Dutch architecture firm MVRDV has unveiled the winning design for "Rotterdam ROCKS!", a €240m (£205m) landmark attraction planned for the Dutch city's waterfront, intended to promote sustainable living to visitors. The scheme, backed by entrepreneur Don Ritzen through his non-profit Shift, has drawn scepticism given MVRDV's track record with London's widely criticised Marble Arch Mound, raising doubts about whether an eye-catching but resource-intensive new building is the right way to champion green values.

The design depicts a giant artificial cairn of stacked "rocks" covered in lush greenery, incorporating a hotel, conference centre, food court and viewing deck, alongside an immersive exhibit called the Elysium designed to inspire sustainable and circular living. It will anchor the Waterkant development on the site once earmarked for Feyenoord's new stadium, with entry fees expected to range from €20 to €45. Some elements of the original renderings, such as a large waterfall, have already been dropped as construction realities set in, echoing the cost overruns and poor reception that dogged the Marble Arch Mound in 2021.