The Green City

The climate will change dramatically in the coming years. The risk of floods, heat waves and extreme dry periods is increasing. A climate-proof city is a city that is prepared for this. But what solutions do we have for this? And at the same time, how do we ensure that we also live more sustainably in the city? What will our food supply look like in the future, how do we move in a sustainable city and what building materials are used to build new buildings. In short, how do we make the ‘city of tomorrow’ a place where life is pleasant for people and nature.

Join UrbanGuides through the city center of Rotterdam and see how many developments and applications are underway to make the city center of Rotterdam livable and climate-proof. Greening the city, improving water quality, more sustainable construction and better use of the available land. Look with new eyes at the city center that continues to reinvent itself.

To surprise you, we offer The Green City in two different parts of the city center, namely in the oldest part of the city center with the greening of the Grote Kerkplein, the roof plan o f the De Heuvel Building and the spectacular Rif010 with inland water projects such as the fish ladder at the Leuvekolk.

Another interesting part of the city center is the transition area (around Hofplein station) from the center to North Rotterdam, where a lot of experiments are being done with greening and making this raw part of Rotterdam climate-proof. Here we find a series of sustainable projects such as the DakAkker, the Waterplein as a water collection facility in the form of a schoolyard and numerous other green interventions, with the future highlight being a 1.9 kilometer long park on an elevated railway viaduct.

Tip! For more interest in green, circular and sustainable development and construction, the Ecowijk Leonidas and Erasmus Campus excursion is highly recommended!

Type

Walking Tour

Prijs/Duur

€210,- ex 21% btw
2 hours
Max 15 persons per guide

Start Locatie

In consultation

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Urban Renewel Central District, Hofbogen and ZoHO

Rotterdam’s Central District has undergone an impressive transformation in recent years, from a neglected area between Central Station and the former Hofplein Station to a lively station area. This transformation was partly initiated by the architectural firm ZUS, in which their striking 350-metre long wooden pedestrian bridge, De Luchtsingel, served as a connecting element for this urban development and created enormous dynamics in the area.

The Luchtsingel was not just an infrastructure project, but a catalyst for further urban interventions, including connecting the new Rotterdam Central Station with the renovated Hofplein Station. The success of the Luchtsingel led to a broader redevelopment, in which a diverse mix of start-ups, cultural institutions, music venues and green initiatives, such as the DakAkker, Het Luchtpark on a former station stop, and the repurposing of the Hofbogen, further enriched the area .

In the meantime, parts of the Luchtsingel have been demolished, but that does not alter the fact that the Central District is on the eve of major new developments. What stands out is the transformation of the infamous Hofplein traffic circle into a car-free strolling park, part of the 7 City Projects, from Weena to Coolsingel. It doesn’t stop there, because other projects such as the new residential/work building The Modernist by MVRDV, the renovation of Delftseblok and the spectacular rooftopgarden of the elevated Hofbogen railway viaduct across Rotterdam North are also in the starting blocks or are already in development.

The tour can be expanded with an additional loop through the new ZoHo. A future lively district with a mix of residential buildings, work and entertainment places for the ‘urban creative’ in a former industrial reconstruction neighborhood Zomerhofkwartier.

For all people professionally interested in placemaking, this part of Rotterdam offers both inspiration and examples for future urban projects, in which sustainability, innovation, multifunctionality and social impact are central.

An additional visit to DakAkker is possible, but with an extra fee of €12,50 ex VAT per group.

UrbanGuides has been located in this part of the city since 2010 and sees the area changing on a daily basis!

Tip: Interested in the green side of urban development? Check out our Green City tours!

Type

Walking Tour

Prijs/Duur

€ 160,- excl. BTW per guide
1.5 hour
Max 15 persons per guide

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Van Nelle Factory – UNESCO World Heritage

Along the bank of the Delfshavense Schie lies a remarkable UNESCO World Heritage site: the Van Nelle Factory. This unique building from 1931 is considered to be the symbol of Dutch modernism.

In the 1920s, the Rotterdam company Van Nelle decided to build a new, large factory on the edge of the city. The existing, dark and poorly ventilated buildings in the city center would make way for a progressive design that approached air, light and space in a revolutionary way. The result was a masterpiece of modern architecture that even Le Corbusier said during a visit to the factory: “the most beautiful spectacle of modern times”. To this day, the Van Nelle Factory is without a doubt one of the most special factory buildings in the Netherlands.

