Portlantis opens its doors on 22 March 2025
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Portlantis will open its doors to visitors on Saturday, 22 March 2025. The interactive experience centre on Maasvlakte 2 will be the place to discover and experience the port of Rotterdam. Portlantis offers new perspectives on the port and industrial area of Rotterdam.
Portlantis offers a stimulating day out: a place full of admiration for the port, whether you have been in the port for years or coming for the first time. In the striking building at the intersection of port and nature, you can discover what the port is, what the port means for our daily lives and how the port is transforming for the future.
‘Portlantis allows you to experience what the port means for Rotterdam, the Netherlands and Europe in a unique way,’ says Boudewijn Siemons, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. ‘We take visitors on a journey through the story of our port of today and of the future. We pay extensive attention to the port as a place of great significance for our employment, the economy and of course as a place where innovative projects come together.’
Portlantis uses a variety of narrative forms. That includes virtual and augmented reality, exhibitions with large 3D models and laboratories where you can conduct chemical and technical experiments. Eileen Niks, Portlantis Program Manager on behalf of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, says: ‘Portlantis will be a place for young and old. It will be for seasoned port enthusiasts, day trippers as well as schoolchildren, or professionals looking for an exceptional meeting place. Moreover, the fact we are getting a nice restaurant in the building is a big bonus. You will be able to grab a quick bite to eat or enjoy more elaborate and luxurious dishes. So, something for everyone.’
Home of the port
Portlantis will be the home of the port. A place where you can not only discover exhibitions and events but also have something to eat or hold a meeting. Visitors can immerse themselves in a day filled with discoveries and fun, including fossil expeditions, boat trips and tours of otherwise inaccessible port sites. And let's not forget: the roof of Portlantis will be open to everyone – freely accessible via the characteristic dark red stairs around the building – to enjoy the view over the North Sea and the activities on Maasvlakte 2.
EIC Mainport Rotterdam, the educational information centre currently located in Rozenburg, is moving to Portlantis. The centre organises excursions and other activities to introduce schoolchildren and students to the port and the many opportunities it offers. Michiel Breijs, director of EIC Mainport Rotterdam, says: ‘When it opens, Portlantis will enable young people to explore the port more effectively and discover what their future could hold there.’
Eye-catching building
The Port of Rotterdam Authority and EIC Mainport Rotterdam have worked intensively together on the Portlantis concept in recent years. Architect Winy Maas and his team from the reputable architects MVRDV designed the eye-catching building. The firm is known for its designs including the Markthal, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen and many other high-profile buildings worldwide. Exhibition architects Kossmanndejong was responsible for designing the various exhibitions. In turn, Bruns BV constructed the exhibitions. Bureau BIND took care of the integrated creative direction.