Big is the key term for the person and work of Rotterdam architect Huig Aart Maaskant (1907-1977). "I am the biggest architect in the Netherlands," he laughed mockingly, referring to his height of more than two meters. Legendary were his enormous hands and his preference for gaudy American cars. His buildings are also characterized by large scale, monumentality and substantial detail. In Rotterdam, Maaskant realized his most important buildings. With the Groothandelsgebouw, the Lijnbaanflats, the Weena building, the Hilton hotel and the Technikon school complex, he determined much of the face of the new Rotterdam. Other famous Rotterdam buildings include the Adriaan Volkerhuis on Oostmaaslaan, the Verzamelgebouw Zuid on Zuidplein and the Euromast. Outside Rotterdam, Maaskant's designs include the Pier in Scheveningen (1961), the KNVB Sports Center in Zeist (1965) and the Provinciehuis in Den Bosch (1971).