Schouwburgplein, redesigned by West 8 in 1996, is one of Rotterdam's signature pieces of public space: a flat raised deck with four hydraulic lamp-posts that visitors can move by pressing a button — bright red, twenty metres tall, the kind of useless beautiful gesture the city does well. The deck doubles as a film and concert venue in summer; the International Film Festival uses it as a centrepoint each February.
On one side stands the Stadsschouwburg theatre, on the other De Doelen — the city's principal concert hall, home of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, and one of the better large modern concert venues in the country. The hall is open during the day for free; for concerts, the smaller Eduard Flipsezaal is worth a look as much for the architecture as the music.