A few square kilometres of the city centre offers a complete overview of twentieth century architecture. Impressive pre and post-war architecture can be admired throughout the city.
During World War II, bombings destroyed most of Rotterdam's city centre. Afterwards many new buildings and projects were built and over the years Rotterdam developed into a leading city for cutting-edge design. Remaining pre-war architecture include the Van Nelle Factory and the Huis Sonneveld. The innovative and adventurous period after the war is expressed in buildings like the Luxor Theatre, Erasmus Bridge and of course Rotterdam’s famous Cube Houses. 

Netherlands Architecture Institute NAI (Museumpark 25, tel. +31 (0)10 4401200)
Pay a visit to the NAI, Netherlands Architecture Institute. Over fifteen exhibitions in five exhibition rooms, introduce you to historical and contemporary architecture. The showpiece of the collection is the museum Huis Sonneveld, a hyper-modern villa from 1933 filled with light, air, space and a surprising amount of colour and one of the best-preserved examples of the New Building school of architecture.

Show-cube (Overblaak 70, tel. +31 (0)10 4142285) 
The kubus or cube homes were designed by Piet Blom. He saw his design as a tree and the entire complex as a forest. Blom's idea was to design a kind of village within a big city, a safe oasis where various functions could come to fruition. The KijkKubus is the fully furnished museum home in the Blaakse Bos. The interior was specially designed to give visitors an impression of how you can live in a cube home. Models, photo panels and screens offer additional information.

City information centre (Coolsingel 197, tel. +31 (0)10 4897777)
The City Information Centre (CIC) is the place to be for everyone who wants to know more about construction, housing, urban development and architecture in Rotterdam. The large model of the Rotterdam city centre, for example, shows what is planned for the coming years. Brochures are available on the various new building projects, including many unusual high-rise projects. The CIC is also a good place for information about existing buildings and an extensive selection of self-guided walking tours. The CIC regularly organises events on a theme with lectures, excursions and exhibitions.