Photography

The Rotterdam Ferris Wheels

by Frans Blok · Published 16. March 2017 · Updated 15. October 2022

For a few years in a row, in 2016, 2017 and 2018, Rotterdam had a Ferris wheel, for a few weeks. With English names: The View and Dinner Wheel. The location: Binnenrotte square, almost touching the famous Markthal (or should I say Market Hall?).

Motion

When I went to take a look on one of the first nights the wheel was operational, Binnenrotte was teeming with photographers. For a photographer Ferris wheels are beautiful objects to portray. Especially during the blue hour after sunset, when the shutter speeds are getting longer. The movement of the rotating wheel creates beautiful abstract effects. An attractive contrast to non-moving objects such as, in the image below, the Markthal.

Evening view of Ferris Wheel and Markthal on Binnenrotte square in Rotterdam — Ferris Wheel and Markthal

View from the bridge

At some distance from the wheel the number of photographers decreased drastically. Yet also there one can shoot beautiful pictures. The best place to photograph The View was, in my opinion, the bridge across the Steigersgracht (or should I say the Jetty Canal?). The motion blur of the Ferris wheel, mirrored in the water of the canal, what more could you want?

Ferriw Wheel The View, a temporary attraction on Binnenrotte square next to the Market Hall in downtwon Rotterdam, seen from the bridge across Steigergracht — View from Steigersgracht canal

New location

From time to time, plans arise for a permanent Ferris wheel in Rotterdam. But this place on Binnenrotte is not a suitable location for that. There are plans for the piece of land between Hoogstraat and Markthal: the Rotta Nova residential building. And I suspect that the residents of the adjacent apartments in the Markthal also don’t mind if the wheel is placed somewhere else. If I may give the municipality a tip when looking for a new place: the proximity of beautiful reflecting water is an advantage.

Ferriw Wheel The View, reflecting in Steigergracht, with the Keizerstraat bridge in the foreground — Preference for reflective water surfaces

The DinnerWheel

The work on the Rotta Nova residential building was postponed once again, so a year later there was another Ferris wheel on Binnenrotte square: the DinnerWheel. This one, unlike its predecessor, was placed parallel to Hoogstraat. That wass probably done to please local residents who nevertheless didn’t not seem to be happy about it. From Steigergracht, the large wheel looked less spectacular as a result of the different layout: