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Cube Houses are a unique architectural design by Piet Blom, who wanted to create a village within a city, where each house represents a tree and all the houses together form a forest. The houses are located in Rotterdam and Helmond, in the Netherlands, and they are shaped like cubes tilted over by 45 degrees. Here are some information about the Cube Houses in Rotterdam:
- Description: The Cube Houses are 38 small cubes and two larger ones, all attached to each other and resting on hexagonal pylons. They form a pedestrian bridge over one of the busiest roads in the city center. Each cube has three floors, with an entrance hall, a kitchen, a living room, two bedrooms, a bathroom and a rooftop garden. The walls and windows are all slanted, creating a unique spatial experience for the residents and visitors.
- Ticket price: To visit one of the Cube Houses, you can buy a ticket for the Show Cube Museum (Kijk-Kubus), which is a fully furnished cube house open to the public. The ticket price is 3.50 euros for adults and 2.50 euros for children (4-12 years old). You can also book a guided tour for groups of 10 or more people for 7 euros per person.
- Open/close days/hours: The Show Cube Museum is open every day from 11:00 to 17:00, except on January 1st and December 25th. The guided tours are available on request and need to be booked at least two weeks in advance.
- How to get: The Cube Houses are easily accessible by public transport, as they are right next to the Rotterdam Blaak railway station, which has connections to trains, metros, trams and buses. You can also walk or cycle from other parts of the city center, as the Cube Houses are close to the Old Harbour, the Markthal and the Central Library.
- Tips: If you want to experience living in a Cube House for yourself, you can book a stay at Stayokay Rotterdam, which is a hostel located in one of the larger cubes. You can choose from private rooms or dormitories, and enjoy the facilities such as a bar, a lounge and a breakfast buffet. The prices vary depending on the season and availability, but you can expect to pay around 30 euros per night for a bed in a dormitory.
- Tours: Besides the guided tours offered by the Show Cube Museum, you can also join other tours that include the Cube Houses as part of their itinerary. For example, you can take a walking tour of Rotterdam’s highlights with Rotterdam Pages, or a bike tour of Rotterdam’s architecture with Urban Guides. You can also explore the city on your own with an audio guide app such as izi.TRAVEL or VoiceMap.
- What to see: The Cube Houses are not only interesting from the outside, but also from the inside. You can admire the creative use of space and light, the colorful furniture and decorations, and the views of the city from different angles. You can also learn more about the history and concept of the Cube Houses from the exhibits and videos in the Show Cube Museum.
- Prohibitions: When visiting the Cube Houses, you should respect the privacy and property of the residents who live in the other cubes. You should not enter their cubes without permission, take photos of them or their belongings, or make noise that could disturb them. You should also follow the rules of the Show Cube Museum, such as not touching anything inside the cube house, not smoking or eating inside, and not bringing large bags or backpacks.
