History Rotterdam

The Wittehuis

Europe’s first skyscraper, built before skyscrapers were cool.

1 min readWijnhaven 3a

Listen to this story

Narrated audio from our Rotterdam tour

The Witte Huis is a striking monument in Rotterdam’s skyline. Designed by the Van der Schuyt brothers, G.H. and H.M., this office building was constructed in 1897, inspired by American architecture. At 43 meters tall, it was briefly the tallest building in Europe.

Remarkably, the Witte Huis survived the 1940 bombing of Rotterdam—one of the few central buildings to remain standing. In the 1990s, careful restoration efforts brought the façade and roof back to their original glory.

Its front façade features five statues by artist Simon Miedema, representing Progress, Industry, Agriculture, Trade, and Maritime Power—the foundations of this monumental structure.

While the Witte Huis is not open for public tours, visitors can enjoy a modern experience on the ground floor at Grand Café and Cocktail Bar Restaurant Elit, blending history with contemporary city life.

Map showing Wijnhaven 3a, 3011 WG Rotterdam
Wijnhaven 3a, 3011 WG RotterdamRotterdam
Get directions

Sources. Story: Source Story: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witte_Huis_(Rotterdam) Photos: Source Photo: Creative Commons Attribution 1.0 Generic license.

Hear it where it happened

Rotterdam is an open-air museum. Walk it with ROODS.

The Wittehuis is one stop on our map of Rotterdam. Open ROODS in your browser, walk to a pin and the story plays.

  • Stories on a map, with narrated audio
  • Walk at your own pace, stop where you like
  • Runs in your browser. An app is optional.

More stories nearby

More from Rotterdam →

Walk a route in Rotterdam

See all routes →