On the former embarkation point for emigration to the New World, Bolles&Wilson designed a new landscape just in front of the famous Hotel New York at the Wihelminapier in Rotterdam. It’s more like an event-landscape with several ‘activities’ integrated in the area: the Maaskant pavilion with a restaurant, bar and terrace, vent Funnels (situated as if a large cruise ship is buried underneath the green) and a playground. The architects used the ‘Holland-America’ history of this place as a leading theme through the project. They explain: “Despite the regular dockings of American warships the narrative landscape on the American side of the Dutch-America border remains unexecuted.” The bar is named after the Dutch architect Maaskant; which means ‘bank/shore of the river Maas’.
How to get there?
Take tram no. 20, which runs over the Erasmusbrug (stop Wilhelminaplein). From there it is 10 minutes walking distance to Hotel New York. The subway also stops at the Wilhelminaplein.