When I visited Rotterdam, I expected an industrial city. I had pre-conceive notions that it would be like any other major industrial city. However, I was so wrong!
As well as interesting architecture, Rotterdam appears to love its public art. As with the buildings, there is art around almost every corner. Art in green space as in many cities ….
… art on walls …
… art on street corners …
… and even a Picasso!
There was public art everywhere, most of it very good and together with the architectural style it made Rotterdam a very pleasant city to walk around. The architectural style of the city centre was eclectic to say the least. Every building inspired me to take a photo of it, each building was different from the previous one. One noteable feature was the mixture of uses that each building was put to. Most buildings seemed to have shops, offices and flats. One even had a two storey bicycle park!
This mixed use meant that the city centre was always busy and vibrant. Everything was lit up – even the cranes were lit up at night! Restaurants surrounded the marinas and there was a lot of life everywhere. This visit completely changed my preconceptions about this city.
Julie Fielding 