Designs revealed for futuristic ‘new world wonder’ in the Netherlands

A futuristic building design has been revealed for a “new world wonder” in the Netherlands.

Dutch social enterprise Shift launched an international competition last year to design a new building that it would use as its “embassy”.

The embassy will be an immersive experience for visitors, imagining a sustainable future with the aim of driving social change amid the climate crisis.

The winner of the competition has been revealed as Dutch architecture firm MVRDV, which will create the new publicly accessible landmark.

The design, dubbed “Rotterdam Rocks!”, intends to be a major cultural destination built as part of Rotterdam’s Waterkant, a new district in development on the south bank of the river Maas.

Inside, there are plans for a 5,000-square-metre immersive exhibition called the Elysium, which will showcase art and stories on how the future can be shaped.

The building will also feature 200 hotel rooms, spaces for education, business events and gatherings for local communities, as well as a food court, a restaurant and an observation deck.

From the outside, the building will be designed to look like seven stacked boulders, with three entry routes, one leading to the hospitality area, another to the exhibition and a third exterior route which twists up the sides of the rock to a viewing terrace.

The building’s exterior surfaces will be covered with pockmarks to provide space for soil, water, plants and animals, encouraging nature to grow.

Don Ritzen, founder of Shift, explains why they chose to build the embassy: “Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time and deserves a response and destination that matches its scale.

“The bold and distinctive design of Rotterdam Rocks invites visitors to explore some of the most important questions of our time. Where do we come from? Where are we going? What role can we play ourselves in shaping the future of our planet? Through wonder, curiosity and imagination, the building and its immersive experience encourages visitors to envision a different future and their role in it.”

“Our goal is to empower every visitor to take ownership in building a brighter future,” Mr Ritzen continued. “We want to show that everyone is able to live a better and more sustainable life by making small and incremental changes in their daily habits.”

Chantal Zeegers, Rotterdam’s alderwoman for building and community, said: “Rotterdam is committed to policies for a greener and climate-resilient city. It is great to see that Shift shares the same ambition.

“This is reflected not only in the surprising and iconic architecture, but also in the program that inspires Rotterdammers and visitors to take action for a sustainable future.”

Once complete, Shift is aiming for hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Rotterdam Rocks embassy each year.

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