The Kop van Zuid is the former industrial harbour area of Rotterdam. On it you can find the former management building of the Holland-Amerika Lijn. It was founded in 1873 to transfer emigrants to the land of unlimited possibilities by boat. For centuries, Rotterdam has been a starting point for Dutch people who wanted to build a new life in overseas continents.
In the 1980s Rotterdam made a ‘leap over the river’ to connect the two sides of Rotterdam. The South of Rotterdam had been in decline: the harbours are no longer suitable for modern times and the area is becoming desolate. The idea was to restructure the area and to connect the North to the South. The main driver behind the redesign was Riek
The ambitious program consisted of approximately 5,300 homes, 400,000 square metres of offices, 60,000 square metres of recreational and cultural facilities and 35,000 square metres of retail space. The program is broadly divided into two strips situated at right angles to each other: the Wilhelminapier and the Spoorweghaven. The Wilhelminapier is transformed into a ‘Manhattan on the Maas’ and is recognisable due to its high rises such as De Rotterdam by OMA and Montevideo by Mecanoo. The Spoorweghaven and the quay area along it are converted into residential areas. In addition a large number of public facilities has been added, such as the Wilhelminahof, the new Luxor Theater and a new metro station.
Tip
Interested in Film or Music? Then check out the program of LantarenVenster
Sources
Architectuurgids. (z.d.). Stedenbouwkundig plan Kop van Zuid. http://www.architectuurgids.nl/project/list_projects_of_architect/arc_id/1099/prj_id/319
StadsarchiefRotterdam. (n.d.). Kop van Zuid. Stadsarchief Rotterdam. https://stadsarchief.rotterdam.nl/apps/stadsarchief.nl/zoek-en-ontdek/themas/kop-van-zuid/
Van Bekkum, D. (2021, September 9). In Rotterdamse wijken komt tot helft van verkochte woningen in handen van beleggers. Volkskrant.nl. https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-achtergrond/in-rotterdamse-wijken-komt-tot-helft-van-verkochte-woningen-in-handen-van-beleggers~b96b3f82/