Upgrading fire safety in a Rotterdam skyscraper

This complex challenge became reality during the modernization of the fire detection and evacuation system of the Rotterdam skyscraper. The Maastoren was completed in 2009 and has since become one of Rotterdam's most iconic office towers. From the top floor, you can see the entire city, the Maas River, and the port. Verkerk Installatietechniek designed and implemented the complete electrical installation at the time, including the fire detection and evacuation systems.

After more than 15 years of reliable service, the first signs of aging began to show. The issues were both technical and functional. "The installations functioned well for years, but eventually we ran into limitations," explains Henk Vastenburg, technical coordinator. "Certain components were no longer available, and we received complaints about the high-pitched tone of the evacuation system."

As manager of the Maastoren, Savills Netherlands worked with the building owner and Verkerk to find a future-proof replacement solution that would align technically and operationally with the building's needs. Various systems were evaluated for reliability, business continuity, and expandability. Based on this evaluation, Paulo Dias, technical manager at Savills, chose our Siemens installation on behalf of the owner. Our solution provides a modern and reliable foundation for the coming years and also aligns with the building's sustainability and management objectives. "With this investment, we are not only replacing an outdated system, but above all choosing a safe, future-proof, and efficient solution for our tenants and users," says Paulo.

Besides the engineering, the execution was also challenging. The Maastoren remained fully operational throughout the entire project. Tenants continued working, visitors came and went, and safety could never be compromised. This meant: phased replacement, careful planning, and continuous coordination. "We started with the evacuation system," explains Maurice van der Horst, field service engineer at Verkerk. "This is controlled by the fire detection system, so everything had to connect perfectly. We worked floor by floor, with the new evacuation system temporarily remaining connected to the old fire detection system. This way we worked our way up, from the 1st to the 45th floor."

The new fire detection system consists of 8 fire detection control panels. 6 of these are distributed across the building's vertical shafts. Additionally, 1 control panel is placed in the basement and 1 on the ground floor. In total, approximately 1,700 optical detectors were installed. In break rooms and kitchenettes, our detectors were used that can distinguish between real smoke and things that mimic smoke, like steam from hot water. This reduces the chance of false alarms.

We also paid special attention to preventing unwanted alarms in the stairwell and parking garage. These are public spaces where smoking sometimes occurs, which can lead to false alerts. Therefore, detectors were installed that are resistant to such environmental influences. Thanks to these smart choices, our system detects fire quickly and reliably, while minimizing unwanted alarms.

2 compact control panels on the 3rd floor and 2 large, modular control panels on the 29th floor together form the heart of the new evacuation system. An average of 45 speakers are placed per floor. This allows the building to be controlled in a targeted manner during an incident. Instead of a generic evacuation, each floor works with spoken instructions.

By evacuating in a targeted manner, the situation remains manageable, even with large numbers of people. The annual evacuation drill shows what this means in practice. Within just over half an hour, a large part of the building can be evacuated in a controlled manner, without panic and with clear direction toward the assembly point on the quay. During the replacement work, Verkerk's team experienced such an evacuation drill, allowing them to experience the operation of our installations directly in practice.

Through our Fire Manager application, Verkerk can remotely monitor the Maastoren's fire safety installations. Instead of reacting to malfunctions, the focus is increasingly on looking ahead. "For example, we can read out the contamination level of detectors," explains Nico Bloem, digitalization project manager. ""This allows us to know in advance which detectors need extra attention during maintenance. This makes it possible to plan work in a targeted manner and execute it faster."

Our system provides continuous insight into the installation's status. This allows checking whether all components are correctly activated and functioning as intended. "A while ago we received a notification that part of the installation was switched off," continues Nico. "We immediately contacted Henk. He indicated that this was done intentionally due to diving work around the building. Thanks to this monitoring, we can act proactively and sometimes even respond earlier than the customer themselves."

Technicians can test detectors while walking through the building using our app. Results are directly recorded in a digital logbook. This prevents errors, speeds up the process, and ensures current data. Although Henk can also use the app, he still prefers a more direct communication line. "When something comes up, I call security directly. That works best for us."

Henk is satisfied with the end result. "The new installation is more user-friendly than the old one, which simplifies daily management."

October 2026