Rotterdam Architecture Walking Tour

The Architecture Highlights walking tour in Rotterdam will give you a thorough sense of the big picture by delving into the details. Begin your tour on the rooftop of Het Witte Huis (on weekdays) and enjoy the city’s prominent skyline with unspoiled views over Markthal, the avant-garde Cube-Houses, the spectacular Erasmus bridge, Willems bridge, and De Rotterdam. Move on to Markthal, a sizeable feat of fun and functionality designed by MVRD. Admire the horseshoe-shaped arch and its stunning ceiling here before moving on to Grotekerkplein which was transformed into an urban park with trees and a public stage for dance and music.

See Rotterdam’s idea of a café and brasserie as you cross Dudok over on your way to Timmerhuis, an inner-city redevelopment project launched by renowned architectural firm OMA. It accommodates municipal services, offices, and residential units into one stellar pixellated steel-and-glass structure. On weekends, you will get the chance to visit its penthouse terrace which offers fantastic views of Markthal, Coolsingel boulevard, City Hall, and the city center.

The next leg of the journey includes historic and post-war monuments like the De post office and De Bijenkorf-warehouse. Cross Forum on your way to Schouwburgplein. At Kruiskadeplein you’ll get to see Groothandelsgebouw, Central Station and de Delftse Poort, followed by the remarkable Calypso, Pauluskerk and de Unie. See Sonneveld House and Het Nieuwe Instituut at Museumpark before arriving at the latest Depot Boijmans van Beuningen, a hot new piece of architecture by MVRDV, home to the world’s first public art depot. Learn all about its concept and construction, its reflecting panels creating the double-curved facade, and also about aviation engineering techniques needed to operate its huge entrance doors. Rest assured, this is a tour that will lay bare the audacity, ingenuity, and optimism required to experiment.