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KPN Tower: the illuminated façade of Kop van Zuid
The KPN Tower in Rotterdam, also known as Toren op Zuid, is one of the most recognisable buildings in the modern skyline of Kop van Zuid.
The tower was designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano and completed in 2000. With a height of 96.5 metres and 23 floors, it was one of the early modern buildings that helped transform the former Wilhelminapier docks into the high-rise district we know today.
The building was constructed as a regional headquarters for telecommunications company KPN and also includes underground levels used, among other purposes, for parking.
A spectacular sloping façade
The most distinctive feature of the KPN Tower is its enormous sloping façade, visually supported by a large steel mast approximately 50 metres long.
The façade tilts by approximately six degrees, visually following the angle of the cables of the nearby Erasmusbrug. This relationship between the two designs makes the inclination one of the tower’s most distinctive architectural features.
Its design transforms the façade into a gigantic illuminated screen. A matrix of 896 lights can create figures, text, animations and different visual compositions.
A giant screen in the Rotterdam skyline
After dark, the illuminated façade makes the KPN Tower one of the most distinctive features of Rotterdam’s skyline. The lights can be used to display animations and graphic compositions visible from different parts of the city.
In 2019, the lighting system was modernised and the original green lights were replaced with RGB technology, considerably expanding the range of colours and visual compositions that can be displayed on the façade.
Some of the content displayed on the façade has been related to KPN, while other displays have carried cultural, artistic or social messages. The Willem de Kooning Academy has also participated in creating artistic expressions for the façade.
Its location beside the Erasmusbrug means that the building forms part of one of Rotterdam’s most recognisable architectural views.
KPN Tower: practical information
| ℹ️ QUICK INFORMATION | |
|---|---|
| 🏢 Building | KPN Tower / Toren op Zuid |
| ✏️ Architect | Renzo Piano |
| 📅 Completed | 2000 |
| 📏 Height | 96.5 metres |
| 🏙️ Floors | 23 |
| ⭐ Highlight | Sloping façade and illuminated screen |
| 📍 Area | Wilhelminapier, Kop van Zuid |
| 🚇 Transport | Metro and tram: Wilhelminaplein |
Other buildings in Rotterdam
Calypso | Centraal Station | Cooltoren | De Rotterdam | De Zalmhaven | Delftse Poort | Depot | Euromast | Maastoren | Markthal | Millennium Tower | WTC