Lloydkwartier

The history of the Lloyd district goes back to around 1900. Increasing industrialisation and a rising volume of goods led to the construction of new docks such as Schiehaven, St. Jobshaven and Parkhaven. The stevedoring firm Müller & Co gave Müllerpier its name. The firm Blaauwhoed built the St. Jobsveem warehouse and the St. Jobsilo for storing products from the colonies. The Lloydpier took its name from the Rotterdamsche Lloyd shipping company. It built a terminal on the pier from where its passenger ships departed for the Dutch East Indies. In 1951 the Kota Inten moored at Lloydpier with on board 900 military personnel from the former Royal Dutch Indies Army (KNIL) and their families. The Arrival marks the start of the Moluccan community in the Netherlands. Around 12,500 Moluccan (Ambonese) people were transported from Java to the Netherlands on twelve ships. 

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The first Dutch electricity power plant, the Schiehavencentrale, found a home in the Lloydkwartier. The area blossomed. But activity declined in the decades after the war. Port activity shifted westwards as bigger ships needed more and deeper space for loading and unloading. In 1996 the Schiehaven- Müllerpier, as the Lloydkwartier was then called, was home to just a few port-related businesses. The disused Müllerpier was used as a venue for festivals. 

The remarkable area is now the site for the construction of a unique piece of Rotterdam with new next to old and new inside old. The district will have between 1750 and 2000 dwellings, many of them overlooking the river. The architecture is sturdy and spectacular, and in harmony with the character of the former dock area. Scores of companies, most of them in the commercial creative sector, have since moved into the redeveloped port buildings. Schiecentrale is home to firms in the audio-visual, film, animation, ICT and artist sectors; De Nieuwe Maaskant houses architecture offices; Blaauwhoedenveem houses architecture and design offices. Other arrivals include Kühne en Nagel in the former office of Rotterdamsche Lloyd and the imposing College of Shipping and Transport. The city in the city is turning into the focal point for the audio-visual and ICT industry. Entertainment opportunities are aplenty thanks to the big sports and events area (Lloyd Multiplein) and numerous cafés.