One of Rotterdam’s wonders is kubuswoningen, or cube houses. When the city of Rotterdam asked architect Piet Blom to design housing on top of a pedestrian bridge, Blom designed abstract trees by turning traditional houses 45-degrees and resting them atop hexagonal pylons. The forest of homes was built in the 1980s. The houses are 100…
I felt bad for these ducks!
Many details popped out at me as I walked around Rotterdam. Some of the more interesting ones:
Walking around Rotterdam, I saw a number of intriguing touches on old buildings. I’m not sure what the significance is, but I’m guessing it’s something to do with local commerce. I was surprised to see similar touches on more modern buildings.
More than any other part of Europe, Delfshaven is a humbling reminder of how young the U.S. is. It was from this port that the Pilgrims set sail. Back in the 1600’s, a group of disgruntled Puritans left England in search of religious freedom. They ended up in Amsterdam, then Leiden, then here in Delfshaven…
Even if you aren’t that interested architecture, you will enjoy a visit to the Nederlands Architectuur Instituut to view the Dutchville exhibit. The exhibit is a unique way to experience Dutch life and is constructed using models of historical structures, industrial buildings and housing developments. A cast of six locals provides what is supposed to…
Of all the Dutch cities I’ve seen thus far, I think Rotterdam is the least spectacular. That’s not to say it’s not culturally vibrant, chock full of interesting shops and restaurants and a fun weekend getaway – it is all those things and more. I was just expecting it to be as vibrant and comfortable…