MVRDV wins international architecture competition for ‘Shift Embassy’ in Rotterdam

Motivated by the competition brief’s goal to create a landmark devoted to a future where humans and nature live in symbiosis, MVRDV’s proposal – dubbed ‘Rotterdam ROCKS!’ – sets out to act as a landscape along the Maas. It is a rocky green landmark – largely accessible to the public –  where visitors move up and down along terraces, water, greenery, exhibitions, viewpoints, and gathering spots.

The Shift Embassy aims to inspire visitors with a 5.000 m2 immersive experience called ‘the Elysium’. Rather than explaining the future, The Elysium invites visitors to experience it through immersive art, inspiring stories and practical pathways for action. It will also feature a hotel with 200 rooms, spaces for education, business events and gatherings for local communities, a food court, a restaurant and an observation deck. The project’s overarching goal is to create a major cultural destination in Rotterdam that accelerates the behavioural, systemic and social changes required to build a more resilient and sustainable future. 

Rotterdam ROCKS! will be built as part of Rotterdam’s Waterkant, a soon-to-be-realised new district on the South bank of the river Maas that will provide 3,750 new homes, schools, maker spaces, an urban sports campus, a new train station, offices, restaurants and cultural spaces. 

The jury described the winning concept as follows: “MVRDV’s proposal is a remarkably bold, powerful statement that we expect will capture visitors' imagination and encourage them to come back again and again. Rotterdam Rocks departs from how sustainability is traditionally communicated, bringing together joy, discovery, and surprise into a new architectural language. We anticipate this building and its program will invite people to rethink their everyday behavior and encourage new ways of living sustainably together"

The jury consisted of Aric Chen (Director, Zaha Hadid Foundation), Astrid Leyssens, (Founder, We Are Impact Collective), Ben van Berkel  (Founder, UNS), Carice van Houten, (Activist, Actor), Clemens Brenninkmeijer, (Chair Family Community COFRA), Dr. Lewis Akenji, (Executive Director, Hot or Cool Institute), Géke Roelink, (Director, NEMO Science Museum), Lodewijk Hoekstra, (Ambassador and Presenter, NL Greenlabel), Matthias Schuler, (Founder, TRANSSOLAR), Mireia Luzárraga, (Co-Founder, TAKK) and Nicole Maarsen, (Independent Real Estate Professional).

The building is an initiative of social enterprise Shift, which – in the words of founder Don Ritzen – aims to create the social momentum required to “shift from complacency and powerlessness to hope, imagination and collective action for our shared future.” The Shift Embassy is conceived as a purpose-driven destination combining immersive art, architecture, community building, storytelling, and real-world examples of sustainable living and business practices. Built around global achievements and success stories in nature, energy, travel, and circularity, Shift’s aim is to inspire a mindshift at home and at work. Shift’s goal is to move from individual, to collective and ultimately systemic change.