This is one of the Rotterdam cleaning service buildings from the Roteb next to their headquarters. ROTEB used to stand for 'Reiniging Ontsmetting Transport En Brandweer', meaning 'Cleaning, Disinfection, Transport, And, Fire department'. Since the fire department became independent in 1973 the abbreviation was no longer applicable and changed to Roteb in lowercase, meaning nothing. Just a phrase actually.
The original image is from a couple of weeks ago but it's not a filler. It has been edited a lot and just wasn't ready yet. Also I could not find anything useful to say about the neon and had to find some info the old-fashioned way, which took some time.
In addition to the above information about their name, the Roteb told me the sign was placed on the roof by a company name 'Doeners en Durfals' (doers and daredevils). The company still exists but moved elsewhere.
The site has been completely renovated recently and a new eco-monument (by Jan Eric Visser) has been placed in front of the main building. The neon sign is quite old, not owned by the Roteb, and probably does not fit the area anymore. Therefore it will be removed soon, so I was told! A pity, because I think it's a great welcome sign to everyone visting our city and leaving the highway at this point.
Without knowing I made a tribute to a cool sign, with loads of edit. Balance, levels, curves, lightning, contrast, grizzling, blurring, vignetting and a major perspective correction. The light is always switched on but the original Hipstamatic was taken by daylight, so after darkening the entire picture I had to make it shine bright once more.
