Rotterdam

Whatever Rotterdam may be, it is not a cliché image of Holland. Maybe that is exactly the reason why characterizations of the city usually cannot do without a comparison with arch-rival Amsterdam. In contrast to its picture-perfect big sister, war-traumatized Rotterdam is full of urban ruptures: buildings come and go like in no other Dutch city. The transitory nature of architecture might also be related to its identity as a harbour city. ¿Other cities have a harbour, but in Rotterdam the harbour has a city¿, goes a local saying. The book Rotterdam. Architectural Guide presents 150 buildings, arranged by neighbourhood. On this foray through the city, the reader is introduced to its history ¿ from the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century to the massive expansion of the harbour in the 19th century, from ¿the beautiful merchant¿s city¿ to industrial Rotterdam ¿, even if the focus is clearly on the 20th century and on the latest developments. For although the social problems are great, the