Blaak and Grote Markt

GROTE KERK, BIBLIOTHEEK, HOOGSTRAAT

This is about the area around Grote Markt, were the busy street Blaak street goes by. Grote Kerk, one of the few preserved old buildings, can be found there. The ultramodern and Blaak railway/metro station is also there. The Cube Houses in Wijnhaven is right next to Blaak as well.

Blaaktoren from 1984 is connected to the famous Cube houses. See more about them in the Wijnhaven section.

The entrance to the ultramodern Blaak underground railway and metro station.

Blaak metro station has a futuristic design.

Blaak street towards the west.

City Building Statendam from 2009 and the Municipal Library.

Blaak Station with Gebouw Delftse Poort skyscraper and Grote Kerk.

Grote Markt:

The Red Apple seen from Grote Markt.

Centrale Bibliotheek, Municipal Library.

Centrale Bibliotheek and Blaaktoren seen from Grote Markt.

The library was built in 1983 and drawn by Van den Broek en Bakema- It has a somewhat controversioal architecture that reminds a bit of Centre Pompidou i Paris.

Grote Kerk seen from Grote Markt.

Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk (or just Grote Kerk). The church was built between 1449 and 1525 and survived the WWII bombings. But it was heavily damaged and had to be rebuilt. The restoration was completed in 1968.

Grote Kerk seen from Grotekerkplein.

Grotekerkplein with the Erasmus Statue and WTC in the background.

The statue of Erasmus of Rotterdam (Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus) outside Grote Kerk. This Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian is the most famous man from Rotterdam.

Rotterdam has modern canals.

Binnenrotte, an esplanade for pedestrians near Grote Markt.

City Building, a glass residential building from 2003 with many balconies.

Hoogstraat (High Street), a pedestrian street. At about 5 pm all stores had to close because of a power failure!

Many new buildings are under construction between Blaak and Grote Markt.

A cool sculpture outside Blaak station.

Blaak Office Tower from 1995. It is 106m tall.

A modern canal near Blaak.