Parasite Las Palmas, Rotterdam NL
A bright green object sitting on top of the elevator shaft of the former warehouse building Las Palmas acted in 2001 as a widely visible, three dimensional logo for its host building whose large, industrial spaces were temporarily used for various exhibitions during Rotterdam’s year as European cultural capital. One of the exhibitions was called Parasites and presented designs of small-scale objects for unused urban sites making “parasitic” use of the existing infrastructure. The exhibition was curated and organized by Mechthild Stuhlmacher and Rien Korteknie, involving an international group of architects.
Taking advantage of the enterprising atmosphere of the cultural year, one of the designs was built in full scale. The roof of the building amidst the varied, spectacular roofscape of the Rotterdam harbour area proved to be an ideal location.
The Las Palmas Parasite was a prototypical house aiming to combining the advantages of prefabricated technology and the unique qualities of tailor-made design. The limitations imposed by the size of the elevator shaft demanded a compact plan and volume.
The object was supported by the walls of the exhisting building. Services like water supply, sewage and the electric installation had been linked to the exhisting installations. Despite its temporary character, the building remained in its location until the summer of 2005 and was used for numerous activities. Due to the planned renovation of Las Palmas the Parasite then had to be removed and is currently in storage, waiting for new uses and sites.
