In 1996 the Erasmus Bridge created a new connection with the Kop van Zuid, which was then undergoing redevelop-ment. A metro station was constructed around the same time. This was a technical tour de force because it was built around the existing tunnel. The first office buildings in the former dockland area rose up here. The tax authorities and the law court moved into a large complex. A large opening marks the route of the metro tunnel below ground, which of course could not be built over. The complex contains an unexpectedpublic space, Hof van Zuid, which is worth visiting.

Hidden among the office volumes lies Hof van Zuid. This public space was designed by the Rotterdam office West 8. Like the Schouwburgplein from the same period, they designed this space as a stage. The mosaic of timber planks contrasts with the brickwork and glass of the surrounding buildings. A striking element is the 30-metre-tall artwork The Asylum by Joost van den Toorn, which you can also enter. The abstract cloud on the work then becomes clear: you see the cloudy skies passing overhead.

The Ichthushof is located at the point where the metro exits from the tunnel. The residual spaces between the tunnel and buildings were designed as one pedestrian area, with a sharp eye for detail. Special benches, lights and vegetation alongside and around the tracks turn it into an oasis between the busy traffic routes in Rotterdam South. The design is by Erick van Egeraat and the world-famous garden architect Piet Oudolf, whose landscaping always takes the changing seasons into account, with a combination of perennials and filler plants.

Afrikaanderwijk has for decades been the subject of new plans. Some of the 19th-century blocks were demolished in the 1980s. The new design by Mecanoo breaks with the structure of narrow streets in the original layout. The modernist project consists of various buildings, with a wide variety of social housing types surrounded by public spaces. A long, curved residential block with an opening through which freight trains can pass, and a fan-shaped tower with a striking artwork by John Körmeling that marks the year of completion: 1989.

The 120-year-old Afrikaanderplein has had an eventful history. Between 1912 and 1917 it was home to Feyenoord football club. Vegetables were grown here during the war. After that, the park was used for all kinds of activities: music, circus and theatre events and even an open-air swimming pool. The playground from 1948 still exists. Located in the park are a tea house, a monument to the migrant worker and the wonderful botanical garden. Around the new park with its inclined paths are a market, a bird sanctuary and sports fields.

In the Paul Krugerstraat you will meet a hidden gem from Rotterdam’s architectural history. We are talking about the remarkable residential building Natal that architect Frits van Dongen completed in 1990. Where the other streets in the Afrikaander district look narrow due to the straight building blocks, the curvy floor plan of the Natal actually yields a lot of spaciousness.

Take a moment to take a closer look, then you will suddenly see how thoughtfully each part of this social housing project is put together and how much care they have been carried out: two elegant elevator towers, fun shop blocks, a raised living floor with about six metres of free space underneath where there is free play for a neighbourhood square. Natal proves that social housing really doesn’t have to be uniform and unsociable, but can also have something upscale and chic.

In 1968, Rotterdam became the first Dutch city with a metro network. But the stations in Rotterdam South were built above ground because that was cheaper. As a result, they offer fantastic views of the city and the docks. The sturdy structures, with large windows and saw-tooth roofs, seem to float above the streets. The location of Maashaven Station, right beside the Maassilo and at the intersection of various neighbourhoods, makes it one of the finest stations in Rotterdam.