{"id":5730,"date":"2026-05-12T09:56:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T07:56:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rotterdammakeithappen.bureaurotterdam.nl\/verhaal\/space-is-more-than-plentiful\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T11:18:55","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T09:18:55","slug":"discover-the-rotterdam-rooftop-days","status":"publish","type":"verhaal","link":"https:\/\/rotterdammakeithappen.nl\/en\/stories\/discover-the-rotterdam-rooftop-days\/","title":{"rendered":"The rooftop revolution starts in Rotterdam"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”185590″]During Rotterdam Rooftop Days, tens of thousands of people take to the rooftops. Via zip lines, sky bridges, and giant slides, visitors gain access to places that normally remain hidden from view. Rooftops become the stage for tours, concerts, and exhibitions. Visitors also discover how rooftops can help make the city more sustainable and healthier. Because the way we use our rooftops says a lot about the kind of future we want for our city. <\/strong>[\/vc_column_text]

I want to show people how much space there is in our city that's still going to waste.<\/blockquote>[vc_single_image media=”11732″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”203334″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”208205″]Rotterdam has 18.5 square kilometres of flat rooftops that are still largely unused. For L\u00e9on van Geest, this inspired the very first edition of Rotterdam Rooftop Days<\/a> in 2015. \u2018I want to show people how much space our city still has waiting to be used. I want to get them excited about rooftop development and demonstrate all the possibilities.\u2019<\/p>\n

L\u00e9on aims to inspire developers, property owners, and policymakers to make use of these dormant square metres. Because once you\u2019ve stood on a rooftop overlooking the city, listened to music above the noise of traffic, or experienced an artwork while the wind blows through your hair, you immediately understand what it\u2019s all about.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”239550″]<\/p>\n

Rooftop Walk<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Every year, Rotterdam Rooftop Days surprises visitors during May and June with a remarkable programme. One example was the Rooftop Walk: a sky bridge connecting the rooftop of department store De Bijenkorf with the roof of the World Trade Center, suspended above the busy Coolsingel boulevard.<\/p>\n

On another occasion, visitors could cross from one rooftop to another themselves using a zip line harness. And during the festival\u2019s 10th anniversary edition, visitors experienced the Rooftop Slide, a gigantic slide descending from the roof of the Maritime Museum. Public interest was overwhelming.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner row_inner_height_percent=”0″ row_padding=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”131840″][vc_column_inner column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1\/2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”992284″][vc_single_image media=”11733″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”842500″][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image media=”11735″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”165040″][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”584543″]<\/p>\n

Lavender field<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The rooftops host activities that demonstrate how rooftops can be used for sports, art, culture, and culinary experiences. On the roof of De Bijenkorf, a sculpture exhibition attracted 10,000 visitors. A year later, the same rooftop was transformed into a lavender field, drawing another 8,000 people. L\u00e9on explains: \u2018By doing that, we showed De Bijenkorf that their rooftop has value, people are willing to come there. We try to encourage building owners to further develop their rooftops.\u2019<\/p>\n

Rotterdam Rooftop Days offers a unique opportunity to experience how rooftops can help make cities greener, more enjoyable, and more sustainable. Visitors can see how rooftops are used to generate energy, collect rainwater, and create cooler urban environments. For L\u00e9on, it is clear that rooftops contribute to a healthy, vibrant, and future-proof city. \u2018And in a city with so much unused rooftop space, Rotterdam is an incredible place to start a global rooftop revolution.\u2019[\/vc_column_text]

Gliding from one building to the next in a harness, on a zip line.<\/blockquote>[vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”595403″]<\/p>\n

Alliance with European Cities<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Rotterdam Rooftop Days is not just a local celebration. \u2018We want this movement to become much bigger,\u201d says Van Geest. \u2018That\u2019s why we actively exchange knowledge, ideas, and inspiration with other cities. Together, we form an alliance with eight European cities.\u2019<\/p>\n

The festival also organises the international knowledge event Rethink Rooftops, where rooftop enthusiasts and professionals gather to share the latest insights on innovative rooftop development.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image media=”3415″ caption=”yes” media_lightbox=”yes” media_width_percent=”100″ uncode_shortcode_id=”203334″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”850193″]<\/p>\n

The stairway<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Rotterdam\u2019s rooftops are not only accessible during Rooftop Days. During the celebration of 75 years of post-war reconstruction, a gigantic staircase was built at Stationsplein leading to the rooftop of the Groot Handelsgebouw. Visitors could climb the 180 steps and admire the rebuilt city from above. For five weeks straight, twelve hours a day, a continuous stream of visitors climbed The Stairway, a total of 368,611 people. The project received extensive national and international media attention.<\/p>\n

L\u00e9on strongly believes in the enormous potential of rooftops in shaping the future of cities. \u2018But as always in architecture, these are slow processes and require persistence. People still see stepping onto a rooftop as something special. Walking across a sky bridge still feels extraordinary. As long as that remains the case, we still have a lot of work to do.\u2019<\/p>\n

Click here for the Rotterdam Rooftop Days programme.<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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