De Brug Unilever

The new headquarters of Unilever Netherlands BV in Rotterdam is 130 meter long and 'floats' 26 meter above the old factory complex of Blue Band. Besides a good idea to save space with the the bridge (in Dutch: 'de brug') construction, it is also a spectacular example of prefabrication. The entire steel structure is put together somewhere else, transported to location over the river Maas, and then rolled into its final place. The façade elements are mounted from inside. The building is inspired by the nearby lift bridge. The existing 24-hour production of the plant on the ground floor was ensured during the construction.