Hoogvliet City Prison in Rotterdam • 1996 - 2000
Client: Rijksgebouwendienst

The Hoogvliet city prison is situated on a neutral piece of ground in a suburban expansion of Hoogvliet, which is a borough of Rotterdam. A striking feature of this assignment is the exceptional programme that is the result of government policy to reduce nuisance crime in the larger cities. There are three regimes for the detainees in the prison. The availability of a section with 120 cells, the so-called ‘House of Detention’ makes it possible to sentence the perpetrators of light crimes shortly after their arrest and to give them an immediate sentence of up to three months. This sober regime involves a limited amount of work and relatively much time in the cell. In a section with 72 cells, a two-year rehabilitation programme is meted out to drug addicts who are repeated offenders. This section has two regimes: a closed institution with 48 places, and a half-open institution with 24 places, where work is performed outside the prison. The combination of regimes with separate logistics makes high demands on the organization of the design.
The main structure of the prison has a continuous wall around a compound with a cruciform ground floor plan that gives rise to four areas accommodating the transport section and the three regimes. The entrance building with the offices is the only place where the complex extends beyond the wall. The visitor entrances, the staff, and transport are concentrated here. The ground floor houses all the facilities for work, activities, visitors, services, and storage. The elongated main building accommodates the areas for daytime activities. The activities of the three regimes remain strictly separated due to the position of the entrance and visiting areas and the central control post in the middle. The pavilion with sports facilities is located opposite the entrance.
All the cells are situated on the two upper floors of the main building. Here the cells of the half-open institution have been inserted as a single block into the closed institution. This principle has been made visible in the design of the building.
At street level, the image of the prison is determined by the five-metre wall, made of orange-coloured concrete and Corten steel, which leans slightly backwards thus referring to city fortifications. From a distance, the main volume is visible in dark brickwork, just like the auxiliary buildings. It is equipped with large glass skylights that determine the image of the building.