mei architects and planners completes coolsingel mcdonald’s in rotterdam
all images courtesy of jeroen musch
the ‘coolsingel mcdonald’s’ in rotterdam, the netherlands is a revitalization of what had once been voted the ugliest structure in the city. obviously, the accolade was unwanted for both mcdonald’s and locals, which resulted in a refreshed designed being commissioned to firm mei architects and planners.
front façade
the building is located amongst a range of historical buildings. in order to maximize exposure to the various sites, mei carefully articulated the building volume. as a result, it has a compact form with glazed façades 360 degrees around. the ‘coolsingel mcdonald’s’ has a fully transparent lobby — entrances on three sides — and both indoor (2nd floor) and outdoor seating areas.
entrances are located on three sides of the glass form
gold anodized aluminum is used heavily throughout, chosen in part because its long-endurance and vandal-proof qualities. since mcdonald’s is a 24 hour restaurant in rotterdam, after-dark appearance was just as considered as daytime. at night, the building glows, with light pouring out of an outer screen perforated with heart-shaped openings. kitchen and service counter are located on the ground level, and a single steel spiral staircase leads upwards to the indoor dining area.
wall with crowd photo taken along coolsingel
nighttime illumination
interior
furniture elements
glazed façades emphasize views of surrounding historical buildings
staircase detail
surrounding area
image by frank hanswijk
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edited by: nick brink | designboom
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Nov 25, 2021
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Missed a chance here to take a risk with being more subtle – remove the macdonalds name and just have large M arches forming the doors in and out, in the same place they are now.