Rotterdam Central Station

Rotterdam Centraal is the main railway station of the city, and it is also one of the most striking pieces of modern architecture in the Netherlands. The present building opened in 2014, after several years of construction, replacing the postwar station, and it is the work of a team of architects led by Benthem Crouwel with MVSA and West 8. The most noticeable feature is the huge, angular roof, which tilts upward over the entrance like a wedge pointing towards the city centre, so that the station seems to welcome travellers as they arrive, and this shape has become a symbol of the new Rotterdam.

The station stands on the northern edge of the city centre, close to the central business district and a good deal inland from the Nieuwe Maas river, and the frontage looks onto the Stationsplein, a large square with tram and bus stops. The interior is a high, airy hall, flooded with light from the glass of the roof and facade, with steel and stone surfaces, a spacious concourse and a large, ample number of platforms. It handles an enormous number of travellers each day, as a junction for national intercity trains, regional services, the metro and the tram lines, and it also has international connections to Belgium, France and Germany, and to London by way of Brussels.

The context is the story of Rotterdam. The city was almost entirely destroyed by German bombing in May 1940, and it was rebuilt after the war in a modern style, with wide streets and unusual buildings, becoming known as the most experimental city in the country. The previous station, which had been put up in the 1950s, was demolished, and the new one is a statement of the city's confidence. The area around the station has changed a great deal in recent years, with new offices, hotels and housing replacing a mix of older industrial and commercial buildings.

For visitors, the station is the natural starting point for exploring Rotterdam. From the front, the Markthal, the vast covered food market with its arch of apartments and its painted ceiling, is a short walk away, the Cube Houses are close, and the old Delfshaven, the Sint-Laurenskerk, the Kunsthal and the Boijmans Van Beuningen Depot can be reached by tram or metro. Shops, cafes and left luggage are available in the building.

The station suits architecture fans and everyone arriving in the city. Allow a few minutes to look at the hall and the facade before heading out.