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.