Kubuswoningen

Kubuswoningen: Rotterdam’s famous Cube Houses

The Kubuswoningen, better known in English as the Cube Houses, are among the most original and photographed buildings in Rotterdam. Their striking yellow cubes stand beside Blaak station, just a short walk from the Markthal and Oudehaven.

The complex was designed by Dutch architect Piet Blom and built between 1982 and 1984. It is also known as the Blaakse Bos (Blaak Forest), reflecting Blom’s unusual concept: each house represents a tree and together they form an architectural forest.

The Cube Houses have become one of Rotterdam’s best-known examples of experimental architecture and one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks.

What are the Cube Houses like inside?

The houses are built on pillars, with each cube tilted at an angle of 45 degrees. This unusual structure makes living inside very different from living in a conventional house.

Each standard Cube House has approximately 100 m² of floor space divided over three levels, although part of that space is difficult to use because of the sloping walls and windows.

The lower level normally contains the kitchen and living room, the middle level has bedrooms and a bathroom, while the upper level provides a bright space with windows offering unusual views over the surrounding buildings and Blaak.

Piet Blom’s idea: a forest within the city

Piet Blom wanted to create much more than a collection of unusual houses. His idea was to develop a small community within the city, with the homes raised above ground level so that the space underneath could remain accessible to the public.

Blom imagined each house as a tree: the supporting pillar represents the trunk and the tilted cube above it represents the crown. Together, the houses form an architectural “forest”, which explains the name Blaakse Bos.

This concept allowed Blom to combine private homes with pedestrian routes, small businesses and public spaces at ground level, creating what he described as a kind of village within the city.

Visit a Cube House inside

Although most of the Kubuswoningen are private homes, you can visit one of the houses inside.

The Kijk-Kubus (Show Cube) is furnished to demonstrate what it is like to live in a house with sloping walls, irregular spaces and windows facing in unusual directions.

You can walk through its different levels and get a much better understanding of Piet Blom’s unusual architecture. It is a relatively short visit that can easily be combined with the Markthal, Oudehaven and Witte Huis.

Kubuswoningen: practical information

Watch a video with photos of Rotterdam’s Cube Houses.

Here you can see some of the reviews visitors have left on Google about the Cube Houses.

Other monuments in Rotterdam

Bibliotheek | Groot Handelsgebouw | Hoofdpostkantoor | Hotel New York | Schielandshuis | Sint-Laurenskerk | ss Rotterdam | Stadhuis | Van Nelle | Watertoren | Witte Huis