Today was our second to last day in Rotterdam, and we finally got to see more of the city. On the previous days, we had activities that took us to other cities or locations, but I really enjoyed getting to see where we have been staying and to be able to orient myself a little more. We started out by getting a tour of some local gardens, in particular a rooftop garden called Dakakker. These gardens are a part of a citywide effort to make public areas more beautiful while also creating ways to preserve rainwater.
This project was started by people sending in plants to be planted around the city; on a rooftop, old train station, and park. One of the projects was called Zoho, which is pictured below. This is a green area that serves as water storage for the plants there. There are water containers in the letters that slowly release the water through the ground as the plants need it.
This water is collected through a system of water basins that collect rainwater from various areas around the city. The water lands in the channels that lead to a water basin, which is then drained into a canal. This initiative was put into place in order to prepare for increased climate change in the future. It replaces stones with greenery, which allows for the spaces to better hold up to heavier rain and extreme temperatures.
The main building with the rooftop garden, Dakakker, used to be insurance company offices but was turned into a multi-use building with a beautiful garden on top. The roof is made of many different layers to make sure it can withstand the weight of the plants as well as the water required to keep them alive. This is done by placing a root resistant layer first, to keep the roots from growing into the roof. Then, there is a water storage layer with the soil on top. This allows for there to be the necessary water without too much water that the roof caves in. The plants on the roof are mostly edible flowers, and there are also bee containers. They utilize the compost by throwing in discarded plants that get eaten by the worms and are then turned into “Rotterdam Watershit”, which is a fertilizer. This is obviously very sustainable, as the garden produces some edible things while also reusing waste to make a marketable product to help other people grow plants. Additionally, the bees pollinate flowers in and around the gardens, which contributes to the ecological health of the entire city.
The next part of our morning was a tour led by our long-term tour guide, Brian. He led us around the city center and told us about the history of Rotterdam as well as some things about how the city has tried to move towards sustainability. We started at City Hall, which is one of very few original structures remaining in Rotterdam from before it got bombed in 1940. We learned that Rotterdam is different from many of the other Dutch cities, especially Amsterdam, because of the bombing, as all of the old medieval buildings were burned to the ground and modern skyscrapers now replace them.
We learned how the city grew quickly after taking over from Amsterdam as the major port city, and how the warehouses and shipbuilding industry expanded in turn. Also, one of the major real estate companies founded here, EDGE, has their first building in Rotterdam. They focus on incorporating sustainable innovations in their designs, and have a goal of net zero carbon in the future. While not built by EDGE, The Pot is an interesting museum building in Rotterdam that incorporates a sustainable aspect. The entire outside edge is made up of reflective windows. These allow you to see the surrounding structures while controlling the temperature, as the windows are shaded in a way to protect the art inside the museum as well as some surrounding spaces for privacy. We also learned about the White House here in Rotterdam, which is actually considered to be more famous than our White House at home as it used to be the tallest tower in all of Europe when it was built in 1840. At the end of our tour, we were able to see the famous cube houses that incorporate a design that allows people to walk through and under the houses. This is a modern idea that allows for more movement and exploration from residents as well as people passing by.
After our morning full of tours, we were able to explore the Markthal, a big market-like space that is home to a huge variety of stands that we were able to get lunch at. After we ate, Dr. Dukes and Dr. Kurtzmann treated us to stroopwafels, a classic Dutch treat. Somehow I had not had one previously on the trip, so was happy to finally get it in during the last few days!
