Rotterdam shows that it’s Holland’s most progressive city

Rotterdam doesn’t look like an old European city. It doesn’t even really look like a Dutch city. The largest port in the world is here, and this vibrant trading centre on the west coast of The Netherlands has always been bustling with fresh ideas.

When buying property in Amsterdam, there are things you can and cannot do to its historic buildings. There are regulations on the colour of paint used on the façade, the number of holes that can be drilled in the wood and so on.

Rotterdam, on the other hand, just rips their architectural experiments down if they don’t like them and sling something else up in its place. This attitude can be basically attributed to the fact that during WWII, the city was flattened, caught fire and nothing really remained.

The clean palette given to the town has been used in a way unique to other Dutch cities. There are skyscrapers.

As architectural experimentation evolved here, more and more architects came to town to work.

This year will see a year of architecture, where various events and cultural events will take place.

Check out www.rotterdam2007.nl for the full list of activities. No lover of architecture should miss it.