A daily dose of Rotterdam since august 2019
Down the stairs from direction Oude Haven and you see this view, some sort of ‘warp core’ as on the TV show Star Trek! The two stairs left and right go towards the train platforms. Behind the ‘warp core’ you can just see the entrance to the metro.
This thursday a picture from the past! Taken in August 2007, with a Blackberry phone. The city center and the biggest market of Rotterdam. Those were the times…
Because of Corona and continuous duty at work I couldn’t and can’t easily take a daily photo, hence the occasional “golden old man” …
March 28, 2007, Its the year of the architecture in Rotterdam. Chosen buildings are wrapped in purple to let them jump out in the surroundings and as a festive wrapping! Location, the Overblaak, the Kubus appartments!
Last night I was looking for a interesting subject for a photo and I found it! This is a part of the 14th century old city wall and now a part of the railway station Blaak. I waited until the train passed to show the proportions of old and modern!
This is the info stand on the Blaak metro station. Painted in the colors and look of the 1970s metro to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first metro in Rotterdam! Not the best photo ever I know…
During a photowalk I liked the the doors and logo/sign from the former Nederlandsche Handelsmaatschappij building. Now a listed building its was designed by architects C. Elffers and A.A. van den Nieuwenhuyzen in the traditionalist architectural style. Together with the adjacent Blaak 28 (1950) and Blaak 40 (1950) bank buildings, the bank building is one of the first buildings to be built after the war. The entrance is marked with a grand portal by artist Nel Klaasen, in which the emblem of the NHM is incorporated (click for detail).
Built on the same spot where the original building from 1917 stood. The vaults had survived the war, but were replaced by new ones. The NHM was founded in 1824 on the initiative of King Willem I to breathe new life into Dutch trade after the French period.
It seems to be an artweek on my blog this week because here’s another statue for you to enjoy! Its a hommage to the artist Marten Toonder who created the famous cartoon characters Oliver B. Bommel and Tom Poes (famous here in the Netherlands). Located at the Blaak and unveiled in 2002 on the 90th birthday of the artist. Designed in a somewhat baroque style it shows a few characters from the cartoons (here a detail) and its illuminated on four sides with reliefs full of symbols of philosophy, politics, economics and science. The obelisk is crowned by brushes, the symbol of the artist, a globe, symbol of the universe of Bommel and Tom Poes, personification of Reason. Why the title of this post? The favorite saying of the cartoon character Oliver Bommel at the end of each argument: “If you understand what I mean…”.
In 2017 a short poem was added:
Black stones, as a remnant of a decadent past,
against marble white present,
where the silent tears weep from the liberated spirit
While waiting for the tram I looked around and saw the light, the buildings, traffic and everything fell into place. I quickly took my film camera and took this picture! Yes, film camera! Developed and scanned today and for the world to see! Location: the intersection Blaak – Andre van der Louwbrug, direction of the river Nieuwe Maas…
Instead of the promised rain and grey skies this saturday was reasonable sunny as you can see in todays photo! This is the “Markthal” or in english market hall 🙂 located at the Grote Markt, near station Blaak. The inside is full of stalls, small and big with all kind of food. There are restaurants and takeaways. Also contains the largest work of art in the world, the 11.000 m2 Horn of Plenty. The arch of the market hall contains appartments. Mainly tourists visit this spot, in groups with a local guide because of the design etc. Building started in 2009 and the hall opened in 2014 so this year it was celebrated, five years already opened! I celebrate this at home, have a good weekend!
Today started with rain, around noon it was still raining and when I was almost ready with work it started pouring with rain! I took this photo at Blaak station. An hub where train meets metro, metro meets the tram and vice versa 🙂 I like the mood/colors. And can you spot a rather famous architecture design? Yes, you see a glimpse of the kubus (cube) appartments in which no wall is straight!
Passing by this building and did like the reflection and the big anchor – harbour days 6-8 september 2019 here in Rotterdam.