Cars soar at STACK Rotterdam

In the vibrant city of Rotterdam, a clever solution to a common urban problem - lack of parking space - is being realized for STACK, an iconic high-rise project. Two impressive car elevators, supplied by Flexitec B.V., make efficient use of the limited space, allowing future residents to easily park on five different levels. Director of Flexitec, Rick Knippers, talks all about the work.

At the head of the Müllerpier in Rotterdam comes STACK. An impressive building with a sculpture of stacked blocks. Inside the building you will find spacious single-family homes. But also two advanced QHV car elevators, specifically designed for transporting vehicles. This allows residents to park their cars on different floors: from the basement to the third floor. 

Early involvement and impressive lifting capacity

Contractor VORM involved Flexitec early on in the process, according to Knippers. "We have specialized in elevator solutions for over 20 years. We know from experience that with a large project like this, we quickly spend several years working on it. We received the application in 2020 and completed the project in 2024."

The installed elevators have an impressive lifting capacity of 5,000 kilograms and a lifting height of almost 13 meters. "Our strength lies in large projects with large elevators. And STACK is an excellent example of that," Knippers says proudly. 

Challenges call for smart solutions

Flexitec's role went beyond just supplying elevators. "We were involved in the finishes within the building and made sure the elevators fit seamlessly into the design. For example, the outer doors have a special RAL color to match the exterior of the building nicely," Knippers explains. The QHV car elevators are also equipped with a Duplex control system, which ensures that the elevator closest to the user always responds first. This ensures rapid throughput. In addition, all residents receive a personal remote control, which allows them to call the elevator and navigate directly to the correct floor without leaving their car. The elevators are also equipped with vehicle positioning, so residents can see exactly where to park via arrows on the display. This provides added convenience and safety.

One of the biggest technical challenges was the ventilation of the basement through the elevator shaft. "It was quite a challenge, but through good communication with inspection authorities we were able to deliver everything according to the standard. Good for the end user, because that way there are no surprises when the building is put into operation. We passed the inspection without a hitch," says Knippers.

With a proud look

Flexitec looks back proudly on the work in Rotterdam. "STACK is an impressive project and of course you want to guarantee parking spaces for your residents. The fact that as a relatively small company we were allowed to play such an essential role is wonderful," says Knippers with a big smile.