Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and home to the Port of Rotterdam — Europe’s largest seaport by cargo volume. Almost entirely destroyed by German bombing in May 1940, the city was rebuilt with a spirit of bold architectural experimentation that has made it one of Europe’s premier destinations for contemporary and avant-garde architecture, from the cube houses of Piet Blom to the iconic Erasmus Bridge and the Markthal. The historic inner city includes the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Kunsthal, and several medieval church ruins that survived the war.
At a glance
- Type
- Major port city and contemporary architecture showcase
- Period
- Founded c. 1270 around a dam on the Rotte river; largely rebuilt post-1940
- Style
- Post-war modernism, Brutalism, Deconstructivism, contemporary avant-garde; surviving medieval church tower
- Location
- Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands — 51.9226° N, 4.4794° E
Overview
Rotterdam occupies the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and owes its rise to the dredging of the New Waterway (1872), which connected the city directly to the North Sea and transformed it into Europe’s dominant transhipment port. The wartime destruction of 14 May 1940 levelled almost the entire pre-war inner city, and postwar reconstruction produced a skyline unique in the Netherlands — a dense cluster of high-rises and experimental architecture rising above the Maas waterfront. Rotterdam is also the birthplace of the humanist philosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam (c. 1466–1536), commemorated by the Erasmus Bridge and the city’s international university.
History
A dam on the Rotte stream gave the settlement its name around 1270, and Rotterdam grew steadily as a market town linking the Rhine hinterland to the North Sea. After the opening of the New Waterway in 1872, the port expanded exponentially, making Rotterdam the world’s busiest harbour for much of the 20th century. The German bombing of 14 May 1940 killed about 900 civilians and destroyed 24,000 homes, erasing the medieval and 19th-century fabric almost entirely. The postwar decades attracted some of the world’s most ambitious architects — OMA/Rem Koolhaas, Jo Coenen, MVRDV, Ben van Berkel — who used the blank slate to produce iconic buildings that now draw architecture tourists from across the globe.
What you see
The Cube Houses (Kubuswoningen) by Piet Blom (1984), tilted 45 degrees above a pedestrian bridge, are the most photographed structures in the city; one is open to visitors as the Show Cube. The Markthal (2014), a horseshoe-shaped residential and market building by MVRDV, features a vast interior vaulted ceiling covered with a digitally printed food mural of 11,000 square metres. The Erasmus Bridge (1996), a cable-stayed structure nicknamed “the Swan,” connects the north and south banks of the Maas and has become the visual symbol of modern Rotterdam. The St. Laurens Church (Grote Kerk, 15th century) is the only surviving medieval building in the city centre, restored after wartime damage.
Cultural significance
Rotterdam’s post-war identity as a laboratory of architectural innovation has made it one of the most important cities for the study of 20th and 21st-century urbanism, attracting architecture biennales, academic study visits, and international media attention. The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen holds one of the great Dutch and Flemish Old Masters collections alongside a strong collection of Surrealism and contemporary art. Rotterdam is also a UNESCO Creative City of Architecture and Design, and its harbour culture and diverse population — over 170 nationalities — have shaped a vibrant contemporary arts and music scene.
Practical information
- Central Station
- Rotterdam Centraal, Stationsplein 1, 3013 AJ Rotterdam
- Cube Houses
- Overblaak 70, 3011 MH Rotterdam — check official website for opening hours
- Markthal
- Dominee Jan Scharpstraat 298, 3011 GZ Rotterdam — open daily
- Coordinates
- 51.9226° N, 4.4794° E
Getting there
Rotterdam is directly connected to Amsterdam Centraal by Intercity Direct (approximately 40 minutes) and to Brussels by Thalys/Eurostar high-speed services. Rotterdam The Hague Airport serves a range of European destinations. Within the city, Metro lines A, B, C, D, and E connect the main tourist areas; the Beurs and Blaak metro stations are most convenient for the Cube Houses and Markthal. From the port, Stena Line operates ferry services to Harwich, England.