The Rotterdam-based architecture firm MVRDV recently won the Shift International Architecture Competition with Rotterdam Rocks!, a “bioutopia” that invites visitors to live among nature. The sustainable landmark takes the form of seven giant, stacked rocks on the banks of the river Maas, featuring terraces, exhibition spaces, and porous facades covered in soil and plants, providing shelter for wildlife.
Shift announced the design competition in 2025, asking architects to imagine a “new world wonder” that inspires people to take action against the climate and biodiversity crises. The team at MVRDV wanted to create a building that can become its own ecosystem, supporting Rotterdam’s biodiversity for years to come. “We propose that the river landscape does not stop at the waterfront,” says MVRDV. “It enters the building, climbs it, and continues upwards through planted terraces, public routes, water systems, and habitats: a park made vertical and accessible to the city.”
Through its design, MVRDV imagines a world where “cities transform into vibrant forests, architecture grows like trees, and streets are illuminated by bioluminescent light.” Rotterdam Rocks! is designed to hold water, create shade, support vegetation, generate habitats, moderate microclimates, and adapt as technologies and environmental knowledge evolve.
“MVRDV’s proposal is a remarkably bold, powerful statement that we expect will capture visitors’ imagination and encourage them to come back again and again,” said the judging panel, which included Zaha Hadid Foundation director Aric Chen and UNS founder Ben van Berkel. “We anticipate this building and its program will invite people to rethink their everyday behavior and encourage new ways of living sustainably together.”
The 30,000-square-meter (322, 917 square feet) building will include a 200-room hotel, exhibition spaces, a sustainable food court, conference facilities, and an immersive art venue called The Elysium. Visitors will also be able to explore a winding public route that snakes around the giant rock formations to a rooftop viewing terrace, making the building itself part of the experience.
MVRDV has already entered a pre-design phase and will refine the project through a public participation process in fall 2026. Shift hopes Rotterdam Rocks! will become the first in a network of similar climate-focused landmarks across six continents.
Find out more about the incredible Rotterdam Rocks! project on the MVRDV website.
The Rotterdam-based architecture firm MVRDV recently won The Shift International Architecture Competition with Rotterdam Rocks!, a “bioutopia” that invites visitors to live among nature.
The sustainable landmark takes the form of seven giant, stacked rocks on the banks of the river Maas.
It will feature terraces, exhibition spaces, and porous facades covered in soil and plant life, providing shelter for wildlife.
Visitors will be able to explore a winding public route that snakes around the giant rock formations to a rooftop viewing terrace.
MVRDV hopes the bold design will inspire people to take action against the climate and biodiversity crises.
