Europe’s culture vultures know Rotterdam as the architectural capital of the Netherlands. Among the Dutch themselves, however, the city tends to be frowned upon as an “ugly working-class city”. Amsterdam, on the other hand, is considered chic and its beautiful old town attracts masses of tourists from all over the world. Our Baumeister Academy winner tells us why Rotterdam is more charming than you might think. I have three […]
Europe’s culture vultures know Rotterdam as the architectural capital of the Netherlands. Among the Dutch themselves, however, the city tends to be frowned upon as an “ugly working-class city”. Amsterdam, on the other hand, is considered chic and its beautiful old town attracts masses of tourists from all over the world. Our Baumeister Academy winner tells us why Rotterdam is more charming than you might think.
I lived in Amsterdam myself for three months and really enjoyed the scenery and the “Dutch lifestyle”. However, tourists overcrowd the city center so much that even cycling becomes a pain in the neck. Rotterdam, whose old town was heavily bombed during the Second World War, is much more relaxed with its wide streets. Rotterdam is almost a relief after all the cute typical Dutch brick houses and canals. It is the only city in the Netherlands that is really different. The city is authentic, with all the nooks and crannies that make it special. There is constant change, with lots of potential for development, especially around the old port areas and in the city center. At least since the construction of the iconic Erasmus Bridge, which connects the southern part of the city with the city center proper. In the meantime, Rotterdam’s prestigious “mini-Manhattan” has emerged with the Wilhelminapier, where well-known architects such as Rem Koolhaas, Norman Foster, Alvaro Siza and Renzo Piano are represented. The last vacant building plot will soon be completed by MVRDV’s “The Sax”, a multifunctional residential building.
Amsterdam also has modern architecture to offer, albeit somewhat outside the old town. For example, the “Zuidas” office district in the south of the city or the areas around the central station north of the old town, on both sides of the large river “Ijs”. The demand for high-quality living space close to the city center is high, which is why it is currently expensive to build in Amsterdam. This can also be seen in MVRDV projects such as “The Valley”, a residential and office building planned in the Zuidas with elaborate glass and natural stone façades. The building stretches upwards like a mountain landscape.
Up-and-coming Rotterdam
In Rotterdam, on the other hand, things had to be cheap until a few years ago. Perhaps it is precisely this pressure that has led to ingenuity. MVRDV’s impressive market hall, for example, is only profitable thanks to the combination of two typologies, as they support each other. The residential complex forms the roof of the hall. But things are slowly getting more expensive in Rotterdam: since 2014 – partly due to the opening of the market hall, which has contributed to continuous visitor records – the housing market has been changing rapidly. A lot of new housing for middle and high income groups is being built around the Wilhelminapier, which is also having a positive impact on areas further south, such as the former red light district of Katendrecht. For example, the hip and expensive “Fenix Food Factory”, a local food market, was built in an old warehouse. Overall, the range of cultural and leisure activities on offer in Rotterdam has increased.
The port and working-class city is changing for the better, and at a rapid pace. Young architects, designers and artists have already conquered it.
Although I really enjoyed Amsterdam’s nightlife and the many museums, I now feel much more at home in Rotterdam – this is where I belong, among the international creatives, in a city where not everything has to be perfect.
