Architecture & Urban Planning

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Rotterdam is a young, dynamic metropolis which keeps developing rapidly. The city combines bold statements about architecture, urban development and design with small-scale projects. Rotterdam is home to many internationally renowned architecture firms such as OMA, MVRDV, West 8, KCAP, Doepel Strijkers and ZUS.

Rotterdam is a patchwork of architectural styles: icons of the Nieuwe Bouwen school of modernist Dutch architecture, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Van Nelle Factory, stand alongside characteristic post-war reconstruction architecture from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. As a result of the bombardment in 1940, few historic buildings remain in the centre of Rotterdam. Nevertheless, there are still some to be found, such as the medieval Laurenskerk and the 45-metre high Witte Huis from 1898, Europe’s first skyscraper.

Highlights

Van Nelle Factory As the most prominent industrial monument in the Netherlands, the former Van Nelle Factory was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2014.
Witte Huis The 45-metre high Witte Huis dates from 1898 and was Europe’s first skyscraper
Photo of the Schielandshuis. Photo by Iris van den Broek.
Schielandshuis The Schielandshuis is the only preserved building of the seventeenth century in the center of Rotterdam and was built between 1662 and 1665.

The city has been busy the last few years and has added new architectural icons such as De Rotterdam, Central Station, Markthal and the Timmerhuis to the skyline. Various interventions and projects have improved the quality of the inner city. The Luchtsingel, a wooden pedestrian bridge of 390 metres, has revitalised the central district. The neighbouring disused railway viaduct, the Hofbogen, has been transformed into a local hotspot. Tropicana, a former swimming pool, currently houses a trendy restaurant and Blue City is a hub for circular and innovative companies.

Highlights

Markthal The combination of a indoor market hall with luxury housing makes Rotterdam’s Markthal the first of its kind in the world. The apartments are draped over the food market in a horseshoe configuration. The Markthal is designed by MVRDV.
The Luchtsingel The Luchtsingel, a wooden pedestrian bridge of 390 metres, connects Rotterdam North to the center and revitalizes a forgotten area.
BlueCity BlueCity is an incubator for circular entrepreneurs in and around Rotterdam. At this moment the hub (situated in a deserted swimming pool) and dynamic community (of entrepreneurs, researchers, neighbours, the government and education) serve as a breeding ground for 16 innovative, circular companies linking their waste-streams.

Rotterdam is a city in motion. Here are some of the projects which are currently in progress or which will be developed over the coming years:

Highlights

Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen This first art storage facility in the world offers access to a museum’s complete collection without the mediation of a curator. Designed by MVRDV and due to be completed in fall 2021.
Floating Office The Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) will move its new headquarter into the Floating Office Rotterdam (FOR). This unique design, which was designed by Powerhouse Company, provides a sustainable and completely energy neutral floating office built out of wood. The GCA’s office will represent Rotterdam’s vision of a future sustainable city.
Feyenoord City The new intended football stadium of Feyenoord, after a design by architectural firm OMA, combined with an area transformation.

Photo header: Iris van den Broek

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