Unique features require additional preparation
Rotterdam Ahoy will mark its 50th anniversary in January of 2021. This milestone will be celebrated in the new, multi-purpose convention centre. The uniqueness of this building – which consists of 35 rooms and a large hall that serves as an auditorium, music venue and theatre – requires additional preparatory activities. As a result, the centre will open at the end of 2020 instead of the originally-planned date at the end of 2019.
Renovation and construction
Construction of the new convention centre will begin after the renovation of five exhibition and event halls on the west side of Ahoy. The new halls will use floor space efficiently to create more exhibition space, enhanced by increased attention to climate control and other hall upgrades such as new lighting and improved loading bays. The project is on schedule: the first four halls will be ready by the summer, and all halls will have their new look by the summer of 2018.
A unique building
The exceptional versatility of the new building is the main reason for the delay. The main room – called the RTM Stage – is the largest auditorium in the Netherlands, with removable stands to create a music hall for 7,000 people as well as an additional exhibition hall. “With a unique design like this, it is essential that every modification is thought through to the last detail,” explains Peter van der Veer, Director of Rotterdam Ahoy. “We prefer to take some extra time now to do things right so that we can proudly present our new centre when it is ready. And keep in mind that we will remain ‘open’ throughout the process…we have a wonderful set of busy events scheduled, and construction will work around these activities.”
ꞌHart van Zuidꞌ
The hall renovations and the conference centre are part of the large-scale qualitative transformation of the Rotterdam south area (Hart van Zuid) with the goal of a new and vibrant city centre. The proposed new area will serve as a wonderful place to stay, where residents, visitors and business owners can feel completely at home. The area’s development will also provide significant added value to the south and to Rotterdam as a whole: increased quality, more jobs and better facilities.
