A sight you never get tired of is the world-famous Rotterdam cube house. Because of its creativity and craftsmanship, it always remains an interesting question for the passer-by or the visitors (from all over the world) how it is possible for the residents not to fall over. Since its completion in 1984, this has been one of the first questions to arise. And now, almost thirty-six years later, this has not changed. The structuralist architect Piet Blom has been thinking creatively for generations. It is not only from the outside that the cube house attracts many visitors, but also the Viewing Cube where you can see what it is like to live in a cube house still attracts many visitors.
Cube Houses
Close to the Old Harbour and a stone’s throw away from the Central Library, overlooking the weekly market, the thirty-eight cube houses provide an extraordinary variety due to the tilted impression made by the construction. The cube house has three floors with a living area of 100 square metres, with the third floor sometimes being used as a city garden.
Blaakse Forrest is an alternative name for the Cube Houses together. The designer, Piet Blom, saw the houses trees and the whole as a forest. So it is not strange that a frequently heard other names also reads ‘treehouse’.
Another goal of the architect was to give a village character to his construction. That’s why under the cube houses, next to shops and businesses, there is a school and a playroom where children can play to their heart’s content. It is essential to know that this part is free of traffic and therefore, traffic safe for the children.
The design requires quite a bit of flexibility from the residents with its three-layer structure with its sloping walls, which is why it is more suitable for those residents who are good at it and also creative when it comes to furnishing.
On the first level of the Cube House, you will find the living room, the floor of which is triangular shaped. The corners contain a kitchen, a toilet and a storage room. The ground floor was called the “street house” by the architect because of the windows facing down and made in the direction of the street. The “heaven house” is on the second floor and is facing up. On the top floor, there is a space formed by the upper part of the cube, which gives a beautiful view of Rotterdam and its surroundings through the many windows.
In the vicinity of the Cube Houses
Most people have seen the cube house in thirty to five minutes. When the weather is beautiful, it is always a pleasure being on the terraces along the Old Harbour. You can also cross the road and visit the Markthal. Inside the Markthal, there are exciting things to see, for example, the beautiful artwork on the ceiling and the delicious creations of exotic food.
