Tallest buildings in Rotterdam: top 12 ranked by height

De Zalmhaven I is the tallest building in Rotterdam and the Netherlands, standing 215 metres high. But which other towers dominate the Rotterdam skyline? Here are the 12 tallest completed buildings in Rotterdam, ranked by architectural height and checked on 20 October 2026.

Rotterdam is famous for its modern architecture and is sometimes called the Manhattan on the Maas. Its collection of residential skyscrapers, office towers and mixed-use developments includes some of the tallest buildings in the Netherlands. Eight completed buildings in the city reach at least 150 metres, according to the building classifications used in this guide.

Our ranking uses architectural height, as recorded by The Skyscraper Center. This includes permanent architectural features such as spires but excludes antennas and other functional equipment. You may therefore encounter different heights for the same building elsewhere. We include completed buildings, rather than towers that are still under construction or have merely reached their highest point.

The 12 tallest buildings in Rotterdam at a glance

Below, we count down from number 12 to Rotterdam's tallest building, with a little architectural background on each tower.

12. The Red Apple, 123.5 metres, completed in 2008

The Red Apple residential tower, 123.5 metres tall, in Rotterdam's Maritime District

The Red Apple is a residential skyscraper on Wijnhaveneiland in Rotterdam's Maritime District. Designed by KCAP, the tower is part of a larger development combining residential apartments and commercial spaces. Its distinctive red detailing makes it easy to recognise among the buildings around the Oude Haven and Wijnhaven.

Completed in 2008, the tower has 38 floors and reaches an architectural height of 123.5 metres. The development was designed in collaboration with Dutch interior designer Jan des Bouvrie, who contributed to the residential concept.

11. FIRST Rotterdam, 128.2 metres, completed in 2015

FIRST Rotterdam office tower, 128.2 metres tall, near Rotterdam Centraal

FIRST Rotterdam stands opposite Rotterdam Centraal and forms part of the Weenapoint development. Designed by de Architekten Cie., it combines a high-rise office tower with a lower building containing public functions.

The building was completed in 2015 and reaches 128.2 metres. Its location close to the railway station makes it one of the most prominent office towers visitors encounter when arriving in central Rotterdam.

10. World Port Center, 133.6 metres, completed in 2001

World Port Center office skyscraper on Wilhelminapier in Rotterdam

The World Port Center was among the first major skyscrapers developed on Wilhelminapier as the former port area began transforming into a modern urban district. Designed by Foster + Partners, the office complex is closely associated with the Port of Rotterdam Authority.

The Skyscraper Center records its architectural height as 133.6 metres, although the building's own website uses a lower figure of 123 metres. This is a useful example of why architectural height, roof height and other measurements should not be mixed when ranking skyscrapers.

9. Millennium Tower, 149 metres, completed in 2000

Millennium Tower, 149 metres tall, beside Rotterdam Centraal

The Millennium Tower stands at Weena 686, directly opposite Rotterdam Centraal. The building is especially familiar as the home of the Rotterdam Marriott Hotel, although it also contains office accommodation.

Designed by WZMH Architects together with AGS Architecten, the tower was completed in 2000 and reaches 149 metres. Its location and mixture of hotel and business functions make it an important part of the skyline around the central station.

8. De Rotterdam, 151.3 metres, completed in 2013

De Rotterdam by OMA, three interconnected towers reaching 151.3 metres

De Rotterdam is one of the city's most recognisable modern architectural landmarks. Designed by Rem Koolhaas' Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), the building consists of three interconnected towers overlooking the River Maas at Wilhelminapier.

Rather than functioning as a conventional office skyscraper, De Rotterdam was conceived as a vertical city containing offices, apartments, a hotel, conference facilities, restaurants and other public functions. Construction began in 2009 and the complex was completed in 2013.

Its architectural height is 151.3 metres, just ten centimetres below Delftse Poort in this ranking. The building takes its name from the former Holland America Line ship Rotterdam, a reference to the area's maritime history.

7. Delftse Poort, 151.4 metres, completed in 1991

Delftse Poort office towers at Rotterdam Centraal, with the tallest reaching 151.4 metres

Delftse Poort, also known as the Nationale-Nederlanden building, is one of Rotterdam's earlier modern skyscraper developments. Designed by architect Abe Bonnema, the complex consists of two towers connected by a lower structure.

The taller tower reaches 151.4 metres and was completed in 1991, making it the first building in Rotterdam to pass the 150-metre mark. Its reflective glass facades remain a distinctive feature of the skyline around Rotterdam Centraal.

