Blaaktoren, Architectural structure in Rotterdam, Netherlands
The Blaaktoren is a residential tower in Rotterdam built from stacked cubic volumes that are offset from one another, giving the building a wedge-like silhouette. It stands at the edge of the Oude Haven and is part of the same complex as the nearby cube houses.
The Blaaktoren was completed in the early 1980s as Rotterdam was rebuilding its city center after the destruction of World War II. Architect Piet Blom designed it as part of an experimental project to bring residential life back into the heart of the city.
The Blaaktoren is part of a larger group of cube houses that architect Piet Blom designed for the Oude Haven area. The cubic units and the tower together form a kind of open city experiment that visitors can still walk through and experience up close today.
The tower is in central Rotterdam, a short walk from Blaak station, which is served by both metro and train. Those who want to see the building from the outside get a good view from the pedestrian bridge over the Oude Haven.
The tower is known locally as De Potlood, meaning The Pencil, because its overall shape resembles a giant pencil tip seen from a distance. The nickname has stuck so firmly that it now appears on signs and maps around the area.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