Would you like to discover for yourself why this building is so unique? UrbanGuides has been offering exclusive tours of this ‘glass palace’ since 2004. During an hour-long tour you will learn everything about the architecture, the history of Van Nelle, the production process in the factory and the impressive transformation into a new future as a business complex and event location.

Join one of our expert (architecture) guides and discover why this groundbreaking design was not only a milestone in architectural history, but remains an international source of inspiration to this day.

More interest, more time; If you are extra eager and want to hear more, the tour can be extended to 1.5 hours. The factory stands for so much more; for example technology, social history, colonial past and the special relationship with the famous design school Bauhaus. In short, enough to talk about further.

Public Tours; Are you going out alone or in a small group? You can also join one the public tours we organize during the weekends with the Chabot Museum. Please look here for more information.

Interested in more Dutch Modernism? The also visit the social housing project The Kiefhoek.

Type

Building Tour

Prijs/Duur

€ 100,- excl. BTW per guide and € 2,50- entree per person excl. btw
1 hour
Max 15 persons per guide

Start Locatie

Van Nelleweg 1

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Excursion M4H Rotterdam

Discover this huge tranformation of the city port or Rotterdam!

Take an excursion through the dynamic M4H area in Rotterdam and discover the developments of this exciting port area. The M4H area, located in Rotterdam West on the border with Schiedam is the epicenter of the city transformation. Here the old port area comes together with a lively mix of young entrepreneurs, creative initiatives and industrial heritage.

What was once the heart of the port of Rotterdam will be transformed in the coming years in such a way that by 2032 we can expect a completely new district where people can live, work, study or enjoy art and culture.

In the meantime, the shift of port activities outside the city offers space for new developments and innovative projects. The M4H area, together with the RDM Campus, forms the Rotterdam Makers District. A space where the manufacturing industry of startups, sustainable entrepreneurs, artists and young makers flourishes.

During the excursion you will get a glimpse into the rich history of the M4H and discover icons such as the HAKA building, the Citrus Auction, the Departures Hall Oranjelijn and the Europoint Towers. The route also takes you past special pioneer locations such as the Floating Farm, the Keilepand and Brutus by Atelier van Lieshout. You will be accompanied by a professional guide from UrbanGuides, who will tell you everything about the history of the early 20th century general cargo port and current developments such as the future new Merwehaven city district for 2,500 new homes.

Book a Tour! For reservations and more information about the tours, you can contact the RDM information centre via telephone number 0031 10 – 252 44 72 or by sending an e-mail to rondleidingenrdm@portofrotterdam.com.

Tip! If you want to see the other side the river with the beautiful former headquarters of the RDM, then book our RDM Campus tour. Every 15 minutes there’s is a ferry from M4H to the RDM-Campus site.

Type

Walking Tour

Prijs/Duur

On request
Max 15 persons per guide

Start Locatie

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Around the Rijnhaven

Looking out from the Veerhaven over the Southbank of the Meuse, you’ll see an architecture spectacle that could be best described as almost un-Dutch. No modest housing projects on the Wilhelmina pier or Katendrecht nowadays! You’d sooner imagine yourself standing in the docklands of London, New York or Shanghai. And the impressive skyline of Rotterdam is still growing day by day.

The high rise on the Wilhelmina pier and Katendrecht are the result of some 30 years of urban development around the former Rijn harbour. A big change was brought along by the Erasmus bridge, which made the Southbank instantly so much more accessible. The Wilhelmina pier started to develop itself from a deserted dockland into a mundane part of the city centre. World-famous architects, such as Rem Koolhaas, Alvaro Siza Vieira and sir Norman Foster left their landmarks at the pier.

In the meantime, it is precisely new buildings such as Floating Office and the Fenixlofts that provide the Rijnhaven their spectacular image.

They don’t sit still at the other site of the harbour, either. With the construction of Fenix, the first museum in the world that tells the story of migration through art, and the transformation of the old Santos warehouse from 1903 into the new Dutch Photo Museum, Katendrecht gains two new icons. In addition, Katendrecht is also a very special residential area in the middle of the port. With its infamous dockland as the past and its shiny new architectural designs as a promise for the near future.

In an architecture tour with UrbanGuides, you’ll walk along the Wilhelmina pier and Katendrecht, crossing spectacular residential towers, monumental warehouses, industrial silos and cargo bike neighbourhoods. A professional guide will tell you everything there is to know about the historical land future developments of these areas and who was at the base of these plans. The architecture of a harbour city at its best!

Extra visit informationcentre Rijnhaven; Using information panels and a spectacular model, the municipality outlines the ambitions and conditions for how the Rijnhaven will further develop in the short term into a sustainable place to stay with a lot of attention and space for greenery. An UrbanGuides guide can explain the plans further.

Tip! interested in more exciting developments of the city ports of Rotterdam, UrbanGuides can also arrange excursions in the Maritime District, Lloydkwartier or M4H area.

Type

Walking Tour

Prijs/Duur

€ 210,- excl. BTW per guide
2 hours
Max 15 persons per guide

Start Locatie

In consultation

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The Kiefhoek

Rotterdam is home to quite a few hidden pearls of modernism, most famous one is of course Van Nelle Factory. Many of these can be found just slightly outside the city centre and are thus not always easy to find and explore. The former working-class neighbourhood the Kiefhoek, for instance, is set on the Southbank of the river Meuse, hidden from view by a busy road and a small dyke.

The Kiefhoek is the undisputed highlight of modernism within the context of Rotterdam’s vast collection of social housing projects. It was with this residential area from 1927 that J. J. P. Oud made a name for himself as a modern architect. Oud created a standardized floor plan for the 294 houses that were supposed to be built in Rotterdam-South so that the project would come along rather quickly and, even more important, inexpensive.

The houses were small, but very practically furnished with all kinds of built-in elements, such as cupboards, a small fireplace and a useful coat rack that was, at the same time, serving the purpose of a hat shelf. Oud also made a matching design for several of the neighbourhood’s central facilities, like the two eye-catching shops, a boiler house and a church.

A tour of the Kiefhoek starts at the unique house museum, which gives you a good insight into the history of the architecture and its clever features. The house is set on the edge of the Hendrik Ido square and is only open to groups guided by an Urban- or MuseumGuide. After visiting the house museum, you’ll be exploring the rest of the remarkable project. Along the way, a professional guide will tell you all about this revolutionary urban development project by architect Oud.

Tip! During the Rotterdam Architecture Month and Open Monument Day, the museum house can always be visited as an individual visitor.

There are also other special social housing and garden villages around the Kiefhoek. You can discover these individually via this walking route that UrbanGuides created on behalf of Open Monument Day. It is also very interesting to combine the Kiefhoek with a visit to Garden Village Vreewijk.

Hungry for more Modernism in Rotterdam? Be sure to visit the Van Nelle Factory, located in Rotterdam-West.

Type

Building Tour

Prijs/Duur

€ 125,- ex. VAT per guide
1 hour
Max 15 persons per guide

Start Locatie

Hendrik Idoplein 2

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Garden village Vreewijk

This ‘pretty village’ in the city, located in the Feijenoord district, was built over a hundred years ago as one of the first and largest garden cities in the Netherlands. Together with M.J. Grandpré-Molière and A.J.Th. Kok, in particular architect Pieter Verhagen, took care of the beautiful urban development and green structure of Tuindorp Vreewijk.

In recent years, many homes have been modernized and the streetscape has been returned to its authentic state. In addition, this green oasis in Rotterdam houses the highest density of national monuments. From homes, gardens to school buildings have been awarded this most important title.

UrbanGuides takes you past dwellings, gardens, schools, canals, parks in ‘the garden of Rotterdam’ and discover the power and beauty of one of the city’s most special residential areas.

A visit to the garden village of Vreewijk can always be combined with a lunch or a drink at the historic restaurant Het Witte Paard.

Tip! Discover another amazing neighborhood in the South of Rotterdam named The Kiefhoek.

Type

Walking Tour

Prijs/Duur

€160,- ex VAT
1,5 uur
Max 15 persons per guide

Start Locatie

Groenezoom 245, 3075 GD Rotterdam

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