriented vocational institute for the entire shipping, port, transport and logistics chain as well as the port-related oil and chemical industry.

With its integrated, bright blue shipping-container-inspired block shapes, the structure perfectly reflects its industrial surroundings and the curriculum. The building features robust, industrial materials such as steel junctions, trusses and hollow-core concrete slabs, which are not only strong and durable, but also low maintenance. Thick braided ship’s ropes have been cleverly used to create a fitting open partition around the study rooms and the multimedia centre. Together with multi-level vistas, the design provides an open, transparent and bold learning environment that prepares the students for a career in the ports industry.

Everything shows that this is a place of hard work. The ground floor with its glass front does not only offer a view on the port, but also houses the beating heart of the college: a giant workshop where students can practise and develop their logistic and technical skills with containers, lorries and travelling cranes. Amid this whirl of activity, one can hear a distant echo of the words spoken by Rotterdam mayor Ivo Opstelten when he opened STC’s central building on the Lloyd pier ten years ago: "The world needs to know that Rotterdam is not just a main port, but also a brain port."

A view that is in line with DP6’s decision to use the Bolidtop^® 700 College system for the floors of the STC. The firm already worked with Bolidt flooring systems in earlier school building designs, because of their durability and low maintenance costs. Especially in the challenging environment of the practical training rooms at the STC, the functionality of this flooring system shows its true worth. Bolidtop^® 700 College is not just able to withstand the weight of the fork lift trucks and lorries driving around here, but is also resistant to chemicals and easy to clean in case of oil leaks.

On the other hand, the exceptional aesthetic qualities of the Bolidt system were the reason why it was chosen for de theory classrooms, stairs and corridors. Whereas Bolidtop^® 700 College used to be installed purely for its functional properties, this system is now also chosen because of its wide range of available colour options. With Bolidt’s advice DP6 chose a striking and opaque colour scheme fitting in with the other materials that were used. This combination of functionality and aesthetics made it possible to only use one Bolidt flooring system throughout the entire school, with seamless transitions between different spaces and classrooms. In short, world-class flooring for students who will be world-class employees within a few years time.

While the STC building was being completed, DP6 used the Bolidtop^® 700 College system again at St Nicolas Secondary School in Amsterdam. In April, the building won the West Region BNA Building of the Year Award. 'St Nicholas’ building makes you want to go to school. This school is exciting, stimulating and sparkles without being overwhelming', according to the jury. As experts in aesthetics and functionality, creating a high-performance learning environment is exactly what makes Bolidt sparkle.