Karan Smith
Writer. Traveller. Sweeper of Cheerios.
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Dutch Treat: Rotterdam's New Wonderland Market

12/22/2014

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'We asked them to create a sky for this covered urban space,' says architect Anton Wubben about the art-filled ceiling at Rotterdam's Markthal. Below, a market exterior, left, and a river view of the city. Photo by Ossip van Duivenbode
Bells from St. Lawrence, the only medieval church that survived the blitz of the Second World War, chime and toll as shoppers hurry across the square, headed for the lunchtime rush at the new Markthal. So much of Rotterdam is new – the city core was essentially flattened in 15 minutes when more than 1,000 German bombs dropped in May, 1940 – that it feels unlike many European cities. Instead of centuries-old stone, shiny towers rise up on the banks of the Maas River and iconic buildings have taken root. The latest is the Markthal, the first covered market in the Netherlands.

But it’s much more than your average grocery shop or even farmer’s market stroll. In this story, for Doctor's Review magazine, I join the pilgrimage to the latest architectural star. And in my Insider for The Globe and Mail, I interview Anton Wubben, the architect project leader from MVRDV, the leading Rotterdam firm that designed the building. Anton, who lived and dreamed about the project for five years, shares five other not-to-be-forgotten places to visit in this modern port city. 

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Photo by Ossip van Duivenbode
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Photo by 500Watt
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    It started with a 1979 GM van. Throw in miles (and miles) of Canadian scenery, sisters, dogs and my Dad's Crystal Gayle tape and what do you get? A love of travel. And yes, this travel blog.  

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