Lijnbaanflat Joost Banckertplaats

The city of the future! This is how Rotterdammers envisioned their city center during the reconstruction. The Lijnbaan, including its apartment buildings and parks, was considered the pinnacle of progress. However, little was done with the rooftops. So, no recreation, no green spaces, and not even rooftop parking. This isn't surprising: the architects intended to separate, not combine, the city's functions.

In the 70s, it became clear that this strict separation of functions also had many drawbacks. The Lijnbaan was deserted after closing time, the service streets were socially unsafe, and the flats were considered anonymous. Fifteen years earlier, there was talk of the Lijnbaan flats being demolished. The opposite happened: the entire Lijnbaan area became a national monument.

Now it's time to start utilizing the potential of the rooftops. Greening a roof, for example with sedum plants, is a first step and has already been completed. But why not add a terrace as well? The apartment building at Kruiskade is already equipped with a new elevator that reaches the roof – developments are underway there. The Lijnbaan rooftops have potential.