It’s June, which means it’s time for the Rotterdam Architecture Month. The biggest architecture festival of the Netherlands that explores the future of the city.
With more than 125 activities spread over 40 locations, there is something for everyone to do. Dive into the world of architecture and city-making and discover how they influence and improve our daily lives. Visit cool tours, workshops, lectures, exhibitions, films and festivities to explore the future of the city.
The beating heart of the festival is very special this year. It consists of three floating barges in the Maashaven. Continue reading below to discover more about Rotterdam Architecture Month.
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Floating festival heart
The festival heart consists of three floating barges in the Maashaven containing a green park, stage, exhibition and a place for skateboarders, freerunners and other urban athletes.
One of the barges of the floating festival heart is fully equipped for urban sports such as skateboarding, free running, football and dance. In addition to a skate ramp, there are various special objects from the harbour here that urban athletes can use to indulge themselves in a sporty way.
During the skate free hours, sports at the festival heart are free. In addition, there are various skate clinics and freerun workshops throughout the month of June that are organized in collaboration with Rush World and Skateland.
On June 21 there will be a Skate Symposium and professional skater and skate city planner Leo Valls from Bordeaux will come over to tell us what we can learn from the skaters’ perspective on our public spaces. The Maashaven Run will start on June 7 for fanatical runners. This running race starts and ends at the floating festival heart and goes right through the surrounding neighbourhoods.
What is there to do?
What is there to do during Rotterdam Architecture Month? Plenty!
For example, on Friday 16 June at the heart of the festival, attention will be paid to and actively discussed about underexposed voices in architecture during the Women in Architecture symposium. On Saturday 17 June, visitors can experience the architecture of Rotterdam from early in the morning until well into the night with a rich programme of tours, workshops, films and performances. This year the focus is on the classics and new buildings in Rotterdam Zuid.
You can also have breakfast in a special place, namely at the Maashaven with architect Robert Winkel (Mei architects and planners). Architecture and dance come together in Blind Spot from June 18, a theatrical walk full of contrasts. With headphones, participants walk from Hotel New York to the festival heart while dancers play with ideas and expectations about space, tranquility and unrest.
Fresh Perspectives | Reclaim the City programme will also take place on the same day Reclaim the City, where young people make a blueprint of the city of the future during a challenging masterclass. In addition, every Thursday evening throughout June there is Thursday Night Detours: Architecture in Het Nieuwe Instituut, where a ‘detour’ takes visitors on a free architecture detour.
Practical information
When: the Rotterdam Architecture Month will take place from 1 June to 30 June 2023.
Where: the festival heart is located in the Maashaven, but the entire programme consists of about 125 events spread over more than 40 locations in, around and outside Rotterdam.
Programme and tickets: for the full program and tickets go to rotterdamarchitectuurmaand.nl.
Skate free hours: During the skate free hours, sports at the festival heart are free. Check on rotterdamarchitectuurmaand.nl when these moments are exactly.
What are you going to visit during the Rotterdam Architecture Month?
