Huge £204million attraction to open in Europe that will be ‘New Wonder of the World’

A EUROPEAN city is adding an enormous new attraction that’s set to be a modern ‘world wonder’. The impressive 30,000 square metre building will sit on the banks of the Nieuwe Maas river in Rotterdam. The new ‘wonder of the world’ is set to be built in Rotterdam Credit: MVRDV Inside will be immersive caves as well as a hotel and restaurant Credit: MVRDV It has all come about from a competition where architects were challenged to design a €240million (£204m) ‘new world wonder’ landmark by Shift. The winners have been announced as MVRDV, a Dutch firm, which has come up with the concept ‘Rotterdam Rocks!’. Sign up for the Travel newsletter Thank you! They claim you’ve seen before as on the outside it looks like stacked boulders and inside it will have ‘immersive caves’. It will consist of seven towering boulders which will also be a living forest with plants and even trees growing on the outside of it. The idea is to have more nature and green spaces within the city and encourage wildlife. The building itself will become a ‘biotopia’ encouraging creatures like birds and bees to live in the ‘skin’ of the building. MVRDV described it as having “an exterior that becomes a three-dimensional river park, with planted terraces, cafes, restaurants, viewing platforms, and water elements extending the riverside landscape upwards.” At the bottom will be its ‘tidal park’ which has seating areas so locals and tourists can sit by the river. Most read in Travel And the building won’t just look amazing on the outside. Inside, the boulders are hollow and will be turned into various experiences with a restaurant and even a hotel. The living structure will sit on the banks of the Nieuwe Maas river Credit: MVRDV One of the experiences will be ‘immersive caves’ – the renders show one of them looking as if it’s underwater with projections of corals and even whales. There will also be a food court and a conference centre inside too. Wrapped around the outside of the building will be a new public walkway with observation decks en route. The walkways will lead up to the rooftop viewing terrace called The Elysium which will have impressive city views. An official opening date is yet to be confirmed, nor if it will be free to visit. It won’t be the first unique building in Rotterdam though, as the city is already home to the yellow Cube Houses and the futuristic Markthal. Comment now