The 10 Most Impressive Buildings in Rotterdam

Rotterdam’s city center is built around skyscrapers, high-rises, and other tall examples of modern architecture, which is different from most cities in the Netherlands. Even though many of these buildings are privately owned, there are a few that are open to the public right now.

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The Euromast

The famous Euromast building in Rotterdam was finished in 1960. Until 1968, it was known as the tallest building in the city. Two years later, an extra spire was added to this towering modernist work of art, making it 85 meters taller. Even though the Euromast is much smaller than most other buildings in Rotterdam, it is still one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.

The Most Impressive Buildings in Rotterdam — The Euromast | © Hanno Lans / Flickr

Erasmus Bridge

Erasmus Bridge is often called the Swan because of its unique, asymmetrical shape and pale, curved arch. As the bridge’s deck connects the northern and southern sides of the Nieuwe Maas river, most of central Rotterdam can see its huge steel cables.

The cube houses

The strange cube-shaped buildings behind Rotterdam’s Oude Haven waterfront are actually homes. Their slanted facades were made to maximize living space. The architect who made these houses based them on a forest, with each cube standing in for a single tree in the forest as a whole. Even though most of these houses are occupied at the moment, one of them has a small museum in it.

Markthal

In 2014 Queen Máxima unveiled Rotterdam’s newest market hall. This huge, horseshoe-shaped building was made by the top Dutch architectural firm MVRDV. It is decorated with one of the world’s largest works of art, Hoorn des Overvloeds (Horn of Plenty), which covers the entire inner ceiling of Markthal. The Markthal has more than just market stalls and kiosks. It also has hundreds of offices and apartments.

Maastoren

The Maastoren in Rotterdam is the tallest building in the Netherlands. Its highest point is 165 meters high. Since it was finished in 2006, this huge skyscraper has won many architectural awards and is often called one of the most impressive modern buildings in the Benelux region.

New Luxor Theater

In 1996, Rotterdam’s Luxor Theater decided to build a new movie theater in the city. To choose the best design, they held an architectural competition. The winning entry was built right away, and it successfully pays homage to the architecture of movie theaters while also paying close attention to new trends in structural design.

Hotel New York

The well-known Hotel New York in Rotterdam was one of the first businesses to open in the city’s Kop van Zuid neighborhood, which is now full of tall skyscrapers. Before it was turned into a hotel, the building belonged to an oceanic ferry company that took Dutch people across the Atlantic. Today, the hotel is a national monument because it was built in a beautiful Art Nouveau style.

Centraal Station

Rotterdam’s city government started building a new central station in 2004 to handle the growing number of trains that go through the city. It was finally finished and opened in 2014. After it opened to the public, this state-of-the-art terminal became an instant landmark in Rotterdam.

Witte Huis

During World War II, most of the historic city center of Rotterdam was destroyed by airstrikes, but some older buildings were still standing. The Witte Huis, which was built in 1898 using Art-Nouveau style, is probably the most well-known building in central Rotterdam that was built before World War II.

Netherlands Architecture Institute

As its name suggests, the Netherlands Architecture Institute is home to a number of projects related to Dutch building design. These include a museum, a bookshop, and lecture halls. The organization’s current headquarters were built in 1998. They were made to fit in with the modern skyline of Rotterdam while paying homage to older Dutch architecture.

Topic: The 10 Most Impressive Buildings in Rotterdam

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