Explore the roofs of Rotterdam

Get to know Rotterdam

Riva mainly provides housing to expats and international students. To make our tenants feel at home we publish guides and point them to informative events like The Day of Architecture, International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam and Museumnacht. The Rotterdamse Dakendagen (Rotterdam Rooftop Days) is also such an event. From June 4-6, the Dakendagen offers a wide program for a diverse audience. More than fifty roofs open their doors for a weekend and show their potential as new urban space.

The first edition of the Rotterdam Roof Days already took place in 2015. The event aims to show how roofs can contribute to a healthy, attractive and future-proof city. The inner-city roofs can be of great significance when it comes to solutions for urban densification, climate adaptation, the energy transition and the search for new forms of social connection: roofs offer various possibilities for greening, water retention, energy generation and can serve as a social meeting place.

Visitors on the roof of the Laurenskerk. Photo: Frank Hanswijk

City walking

This year it's a special edition. Originally it was intended that there would be a program where it was possible to walk safely on different roofs. Now that parks and nature reserves seem overcrowded, the roof landscape can provide much-needed space for residents and visitors to the city, there is still space on the roofs. The audience of the annual festival would go rooftop walking as walking is nowadays (inter) national popular sport number one. Participants would travel a route in couples and thus experience Rotterdam at a great height. From large flat roofs in the center to roof terraces for city dwellers. 

In the past visitors could also climb up to the roof of buildings where Riva rents out apartments like the Timmerhuis, Markthal, Coopvaert and De Rotterdam. 

Unfortunately, it turned out that it is too early for rooftop walks. The organization  We will make new plans and will transform the initiative programme into a series of small scale rooftop-activities like Rooftop Walks XS, tours in small groups, sports on rooftops and small scale performances! From half June until the end of July.

The Knowledge Day (a completely online programme) will take place as planned on the 4th of June. Tickets for this (English spoken) programme are now on sale. Besides that, from now on you can admire our Dakletter project on the rooftops around the Coolsingel (from street level). 

It's a project together with Poetry International and it makes for one of the six official city dressers in the context of Host City Rotterdam - Eurovision Song Contest and exposes the much-discussed phenomena "fake news" and "alternative truths". The project is a nod to the music of the Eurovision Song Contest, the theme of the Poetry International Festival and to a future in which Rotterdam roofs are not only connected poetically but also literally. 

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IS TRUE

The full program will be announced soon. More information can be found at www.rotterdamsedakendagen.nl.

Coverphoto: Frank Hanswijk