Poortgebouw is the name of an extraordinary 19th century building, a national monument in Rotterdam's Kop van Zuid district located on the south bank of the river maas.
Build in 1879 as OFFICE for THE 'ROTTERDAMSCHE HANDELSVERENIGING'. When the founder, Lodewijk Pincoffs, went bankrupt soon after, it became house to Holland America Line, a meteorlogic station and the 'Rotterdamse Havenbedrijf'.
Since 1984 it is house to the collective of 30 inhabitants (mostly artist and cultural workers) organised as members of an association. since then, the house has not only served residential needs but has also hosted social and cultural interaction and has provided a number of public windows into diverse non-profit oriented activities, like the eetcafe (vegan meals) and give away shop.
The building is in decay and needs to be restored in good condition. That is a challenge looking at the current cash flow and roles. Together with the new owner of the building, the government and the user: association poortgebouw, we are working towards a feasible situation where the poort gets back into good condition, the current residents can keep their place and the poort remains a creative place for the city.
