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Rotterdam Rooftop Walk to rise on Coolsingel
On 5 May, Rotterdamse Dakendagen will open ticket sales for the Rotterdam Rooftop Walk. The structure will connect rooftops and the ground level with stairs and a spectacular aerial bridge over the Coolsingel. On the WTC Rotterdam and Bijenkorf rooftops, Rotterdamse Dakendagen presents visitors with a future image of the city. In this vision, cities make full use of the ‘rooftop landscape’ for greenery, art, living, recreation, food production, energy generation and more.
Image: MVRDV
On Ascension Day, Thursday 26 May, the 600-metre-long walk will open to visitors until 24 June. The development on the Coolsingel can be followed through a livestream recorded from the nearby Schielandtoren. The Rotterdam Rooftop Walk is a one-off project in addition to the annual Rotterdamse Dakendagen festival weekend, which takes place from 3 to 5 June. During that weekend, 35 rooftops can be visited in the city, including the Rooftop Walk. Admission to the Rooftop Walk is € 3.50 for adults and free for children. Ticket sales for both events start on 5 May via rotterdamsedakendagen.nl and rooftopwalk.nl.
Image: Frank Hanswijk
Rotterdam Rooftop Walk from 26 May to 24 June
The design of the Rooftop Walk is a collaboration between MVRDV architects and Rotterdamse Dakendagen, constructed from scaffolding materials provided by Dutch Steigers. The walk starts with a staircase on Beursplein that leads to WTC Rotterdam’s monumental rooftop. Visitors cross the Coolsingel via a 60-metre-long aerial bridge. Winding across the rooftop of the Bijenkorf, the route ends on the Q-Park next to the department store. The route ends onto the Aert van Nesstraat via a scaffolding staircase along the building’s façade. En route, visitors experience how the space on flat urban rooftops could be better utilised. For example, there is a Tiny House with residents on one of the rooftops, artists depict a sustainable future for city dwellers and new ways are presented to generate energy, use rainwater and add greenery to rooftops. The Rotterdam Rooftop Walk is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and can only be visited with a reservation of a time slot.
Rotterdamse Dakendagen
From 3 to 5 June, the annual Rotterdamse Dakendagen festival takes place, with Luchtpark Hofbogen as the heart of the festival. Visitors can visit this central rooftop for free to get some food and drinks and to soak up the festival atmosphere, along with a great view. This year, visitors will be able to go up to the roof by themselves by booking one of the rooftop routes on 4 and 5 June: a walk or bike ride from one rooftop to another, with a surprise programme at each location. Visitors can also visit rooftops with a guide during one of eleven different rooftop tours. Theatre and musical acts at the heart of the festival complete the programme. The opening of the festival and the International Rooftop Knowledge Day will take place on Friday 3 June. Visitors from all over the world will come to Rotterdam or meet online for this English-language Knowledge Day about the potential of flat rooftops. This cooperation with Architecture Institute Rotterdam (AIR) takes place at The Podium, a bright-pink, temporary rooftop construction initiatied by Het Nieuwe Instituut and designed by MVRDV.
June is Rotterdam Architecture Month
Rotterdamse Dakendagen is a partner of Rotterdam Architecture Month ‘22. This year’s theme Vista Rotterdam represents views of the city and the role of design and designers within major social challenges. In June, architectural events will take place all over Rotterdam. For this month, The Podium at Het Nieuwe Instituut is dubbed ‘Festival Heart of the RA Month ‘22’. Click here to check out the current programme.
