The interactive experience centre Portlantis opens in March

On Saturday 22 March 2025, the interactive experience centre Portlantis will open its doors to visitors. Portlantis will be the place to discover and experience the port of Rotterdam. The striking building, designed by MVRDV, offers new perspectives on Rotterdam's port and industrial area and brings together the port of today and that of the future.

Through interactive exhibits, a chemistry lab, countless visual effects and using the latest technology, visitors can discover for themselves how different cargo flows come together into one product, the importance of wind at sea, industry in the port, how a ship is piloted in, what is in containers and many more answers to questions about the port.

Portlantis is the successor to FutureLand, a temporary information centre opened in 2009 during the construction of the second artificial extension of Maasvlakte 2. The success of FutureLand led to the creation of a more complete information centre with a larger, permanent exhibition to inform people about Europe's largest port. Portlantis is a place where there is plenty to see and, above all, experience for the business community, educational groups and the general public alike. EIC Mainport Rotterdam, the educational information centre formerly located in Rozenburg, will also move to Portlantis.

Design by MVRDV

MVRDV is responsible for the design , located at the westernmost point of the harbour. The building, consists of a stack of five twisted exhibition spaces and offers spectacular views in all directions of the coastline, harbour and water.

The building has a practical approach that matches the atmosphere of the port, with simple functionality, a dramatic look and industrial materials. The shape of the building is a direct response to the activities inside and outside: each floor has a square floor plan and a large panoramic window offering views to create a complete overview of the port.

On the ground floor, the café window faces west for views of the dunes and North Sea, while guests in the fourth-floor restaurant can enjoy both the North Sea and the twinkling lights of the harbour in the evening.

The permanent exhibition, designed by Kossmanndejong, is spread over the three intermediate floors. Each floor deals with a different theme, and panoramic windows focus on elements in the harbour that reinforce the content of the exhibition. At the centre of the building is a large atrium that itself acts as an exhibition space with a gutter kinetic sculpture. This impressive space is emphasised by the entrance on the ground floor, where a revolving door hides the exhibition until visitors enter the voluminous heart of the building.

Can also be climbed without a ticket

Visitors can also climb the building without a ticket on the outside, via stairs leading to various terraces and the roof. Along the way, showcases offer previews of the exhibition inside to entice visitors to go inside.

"We see the Harbour Experience Centre as a machine to reveal the incredible world of the port," says MVRDV founder Winy Maas. "It has been reduced to its essence; you can see part of the structure of the building when you are inside. But because of that, it does its job almost relentlessly - just like the machinery in the port itself. Every part of the design aims to engage people and then educate them about their surroundings. In this way, it not only teaches about the Port of Rotterdam, but also envelops visitors with the atmosphere of the port itself."