Page 61 - Rotterdam. Make It Happen

Architecture lovers will have a great time in Rotterdam thanks to the abundance and diversity of unique buildings like De Markthal, Rotterdam Central Station, the Timmerhuis, De Kunsthal, De Rotterdam and the Van Nelle Fabriek. In Rotterdam you will find a mixture of architectural styles and you need only explore a small area to see them all. The bombing that wiped out most of the city centre in 1940 provided the opportunity to build a new city, and renovation became the new focus for the people of Rotterdam, who used the opportunity to experiment as they rebuilt the city. The Cube Houses by Piet Blom, the Justus van Effenblok and the Bergpolderflat (the first gallery flats) are great examples of this. Rotterdam is still influenced by the urge to innovate. Take a look at the Rotterdam Central District, where the ZUS architectural bureau saved the Schieblock from demolition in order to transform it into a vibrant collective building for creatives. There is a DakAkker on the roof, where you can have lunch among the flowers, beanstalks and beehives. Via the Luchtsingel you can walk to the Hofbogen Air Park, a park in the making on the roof of a former train station. Katendrecht is also worth a visit; this area has been transformed into one of Rotterdam’s most precious neighbourhoods. A development that is also eagerly awaited is MerweVierhavens. This old harbour site will be developed into a new living and working area but is currently the habitat of start-ups and artists, such as Joep van Lieshout and Daan Roosegaarde. For Rotterdam’s most talked-about architecture project of the moment, you must go to the Museum Park, where you will find the Depot building of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, designed by the Rotterdam architectural firm MVRDV. Talk about the urge for innovation!
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Photo: Iris van den Broek