With the gravity-defying tilt of the yellow Cube Houses to the neon, muralled horseshoe of the Markthal, Rotterdam is already well established as Europe’s most design-forward playground. But its latest addition makes all of that look downright conventional. Dutch architecture studio MVRDV has just won an international competition to design a spectacular new €240 million landmark on the banks of the river Maas.
So, what’s the winning concept? A 30,000 square metre mega structure made of seven huge, stacked boulders.
Dubbed Rotterdam Rocks, the project beat out some big names, including Heatherwick Studio, the designers behind New York’s famous honeycombed Vessel structure. The competition was dreamt up by Shift, a Dutch social enterprise that funds public projects to tackle global issues. Their brief this time around was a tall order, challenging architects to design a literal ‘new world wonder’ that actually makes people care about the climate crisis.
And MVRDV has absolutely understood the assignment. This building will feature a living, breathing vertical forest facade, specially engineered with pockets for soil, water, plants and local wildlife. The idea behind the project comes from the ‘need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and to create inclusive spaces for people, trees, plants, for water, air, and for animal habitats, balancing the need for new built space with new landscapes to compensate our ecological impact,’ MVRDV founding partner Winy Maas told Dezeen.
On the inside, the seven stacked rocks will be hollowed out into a network of immersive exhibition ‘caves,’ wrapped around a massive food court, a conference centre and a hotel. If you’re just visiting for the day, you’ll be able to climb a public walkway looping around the outside of the building to hit The Elysium, a rooftop viewing terrace with views across the city.
The landmark will serve as the crowning jewel of the upcoming Waterkant district, a brand-new sustainable neighborhood on the south bank of the river that will bring 3,500 eco-homes, schools and cultural spaces to the area.
While construction materials are still under wraps, the masterminds behind the project promise it will show the cutting edge of low-carbon building technology. There is no official opening date just yet, but with this news, you might want to start planning that 2027 Dutch city break a little early.
