The Vanguard Port: The Artistic Face of Rotterdam

With its bold silhouette and resilient soul, Rotterdam, the most modern city in the Netherlands, reinvents itself each decade as a laboratory of ideas, forms, and expressions. Born anew from the rubble of World War II, the city has become one of Europe’s most compelling cultural hubs, where art and architecture move hand in hand in a continuous spectacle of innovation.

FENIX MUSEUM OF MIGRATION

The latest gem in Rotterdam’s cultural scene is the FENIX Museum of Migration, inaugurated in May 2025. Housed in a former harbor warehouse, the historic building was transformed by the Chinese architecture firm MAD Architects into a true ode to human movement. The location itself is deeply symbolic: it was from this very spot that ships of the Holland-America Line once departed, carrying millions of Europeans toward the so-called “New World.”

At the heart of FENIX, a monumental spiral steel staircase connects the two floors, evoking both the grandeur of the Vatican staircase, where paths never cross, and its conceptual opposite: here, the structure reflects and invites encounter. Highlights include a haunting installation of suitcases with narrative tags, each one telling the story of a real migrant, and powerful works by artists such as Ai Weiwei, Shirin Neshat, Do Ho Su, and William Kentridge. FENIX is not just a museum, it is a poetic and urgent space about belonging, identity, and the journeys that make us human.

Click here for a full review of the FENIX Museum of Migration

DEPOT BOIJMANS VAN BEUNINGEN

At the heart of the city’s arts scene stands the striking Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility. Designed by the architecture firm MVRDV, the inverted bowl-shaped mirrored building reflects both the surrounding city and the museum’s role itself: to be a mirror of art. Housing more than 150,000 works from the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum’s collection, currently undergoing renovation, the Depot invites visitors behind the scenes of conservation, curation, and the organization of one of Europe’s most comprehensive collections, which includes masters such as Bruegel, Bosch, Van Eyck, Rubens, Rembrandt, Dalí, and contemporary icons like Anselm Kiefer and Yayoi Kusama.

KUNSTHAL ROTTERDAM

Designed by Rem Koolhaas and his firm OMA, it stands as an icon of contemporary architecture. The museum operates as a gallery for outstanding temporary exhibitions, moving elegantly between fashion, photography, design, and visual arts. Its design blends industrial materials with unexpected lines, creating a fluid and thought-provoking journey. Performance art takes center stage in an auditorium specially created to host immersive installations.

HET NIEUWE INSTITUUT

Het Nieuwe Instituut brings together architecture, design, and digital culture in immersive and thought-provoking experiences. The museum also houses the Sonneveld House, an impeccably restored modernist residence that offers a deep dive into Dutch design from the 1930s.

CREATIVITY AROUND EVERY CORNER

MARKTHAL

The striking Markthal, designed by the MVRDV studio, combines a gourmet market and an urban art gallery beneath a monumental arch covered in 11,000 square meters of digital murals created by Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam.

CUBE HOUSES

The iconic Cube Houses (Kubuswoningen), designed by architect Piet Blom, appear to float on stilts at impossible angles, challenging both logic and the eye. One of the houses is open to visitors, revealing the ingenious use of interior space.

ERASMUSBRUG

Known as “The Swan” for its elegant form, this is Rotterdam’s most famous bridge and a symbol of the city. Designed by architect Ben van Berkel of UNStudio, it connects the city center with the south side. Its futuristic design embodies the union of port heritage and urban innovation.

EUROMAST TOWER

Designed by Hugh Maaskant, this 185-meter observation tower offers panoramic views of the entire city and is a classic example of the golden age of post-war Dutch modernist architecture. For the adventurous, it’s even possible to descend by abseiling or zipline.

LIJNBAAN

The world’s first pedestrian-only shopping street, also designed by Hugh Maaskant, introduced a new urban planning concept centered on the human experience. Today, it is recognized as Modern Heritage of the Netherlands.

HET WITTE HUIS

Before the 1940 bombing, Rotterdam was a city of Art Nouveau and Belle Époque styles. One of the few structures to survive is the Het Witte Huis (The White House), one of the first skyscrapers in Europe, standing 43 meters tall with an eclectic architectural influence.

SS ROTTERDAM

A transatlantic ocean liner turned hotel-museum, the SS Rotterdam belonged to the Holland-America Line and was launched in 1959. It’s a nostalgic journey into the glamorous golden era of sea travel.

KOP VAN ZUID & WILHELMINAPIER

A former port area reimagined through the work of renowned architects such as Renzo Piano, Norman Foster, and Rem Koolhaas. This district symbolizes the city’s urban renaissance, seamlessly blending housing, culture, and commerce.

Rotterdam is a city with roots deeply anchored in the ideas that shape our present. Exploring it demands keen eyes, a slower pace, and an open mind. It is a true European capital of creative thinking.

Sapiens Travel DMC’s itineraries in Rotterdam can be tailored to specific interests such as Art, Architecture, and Gastronomy, and can be seamlessly combined with visits to cities like Gouda or historic windmill complexes such as Kinderdijk.