August 7, 2026, 8:57 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Rotterdam’s skyline is getting a new resident: the Rotterdam Rocks building, consisting of seven giant rocks. It was designed by an architecture firm in response to a competition and carries a serious message. All the details about the “new wonder of the world” in the Netherlands.
Huge, living stones are set to flank the southern bank of the Maas River in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The Rotterdam Rocks architectural project aims to serve climate protection and simultaneously warn of the climate crisis. The concept for the 240 million euro megastructure was developed in response to an international competition.
The social enterprise Shift tasked participants with designing a new “wonder of the world.” It is intended to raise awareness of the climate crisis and be dedicated to sustainability. Among various international participants, the Dutch architecture firm MVRDV developed the concept for the so-called Shift Landmark: a 20,000-square-meter building composed of seven rocks stacked and arranged side by side, including a real mini-forest.
The Building Structure of Rotterdam Rocks
The Exterior
To create not only functionality but also a climatic benefit, the architecture firm designed a building concept where the exterior surface already incorporates numerous living elements. The two interconnected rock towers will be covered by a forest area or a “three-dimensional river park,” with channels and depressions, terraces and niches, intended for animals and plants, their roots and soil, as well as for storing and filtering water and for renewable energy. There will be shaded outdoor areas and green terraces, as well as cafes and restaurants. A circular path will lead around the rock structure, reaching up to the rooftop terrace. From there, visitors will have a panoramic view of the city. MVRDV summarizes in its project description: “The building surface promotes biodiversity, enriches the visitor experience, and creates an integrated habitat for urban nature.”
The Interior
The two towers are thematically divided, with one primarily intended for immersive exhibitions and the other for dining facilities. A hotel and a conference center are also planned. The towers are interconnected, allowing for a tour through the entire building. Inside the towers, MVRDV plans large caves–one central cave per rock. These can be explored via stairs, terraces, ramps, elevators, and galleries. This creates a tour between enclosed caves and open landscapes, writes MVRDV. The building is designed so that daylight and air, as well as greenery, extend deep into the caves.
Rotterdam Rocks as a Sustainability Lab
The creators of Rotterdam Rocks see it not just as a visual signal; the building itself is meant to reduce CO₂ emissions, promote circular construction, support biodiversity, and remain adaptable in the long term. The building becomes “a measurable ecosystem, whose environmental impacts are continuously reviewed in design decisions,” writes the architecture firm.
Visitors to Rotterdam Rocks can observe this process on-site. The building complex itself is a model for sustainable construction, using recycled steel, CO₂-reduced concrete, bio-based materials, and modern manufacturing techniques such as robotics and 3D printing. All components are designed to be reusable. “The building becomes a material bank, whose value extends beyond its initial use,” writes MVRDV. The underlying processes are not hidden in Rotterdam Rocks but made visible to visitors. In real-time, a central monitor will display data on energy production and consumption, water cycles, biodiversity, vegetation, temperatures, maintenance, and material properties. Visitors can observe “how the building behaves, changes, and reacts over time.” Rotterdam Rocks is intended not only as a symbol of sustainable construction but also as an exhibition and a living laboratory.
When the building complex will be completed is not yet known.