t The green exterior of the NEMO Science Museum at dusk
From historic churches to modernist complexes, there’s more to Amsterdam’s architecture than its iconic canal houses.
t The green exterior of the NEMO Science Museum at dusk
Italian architect Renzo Piano (b. 1937) transformed the city’s waterfront with the NEMO Science Museum. This dazzling, maritime-inspired leviathan looks very much like the giant hull of a ship, with its prow jutting 30 m (98 ft) over the glittering Oosterdok.
Petrus J H Cuypers (1827–1921) placed his stamp on 19th-century Amsterdam with Centraal Station (1889) and the Rijksmuseum. Both red-brick buildings are now sources of pride for Amsterdammers, but when they were built Cuypers’s Neo-Renaissance designs offended some who would have favoured a more austere style.
This Golden Age architect (1565–1621) was appointed as the city’s municipal architect in 1612 and is responsible for the Zuiderkerk and Westerkerk, as well as Delft’s Town Hall. His work characterizes the transition from the ornamental style of the Dutch Renaissance to the Classicism of the 17th century.
These idealistic architects believed that they could transform lives with their designs. They built distinctive estates like De Pijp, the Dageraad complex (1923) and Het Schip. Piet Kramer (1881–1961) and Michel de Klerk (1884–1923) were leading lights of the movement.
Hendrik Petrus Berlage (1856–1934) employed clean, functional lines in his new stock exchange – Beurs van Berlage. The structure marked a forward-looking departure from the Revivalist style that dominated the skyline in the late 19th century.
Insider tip
Visitors can join an architect-led private tour of new neighbourhoods, such as IJBurg, with Architecture Tours (www.architecturetours.nl).