Willemswerf, Office building in Rotterdam, Netherlands
Willemswerf is an office building on the bank of the Nieuwe Maas river in Rotterdam, recognizable by a diagonal glass stripe running across its white facade. This element divides the building visually into two sections, running from the base all the way to the roof.
The building was completed in 1988 by architect Wim Quist and originally served as the headquarters of Royal Nedlloyd Group. The design was reportedly developed in just three weeks, which is unusually short for a building of this size.
Willemswerf is known among film fans because a scene from the Jackie Chan action film "Who Am I?" was shot on its diagonal glass facade. The slanted glass surface Chan slid down is clearly visible from the waterfront and regularly draws visitors.
The building sits directly on the waterfront and is easy to reach on foot from the city center or the Maas bridges. The ground floor has a restaurant and a coffee bar that are open to outside visitors, both with views of the Nieuwe Maas.
A 2012 renovation gave the lobby a marble finish and a spiral staircase that feels more like a luxury hotel than an office building. This contrast between the plain exterior and the refined interior often surprises first-time visitors.
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