Architecture of AppropriationArchitecture of Appropriation

This late 19th century office building on Rotterdam's waterfront was squatted in the early 80s, legalized soon after that, and is still home to a thriving alternative community.

The Poortgebouw was built in Rotterdam in 1879 as the headquarters of a new trading company founded by the notorious entrepreneur Lodewijk Pincoffs. The imposing building was constructed over a main road along the south bank of the Maas river, and later acquired national heritage status. When its last tenant, Rotterdam's port authority, moved out in 1977, immediate plans to transform the building into a brothel were met with local resistance. After lying vacant for three years, the building was squatted in 1980. The squatters kept the name of the building, carried out much-needed maintenance, and made it fit for living.

The newly established community added living spaces, shared kitchens and bathrooms, a wood workshop, a photographic darkroom, a rehearsal space and a stage. The Poortgebouw soon became a renowned venue in the city's underground scene. In 1984 this domestic arrangement was legalized, and the residents started to rent the building from the municipality, who later sold it to private owners. Today the Poortgebouw is home to about 30 residents, as well as a give-away shop, a weekly café and a bimonthly performance night.

Read Rianne de Beer's statement about Poortgebouw, as presented during Architecture of Appropriation. Between Institutions and Activist Practices (Het Nieuwe Instituut, 6 June 2019).