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The Daily Telegraph {Cruise Style}
Keyword:
Rotterdam
UK Saturday 15, March 2014 19 769 sq. cm ABC 530246 Daily page rate £46,000.00, scc rate £214.00 020 7931 2000
ASHORE CRUISE STYLE
Designs on Rotterdam With blooming bulbfields around the corner, Holland’s second largest city is the place to be in spring, says David Atkinson Rotterdam is one of Europe’s biggest port cities, last year handling some 76,000 cruise passengers. Many simply board buses and head into Amsterdam, but in recent years Rotterdam’s newly refurbished cruise terminal has enjoyed something of a renaissance. Waterside districts such as the up-and-coming Wilhelminaplein on the south bank of the River Maas, a mere five-minute walk from the terminal, are breathing new life into formerly derelict harbour areas. The recently opened nhow Rotterdam hotel (nhow-rotterdam.com) is the gleaming centrepiece of the Wilhelminaplein regeneration. Sailing into Rotterdam, past the new, reclaimed port area in the North Sea and the city of Schiedam, offers a fresh perspective on its modernist architecture. Largely destroyed by German bombing raids in the Second World War, Rotterdam was rebuilt in the stark Nieuwe Bouwen style popular during the post-war years.
» MAKING A STATEMENT
Since it opened in January, the dockland area’s new, skyline-defining building De Rotterdam (derotterdam.nl/en) has divided opinion. Comprising three glazed towers, it was designed by local architectural champion Rem Koolhaas as a statement on Rotterdam’s ambition. The nhow Rotterdam hotel occupies the first 23 floors and showcases artworks on white-brick walls by local artists such as Joep van Lieshout. Illuminated views across the Erasmus Bridge to the city centre are its crowning glory. To learn more about Rotterdam’s modernist architecture, book a two-hour walking tour with Rotterdam ArchiGuides
(rotterdam-archiguides.nl/en) by bike or on foot. One option explores the architecture of the Kop van Zuid area, of which Wilhelminaplein forms a part.
IN PURSUIT OF CULTURE » There are plenty of cultural diversions
around Wilhelminaplein, even for day visitors. Catch a matinee at the New Luxor Theatre (luxortheater.nl), a striking cylindrical building opposite the metro station, or a screening at Lantaren Venster (lantarenvenster.nl), an arthouse cinema and lively jazz venue. The Holland America Line ships that set sail for the New World during the golden era of transatlantic travel may have had their glory days, but the cruise line’s former warehouse, the Fiftiesbuilt Las Palmas building opposite the cruise terminal, has been saved from dereliction to reopen as a cultural hub. Event space LP2 (lp2.nl) currently houses small-scale productions by Rotterdam theatre companies and a temporary exhibition by Rotterdam Museum. Next door, the Netherlands Fotomusuem (nederlandsfotomuseum.nl) stages regular exhibitions — this spring it is showing works by Viviane Sassen (until June 1) and Carleton E Watkins (March 29-June 9). Particularly worthwhile is the Darkroom Collection, which tells the story of Dutch photography via hands-on exhibits.
GOLDEN YEARS » After exploring Wilhelminaplein, head
to Hotel New York (hotelnewyork.nl), one of the few buildings to survive the Second World War bombings. Its harbour-view restaurant makes a good lunch spot (sample local favourites such
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The Daily Telegraph {Cruise Style}
Keyword:
Rotterdam
as open sandwiches and mushroom croquettes). The hotel is full of memorabilia but be sure to poke your nose into the Balszaal, where a muralstyle map charting the original 14-day voyage across the Atlantic from Rotterdam to Ellis Island, New York, offers an evocative glimpse of the past. Sister hotel SS Rotterdam (ssrotterdam.nl/en) was once the HAL flagship. Built in the late Fifties, it is now permanently berthed in the up-andcoming Katendrecht district. Pop into the new Captains’ Lounge for a cocktail or try the “tiramisu in a cup” and then catch the Rotterdam Watertaxi (watertaxirotterdam.nl) back to Wilhelminaplein. Alternatively, pick up a copy of the Back and Forth map from the hotel and take a short, selfguided walking tour of this fastdeveloping harbour district, returning to Wilhelminaplein via the footbridge from the café hub of Deliplein.
» MUSEUM MOOCHING
If you’ve time to explore further afield, cross the Erasmus Bridge and head up towards the Museumpark district. You can catch a tram, or walk to soak up the waterfront views. First stop on the north bank of the River Maas is the newly reopened Kunsthal (kunsthal.nl) modern art museum, also designed by Koolhaas. Until May 11 it is presenting the exhibition S.H.O.E.S. Head Over Heels, including more than 500 pieces of women’s footwear by designers including Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo and Vivienne Westwood. A short stroll across Museumpark brings you to the Het Nieuwe Instituut, (hetnieuweinstituut.nl), formerly known
UK Saturday 15, March 2014 19 769 sq. cm ABC 530246 Daily page rate £46,000.00, scc rate £214.00 020 7931 2000
as the Netherlands Architecture Institute. This cultural organisation celebrates architecture, design and e-culture with exhibitions, a coffee shop and a great bookshop for design-themed browsing. Heading north to the city centre, it’s hard to miss the arch of Markthal Rotterdam (markthalrotterdam.nl/en). Inspired by the Mercado Central in Valencia, this huge indoor produce market opens in October. A local Rotterdam architectural firm is behind the arresting horseshoe design.
» COFFEE CULTURE
The best coffee shop in Rotterdam, and the place to stop for afternoon tea or an early supper, is Dudok (dudok.nl) in the central-north Laurenskwartier. Named after the architect Willem Dudok, who designed the imposing building, the café attracts custom from all walks of Rotterdam life. The unifying factor for Dudok devotees is an appreciation of the traditional Dutch apple pie, served warm with cinnamon ice cream. It’s like the edible label accompanying the plate, which reads “a Dudok original”.
State of the art: top, artist’s impression of Markthal Rotterdam, due to open in October; above, Erasmus Bridge
Way to go }Holland America Line offers a seven-night Norse Legends cruise, departing Rotterdam for Norway on May 10, 2014. From £598pp cruise only (0843 374 2300; hollandamerica.com). }Viking River Cruises offers a 10-day Tulips and Windmills cruise with stops at Hoorn, Arnhem, Antwerp, Bruges and Rotterdam, departing March 28 and April 6, 2014. From £2,995pp including flights (0800 319 6660; vikingrivercruises.co.uk)
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The Daily Telegraph {Cruise Style}
Keyword:
Rotterdam
UK Saturday 15, March 2014 19 769 sq. cm ABC 530246 Daily page rate ÂŁ46,000.00, scc rate ÂŁ214.00 020 7931 2000
Reproduced by Gorkana under licence from the NLA (newspapers), CLA (magazines), FT (Financial Times/ft.com) or other copyright owner. No further copying (including printing of digital cuttings), digital reproduction/forwarding of the cutting is permitted except under licence from the copyright owner. All FT content is copyright The Financial Times Ltd.
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