Shift, a social venture startup based in the Netherlands, shared design proposals by five teams shortlisted in an international architecture competition launched in January 2025. The winner will get to design a new “world wonder” in Rotterdam meant to “inspire climate action” for an estimated 1 million annual visitors, Shift said.
The five shortlisted firms were announced last May. They are: Ecosistema Urbano, Heatherwick, Office for Political Innovation, Mecanoo, and MVRDV
According to Shift, 80 teams entered the competition, but only five finalists advanced to Stage Two. Each of the shortlisted firms have ideated design concepts for Waterkant, a waterfront district in southern Rotterdam.
The competition results have drawn criticism.
The speculative 320,000-square-foot complex will have a hotel, a conference and meeting center, and a sustainable food court. There will also be a considerably sized “immersive experience,” Shift affirmed, without getting into specifics.
The design by MVRDV “Rotterdam Rocks!” recalls past work in the Dutch firm’s portfolio, namely its much criticized Marble Arch Mound. In renderings, the massing appears to be comprised of large boulders, stacked in a staggered formation.
The rocks are covered in a layer of thick moss and grass and, down the center of the building, a stream flows. An observation level on top of the structure affords views of the city and the water.
In a description Shift called the proposal “a collection of porous, living rocks that imagines Rotterdam’s new landmark through ecology and experience.”
The proposal by Ecosistema Urbano is similar to MVRDV’s in its incorporation of grass. The structure appears as more collage than building. Interspersed throughout the massing are jagged orange staircases and protruding rectangular volumes.
A translucent orb crowns the top of the design. Inside is a dizzying atrium lined with glass shelving. Ecosistema Urbano’s entry was described as “a regenerative ecosystem and evolving social organism that nurtures biodiversity and collective life.”
“Urban Reef” by Heatherwick features an undulating facade that tapers as the structure rises, a more conventional design in comparison to the others. Round and circular openings line the riverfront face. The firm’s concept was inspired by “a reef‑inspired ecosystem.”
In Mecanoo’s entry, chunky cylindrical columns lift a rectangular volume faced with wood slates over a raised public plaza, furnished with ample amphitheater-style seating. A glaring, literally, addition is a giant sphere affixed to the corner of the building.
Visuals show the project as an active site, stacked with programming that includes a zipline on the top of the building, headed out over the water. Shift described Mecanoo’s design as “an icon centered on upcycling, carbon storage, energy neutrality, and joyful exploration.”
“Planetary Landmark for the Climate Age” by Office for Political Innovation encases several stories within a diagrid of thin wood. Shift described it as “a working section through the world as it is becoming—a place where climate is sensed, understood, and actively reshaped, together.”
Dutch investors are backing the competition. Each shortlisted firm will receive €40,000 ($46,353), and the winning firm will be awarded an additional €50,000 ($57,942).
Shift said the winning design will be announced in spring 2026.
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