Hommie: Hommie visits: Post -- Office, Rotterdam, Netherlands

There's no better way to celebrate July than having a brand new 'Hommie visits:' post. This May I visited a friend of mine who is working in Holland. She told me about a great place in Rotterdam that we had to pay a visit. Its name is Post -- Office and is a hybrid entity: simultaneously a public platform for cultural interaction and collaboration and a working space, providing materials, services and tools to professionals and students. It was formed with the intention of finding new ways to work that go beyond the traditional definition of an architectural office.

photo © P. Petrozelis

Five TU Delft-graduated architects of international backgrounds, Hans, Afer, Simone, Albert and Panos, decided to set up and run an experimental project space in the Hofbogen viaduct of Rotterdam. As they mention:

'We find ourselves surrounded by loose ends, fantastic potentials that only need to be realigned in order to be unleashed. Our actions are made possible by tapping into the resources offered by individuals and organisations in our neighbourhood and in our professional network, and by working as pragmatically as possible with the materials already in and around our space.'

Indeed , the former coffeeshop, under the viaduct, was transformed by the Post -- Office guys and their friends into this unique multifunctional place. The interiors and its arrangement is constantly changing according to the events happening there. When I visited it was filled with black cardboard tubes that were granted by DP6 Architectuurstudio's previous office.

photo © P. Petrozelis

The old wooden floor was sanded to remove the varnish and the walls were stripped of the existing wallpapers and wall covering revealing layers of plaster and paint. Most of the furnishing is handmade or vintage pieces that were found around the area and were transformed to serve the needs of the Post -- Office. Plants and flowers decorate elegantly the place providing natural touches. My friend claims that it looks like a Cuban house. I say that it's raw. It's authentic. It's fresh and I like it.

photo © P. Petrozelis

There're a lot of interesting things happening at the Post -- Office. When we visited it there was an Asia-fusion-themed canapé provided by Greensparrow catering followed by the screening of the film In the Mood for Love. The 'cold teasers' and 'meat warmer' canapé dishes were truly delicious and Phyllis Wong, the person behind the Greensparrow catering, did, also, a great job with the art-de-la-table. Such a fantastic themed night.

photo © P. Petrozelis

I spotted these beautiful cardboard houses, next to the entrance, which are actually handmade prototype lamps that Afer, one of the architects/owners, is making. Their name is 1:1 lamps and you can check them at eenoptien.