{"id":1115,"date":"2026-03-08T21:58:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-08T21:58:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiozone.ru\/?p=1115"},"modified":"2026-03-08T21:58:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-08T21:58:04","slug":"cube-houses-of-rotterdam-an-area-where-people-live-inside-tilted-cubes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiozone.ru\/?p=1115","title":{"rendered":"Cube houses of Rotterdam: an area where people live inside tilted cubes"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I first saw these houses in photographs, I thought it was just some kind of futuristic art object or museum. But when you start to figure it out, it turns out that is a real Kubuswoningen residential area<\/strong>, where people live every day.<\/p>\n

This unusual area is located in the city center Rotterdam<\/strong>, on the pedestrian street Overblaak<\/strong>, next to Blaak station and the huge Markthal market.<\/p>\n

What is it in general: a street, a neighborhood or a residential complex<\/h3>\n

In fact, this is not a single street, as it is sometimes written, but a small architectural complex.<\/p>\n

\n

Kubuswoningen is the entire complex of cubic houses, Kijk-Kubus is a museum inside one of the houses, and Overblaak is the street in Rotterdam where they are located.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The project consists of:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • 38 cube-shaped residential buildings<\/li>\n
  • several large cubes<\/li>\n
  • a pedestrian street under them<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    That is, it is simultaneously:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • a residential area<\/li>\n
    • an architectural landmark<\/li>\n
    • a tourist destination<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      But first of all, ordinary residential apartments<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      The idea of architecture<\/h3>\n

      The complex was designed by architect Piet Blom<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      His idea was rather strange, but interesting: he wanted to build a “forest city”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

      According to his idea:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • the trunk of a tree<\/strong> is a concrete support<\/li>\n
      • the crown of a tree<\/strong> is a residential cube<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Therefore, each house:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • tilts about 45\u00b0<\/strong><\/li>\n
        • stands on a hexagonal column<\/strong><\/li>\n
        • looks like an inverted cube.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n

          You can feel it inside too \u2014 the walls and windows are angled, and the space is very unusual.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

          When they were built<\/h3>\n

          The complex was built in 1982-1984.<\/p>\n

          It was a period when post-war Rotterdam was actively experimenting with architecture, and the city became one of the most daring architectural centers in Europe.<\/p>\n

          Today, these houses are considered one of the symbols of the city.<\/p>\n

          Do people really live there?<\/h3>\n

          Yes.<\/p>\n

          Most of the cubes are ordinary residential apartments.<\/p>\n

          Inside:<\/p>\n

            \n
          • several floors<\/li>\n
          • kitchen<\/li>\n
          • living room<\/li>\n
          • bedrooms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            The area is approximately 90-100 m2<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

            \n

            Because of the sloping walls, the space is not very conveniently used, so it’s a bit strange to live there, but many residents say they quickly get used to it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

            Is it possible to get inside<\/h3>\n

            Yes, but not all houses.<\/p>\n

            One of the cubes was specially made an apartment museum<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

            Kijk-Kubus Museum House<\/p>\n

            There you can:<\/p>\n

              \n
            • view the layout<\/li>\n
            • understand how people live inside<\/li>\n
            • climb to the top floor<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              This is the most popular way to view a house from the inside<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

              Is it possible for tourists to walk there<\/h3>\n

              Yes, freely.<\/p>\n

              There is a pedestrian street under the cubes, and tourists come there all the time.:<\/p>\n

                \n
              • photographing houses<\/li>\n
              • walking<\/li>\n
              • looking at architecture<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                It’s a completely open place.<\/p>\n

                Is there a business and cafe there<\/h3>\n

                Yes.<\/p>\n

                The complex includes:<\/p>\n

                  \n
                • small offices<\/li>\n
                • hostel<\/li>\n
                • cafe<\/li>\n
                • souvenir shops<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  But the main part is still residential apartments<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                  Are apartments for sale<\/h3>\n

                  Sometimes\u2014 yes.<\/p>\n

                  Apartments there periodically appear on the real estate market.<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • But they are bought most often by:<\/li>\n
                  • lovers of unusual architecture<\/li>\n
                  • investors<\/li>\n
                  • people who want to live in the center of Rotterdam.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    Rent is also common.<\/p>\n

                    Why did this place become famous<\/h3>\n

                    Because it is one of the most recognizable architectural experiments in Europe.<\/p>\n

                    There are almost no such houses anywhere else <\/strong>, and when you see them in person, you get the feeling that you have entered some kind of architectural experiment or a city of the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                    When I first saw these houses in photographs, I thought it was just some kind of futuristic art object or museum. But when you start to figure it out, it turns out that is a real Kubuswoningen residential area, where people live every day. This unusual area is located in the city center Rotterdam, on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiozone.ru\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1115"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiozone.ru\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiozone.ru\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiozone.ru\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiozone.ru\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cardiozone.ru\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1115\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiozone.ru\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiozone.ru\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiozone.ru\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}