6. Montevideo, 152.3 metres, completed in 2005

Montevideo residential skyscraper on Wilhelminapier, 152.3 metres tall

Montevideo is a residential skyscraper on Wilhelminapier designed by Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo. Completed in 2005, the 43-storey building combines contemporary high-rise architecture with references to Rotterdam's historic port warehouses.

Its name follows the tradition of using international port cities for buildings on the former harbour peninsula. A large letter M crowns the tower, contributing to its architectural height of 152.3 metres.

5. Cooltoren, 153.7 metres, completed in 2022

The Cooltoren residential tower in central Rotterdam, 153.7 metres tall

Cooltoren is a residential skyscraper in Rotterdam's Cool district, close to the Witte de Withstraat and the city centre. Designed by V8 Architects and developed by UVastgoed, the tower forms part of the area's growing collection of residential high-rises.

Completed in 2022, Cooltoren reaches 153.7 metres and contains 284 apartments across 51 above-ground floors, according to The Skyscraper Center. Its design includes a distinctive transition between the lower and upper parts of the building.

4. POST Rotterdam, 155 metres, recorded as completed in 2026

Post Rotterdam. Photo: Ossip van Duivenbode

POST Rotterdam is one of the newest additions to the city's skyline. The 155-metre residential tower rises behind the historic former post office on Coolsingel, forming part of a larger redevelopment that combines new homes with hotel, retail and hospitality functions.

Designed by ODA Architecture, with Braaksma & Roos involved in the wider project, the tower contains 43 floors and is associated with the redevelopment of one of Rotterdam's prominent historic city-centre buildings.

3. New Orleans, 158.4 metres, completed in 2010

New Orleans residential skyscraper on Rotterdam's Wilhelminapier, 158.4 metres tall

New Orleans is a residential skyscraper on Wilhelminapier designed by Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira. Completed in 2010, it reaches an architectural height of 158.4 metres and contains 46 above-ground floors.

Its location beside the Nieuwe Luxor Theatre, the River Maas and the other high-rises of Kop van Zuid makes it an important part of Rotterdam's southern skyline. New Orleans was once among the Netherlands' most prominent residential towers, although the considerably taller Zalmhaven I has since overtaken it.

2. Maastoren, 164.8 metres, completed in 2010

Maastoren office skyscraper beside the River Maas in Rotterdam, 164.8 metres tall

Maastoren stands beside the River Maas near the southern end of the Erasmus Bridge. The office tower was designed by Dam & Partners Architecten in collaboration with Odile Decq Benoit Cornette and was completed in 2010.

At 164.8 metres, it was the tallest completed building in the Netherlands before De Zalmhaven I took over the title. The tower is known for its dark facade and its relationship with the water, including a building system that uses river water for heating and cooling.

Maastoren continues to be one of Rotterdam's most prominent office skyscrapers, with Deloitte among its occupants.

1. De Zalmhaven I, 215 metres, completed in 2022

De Zalmhaven I, the tallest building in Rotterdam and the Netherlands at 215 metres

De Zalmhaven I is the tallest building in Rotterdam and the Netherlands, rising 215 metres above the Scheepvaartkwartier. Completed in 2022, the residential skyscraper stands considerably higher than any other completed building in the city.

The tower was designed by Dam & Partners Architecten and forms part of the wider De Zalmhaven development, which also includes the two smaller residential buildings Zalmhaven II and Zalmhaven III. Together, the development contains 485 homes, alongside commercial facilities and parking.

At the top of the main tower is Celest skybar, providing views across Rotterdam and the surrounding region. The building's height and central waterfront location make it one of the defining landmarks of the city's modern skyline.

How many skyscrapers does Rotterdam have?

The answer depends on how a skyscraper is defined. Using the commonly applied international threshold of 150 metres, Rotterdam has eight completed buildings that qualify under the classifications used for this ranking. The city has additional high-rises between 100 and 150 metres, including FIRST Rotterdam, the World Port Center and The Red Apple.

The distinction between completed and under-construction towers also matters. The BaanTower, designed by Powerhouse Company, reached its highest point in October 2026 and is expected to measure approximately 157.4 metres according to The Skyscraper Center. Its developer expects the building to be ready for residents towards the end of 2026.

Another major development is The Sax on Wilhelminapier, with a planned tower rising approximately 180 metres. That would change Rotterdam's ranking once construction is complete, but it does not yet belong among the city's tallest completed buildings.

For now, De Zalmhaven I remains comfortably in first place. Its height of 215 metres puts it more than 50 metres above the second-placed Maastoren, maintaining Rotterdam's position as the Dutch city with the country's tallest completed building.