Rotterdam Central Station
Award-winning, universally loved train station for Rotterdam.
A pivotal point of High-speed rail in Europe
With over 110.000 passengers passing through every day, a number that is expected to rise to 320.000 daily by 2025, the Rotterdam station area is a major hub for trains and all other modes of public transport, and also occupies a pivotal place in the European high-speed train network: a highly diverse junction of connections that requires a clear and efficient station terminal.
The contrasting façades
The station is user-friendly, accessible, and transparent, a meeting place in and hub that opens to the city with a grand gesture. The districts to the north and south of the station differ greatly in character and density. At Spoorsingel, the front façade is modest, in keeping with the character of the nineteenth century residential district and the smaller passenger flow. This is in stark contrast with the urbane concourse that performs as a gateway to the metropolitan city center. Together with the front façade and station canopy, the station forecourt creates a fanciful triangle that merges seamlessly with station hall. Here, the station derives its new international, metropolitan identity from the entrance lined with glass and wood. On the outside, the fully titanium-clad, iconic roof of the hall points towards the heart of the city.
A station as a destination
Rotterdam now has a universally-loved station, which also serves as a destination in its own right. It is also clear from the many awards it has received since its opening that the new station is widely admired by national and international juries and the press.
The station should fulfill the role of the city square. If it’s a destination in its own right, it will be a place of connection rather than separation.
