From the historic canal houses to the modern EYE, you will be amazed.
The Amsterdam canal houses are often narrow, deep and high. This is because the tax was levied on the buildings based on the length of the facade. The canal houses were mostly used as homes or shops. Many canal houses have a beam with a pulley on the front, which was used to hoist goods from the canal into the house. The facades vary from gabled and stepped gables to neck gables, bell gables and cornice gables.
Amsterdam Central Station is built on a specially constructed island in the IJ. It was designed by architect Pierre Cuypers and opened its doors in 1889. The station has since been renovated several times, but nothing has changed about the monumental facade.
The Rijksmuseum building was also designed by architect Pierre Cuypers. His design was a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance and was full of Dutch symbolism. There was a lot of fuss about the design, many people thought it was too medieval and too Catholic. Finally, the building was officially opened in 1885. After several refurbishments and renovations, the last renovation between 2003 and 2013 brought it back to its original structure.
The Beurs van Berlage is one of the most important monuments of 19th-century architecture in Amsterdam. Architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage built the impressive brick building between 1898 and 1903 on a specially reclaimed part of the Amstel. Originally the building housed the Amsterdam stock exchange, but today it is a meeting and event location.
The Royal Palace was built in 1648 as the city hall of Amsterdam by architect Jacob van Campen. The reason for the construction was the Peace of Munster, which ended the 80-year war between the Netherlands and Spain. In 1808 Lodewijk Napoleon turned it into a palace and it still has that function. The Royal Palace is still used by the Dutch Royal Family, mainly to receive important guests.
Behind the Central Station, on the other side of the IJ, is Filmmuseum EYE. The building, designed by architects Roman Delugan and Elke Delugan-Meissl and opened in 2012, is one of the most spectacular buildings in Amsterdam. If you look at the building from the back of Central Station, you will recognize the shape of an eye in it.
The Stedelijk Museum is a wonderful example of a building in which old and new are combined. The historic part of the building dates from 1895. When there was a need for more space at the beginning of the 21st century, Bethem Crouwel Architekten built the modern white wing on the old part. The new part is also called the bathtub.
Arcam is the center for architecture in Amsterdam. You will find changing exhibitions and activities are organised. The building itself is also an absolute eye-catcher with its large glass front on the water and the sculptural shape of the entrance.
Museum Het Schip is completely dedicated to the Amsterdam School. The architects of the Amsterdam School were looking for a way to break with classical architecture. Their designs are exuberant and dynamic and are recognizable by expressive use of color, exuberant use of materials and rich decorations. The building in which the museum is housed was built in 1919 as a residential complex by one of the most important architects of the Amsterdam School: Michel de Klerk. The museum has a permanent exhibition about the Amsterdam School and regularly changing exhibitions are organised.
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