Rotterdam
Rotterdam was quickly rebuilt after the war, but modernization led to the fact that many old buildings were not repaired, but replaced by totally new ones. This has led to the fact that the centre of Rotterdam is composed of new buildings, a thing not common in European cities. The ports of Rotterdam grew even more during the latter part of the 20th century. New areas, built right on the sea, are Botlek, Maasvlakte, and Europoort. The Euromast (185 m high) became an icon of Rotterdam. The metro of Rotterdam opened in 1968, which was the first metro in the Netherlands. The 1990s saw more skyscrapers being built. The Delftse Poort, which was ready in 1991, was the highest skyscraper in the Netherlands, with 151 m high, until the Maastoren became the highest building in 2009 with 165 m. The new Erasmusbridge, which was ready in 1996, gave Rotterdam a new symbol.