Architecture

In this section, you can see the most notable examples of modern architecture in Rotterdam. Click on the images for more information.

Rotterdam was under server bombardments during the Second World War, first by the Germans in 1940 and later in 1943 by the Allied forces. The city lost over 26,000 homes and more than 6,000 buildings, leaving much of the city center destroyed.

That’s why Rotterdam has very little old architecture like Amsterdam or The Hague.

After the liberation in 1945, instead of rebuilding the city as it was, Rotterdam chose to embrace modern architecture. With fewer historic buildings remaining, Rotterdam became a testing ground for new building styles.

The reconstruction was fast, giving the city’s residents the opportunity to create a new and better Rotterdam.

Rotterdam’s reputation as a city of the future was confirmed when it was included in Lonely Planet’s list of the top 10 cities to visit in 2016. They described it as “a real open-air gallery of modern, postmodern, and contemporary construction.”

From the 1950s De Bijenkorf department store to the 1980s Cube Houses, the Kunsthal and Erasmus Bridge in the 1990s, and recent projects like De Rotterdam, the Timmerhuis, the new Central Station, the impressive Markthal, and Depot Rotterdam, you’ll find exceptional architectural gems in Rotterdam.

Designer Daan Roosegaarde, known for his innovative ideas like glow-in-the-dark roads and a tower that cleans toxic fog, said this about the city:

“Rotterdam is the city with the most courage and curiosity to explore the new world.”

“For me, it’s not just about building more buildings, but about adding more information and experience to the city,” he added. “For example, why can’t we connect all the existing streetlights to simple sensors, so they light up as you walk by, and turn off when there’s no one around? These are the new types of icons we’re talking about.”

According to Roosegaarde, there will be more construction projects in the city over the next 10 to 15 years, a mix of government-funded plans and new developments. Rotterdam is a city that dares to explore the new world, Roosegaarde said.