Rotterdam

Located in the province of South Holland, Rotterdam (which literally means the “dam on the River” Rotte) is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. The Port of Rotterdam is the largest seaport in Europe. Unlike the rest of the Netherlands, during World War II, the entire city was completely destroyed. Instead of repairing the old buildings, city planners decided instead to create a hub for modern architecture. One of these unique structures is known as The Cube Houses, designed by Dutch architect Piet Boom; they were built in 1977 as residential housing, but also include small shops, offices and a playground for children. While they look very distorted and at 45 degree angles from the outside, they are said to be quite livable on the inside. While there, I spent a lot of time looking at and photographing these unique (bizarre) homes, along with some boats and of course a bicycle. I think the cubes would make for some fun art in a contemporary home or office.