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COLOURFUL PING-PONG TABLES IN GROOT HANDELSGEBOUW
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© Antim Photography Step inside the Groot Handelsgebouw and you’ll be treated to one of the most colourful exhibitions anywhere in Rotterdam, set up as part of the Collision Project art platform. In the first issue of RCD Magazine, we introduced you to Saïd Kinos, the artist who created a kaleidoscopic artwork for this platform. Last October, the historic building’s owner, Jamestown, invited twenty artists to unleash their creativity on twenty blank ping-pong tables in honour of the 20th edition of Dutch Design Week. The result is a sea of colour and expression. It also reflects Jamestown’s mission to make its buildings more than just places to work. As important are perception, creativity and interaction. The tables, which are part of the Collision Project, can be viewed free of charge during office hours.
FIRST FOREST GARDEN IN RCD
During one of the last lazy days of summer a mini forest garden was planted in the city’s second hottest spot: the RCD car park outside Biergarten.
What’s a forest garden, you ask? It’s a ‘forest’ created by people to produce food. All of the plants are perennials, so there’s a harvest year on year with minimal effort. By creating different layers of planting, you can pack every square foot with loads of edibles, including fruits, nuts, herbs, veg and even flowers. Very soon, there will be all sort of green things shooting up in this tiny slice of the Central District: an apple tree, redcurrant bushes, perennial vegetables, herbs and edible flowers. The diversity of planting will also draw new critters, while the healthy forest soil will help to capture excess water from heavy rainfalls. Which in turn will cool the city on hot summer days!
The forest garden is an initiative of Rotterdam Central District and Groene Morgen and was planted in August 2021 by Stefan Herwig of Buro Kruisbestuiving, which also did the design. Know of other spots in RCD that could use a green upgrade? Don’t wait: get in touch so we can roll out a living green carpet across the district, one parcel at a time.
© Municipality of Rotterdam
Hofplein and Weena are cornerstones of central Rotterdam. The former qualifies as one of the city’s most iconic urban spaces, while the latter could be called La Défense of Rotterdam, conceived as “a truly grand entrance” into the city. Both are structures that have gone through multiple redevelopments and in which a multiplicity of visions for the city come together. Although the modern-day cityscape is dominated by relatively new buildings, some urban developments go back centuries.
The municipality of Rotterdam recently commissioned a survey of the cultural history of Weena and Hofplein. The survey looked into the unique spatial and functional characteristics of this important piece of the city centre, the value and significance of its historic layers and how these values can inform choices about the future. The survey will provide a cultural-historical guideline for various spatial developments planned in RCD.
Read the survey (in Dutch) on: www.rotterdam-centraldistrict.nl
