The Kop van Zuid, especially the Wilhelminapier, is a global hotspot for modern architecture enthusiasts. Once dominated by warehouses and shipping docks, this area has been transformed by world-renowned architects such as Álvaro Siza, Renzo Piano, Francine Houben, Norman Foster, and Rotterdam native Rem Koolhaas.
The most striking landmark is undoubtedly De Rotterdam, designed by Koolhaas himself. This “vertical city” consists of three interconnected towers reaching nearly 150 meters high, housing apartments, a four-star hotel, offices, restaurants, and shops.
Amid the shimmering skyline, buildings like the Cruise Terminal and Hotel New York recall the area’s maritime past. It was from here that thousands of Europeans once departed by steamship for America. Today, Hotel New York—once the Holland-America Line headquarters—honors that legacy with its robust maritime character and historical charm.
Sources. Story: Source Story: https://rotterdam.info/gebieden/kop-van-zuid/ Photos: Source Photo: Michielverbeek, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
