Witte Huis, Art Nouveau office building in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The Witte Huis is a ten-story high-rise with Art Nouveau decorative elements at the Oude Haven in Rotterdam. The white stone facades display ornamental details and narrow windows that extend across the full height of roughly 43 meters (141 feet).
Willem Molenbroek completed the structure in 1898 as one of the first high-rises in Europe, driving 1,000 piles into the soft ground. The building survived the 1940 bombardment that destroyed much of central Rotterdam.
The name Witte Huis means White House and refers to the pale facades that rise above the old harbor. Today the building houses offices and apartments, while visitors admire the architecture from street level.
The building stands near the water at Oude Haven and is easily reached on foot from the central station. The surrounding area offers cafes and restaurants, making a stroll along the harbor worthwhile.
The narrow footprint and height made many Rotterdammers skeptical when it was finished, as they feared the building might topple. Today it stands as a landmark of the modern city and a witness to late 19th-century architectural experimentation.
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