Part 21 (2/2)
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Amsterdam NAP Amsterdam on the water
Woonbootmuseum The Houseboat Museum Houseboat Museum on Prinsengracht is the one place where you can poke around a houseboat and see what it's really like to live on Amsterdam's waterways without invading anyone's privacy. The museum is set in a traditional Dutch houseboat dating from 1914. See ” on Prinsengracht is the one place where you can poke around a houseboat and see what it's really like to live on Amsterdam's waterways without invading anyone's privacy. The museum is set in a traditional Dutch houseboat dating from 1914. See ”The Woonbootmuseum and Felix Meritis building”.
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The Woonbootmuseum Amsterdam on the water
NDSM s.h.i.+pyard Take a ferry from behind Centraal Station to Amsterdam Noord, where the buildings and slipways of the NDSM s.h.i.+pyard NDSM s.h.i.+pyard have been resurrected as exhibition s.p.a.ce and artists' studios, fast becoming some of the city's most happening cultural hangouts, and also firmly rooted in the city's maritime past. See ” have been resurrected as exhibition s.p.a.ce and artists' studios, fast becoming some of the city's most happening cultural hangouts, and also firmly rooted in the city's maritime past. See ”Amsterdam Noord”.
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Wildlife on the ca.n.a.l Amsterdam on the water
NDSM s.h.i.+pyard NDSM s.h.i.+pyard
What's in the water? What's in the water?The one activity that really isn't recommended in Amsterdam's ca.n.a.ls is swimming. People do end up in the drink from time to time, after which they are fished out and sent straight to hospital for a stomach pump and teta.n.u.s shot. Having said that, the water is in fact much cleaner than it used to be, and the ca.n.a.ls are no longer channels for the city's raw sewage, although they are full of rubbish car wrecks, old bikes, you name it. There is even a reasonable level of marine life down in the depths indigenous fish such as carp and pike, as well as more recent arrivals like Chinese mitten crabs and corbicula clams, said to favour the car wrecks on the bottom.
Architecture in Amsterdam Amsterdam has one of the best-preserved city centres in the world, free of the high-rises and cluttered, modern development that characterize so many other European capitals. Despite that, it is not a monumental city there are no triumphal thoroughfares and few memorable palaces and churches. This was not a royal or an aristocratic city but a merchant one, with a tolerant att.i.tude to religion, and the character of the architecture reflects this; it is Amsterdam's private, low-key dwellings, rather than its grand monuments, that give the city its distinctive charm.
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Architecture in Amsterdam
Beginnings Amsterdam was a great site for a trading city, bang on the confluence of two rivers. But in other respects it was a terrible choice like many Dutch towns, a flat and waterlogged plain, in which buildings needed to be supported by thousands of wooden piles bashed into the sandy soil. Just across from Centraal Station, the wooden house at Zeedijk 1 Zeedijk 1 now home to the now home to the In 't Aepjen In 't Aepjen bar is one of very few timber buildings still left, dating back to around 1550, while not far from here, one of Amsterdam's oldest surviving buildings is the bar is one of very few timber buildings still left, dating back to around 1550, while not far from here, one of Amsterdam's oldest surviving buildings is the Oude Kerk Oude Kerk, dating from the 1300s. Deeper into the city centre, the Houten Huys Houten Huys in the in the Begijnhof Begijnhof dates from 1477, and still boasts its original Gothic timber frontage. dates from 1477, and still boasts its original Gothic timber frontage.
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The Begijnhof Architecture in Amsterdam
The Golden Age Brick became the building material of choice from the late sixteenth century onwards, and buildings began to acquire the distinctive gables gables that adorn houses all over the city. The earliest type was the step-gable; the house at that adorn houses all over the city. The earliest type was the step-gable; the house at Oudezijds Voorburgwal 14 Oudezijds Voorburgwal 14 is a good example of this early Renaissance style, with its stone embellishments on red brick. The gable soon developed most notably under the greatest Dutch architect of the period, is a good example of this early Renaissance style, with its stone embellishments on red brick. The gable soon developed most notably under the greatest Dutch architect of the period, Hendrick de Keyser Hendrick de Keyser (15651621) into a more distinctively ”Amsterdam” form, in which the previously plain step-gables were decorated with stonework and sculpture. One of the most lavish examples is the double-step-gabled residence at (15651621) into a more distinctively ”Amsterdam” form, in which the previously plain step-gables were decorated with stonework and sculpture. One of the most lavish examples is the double-step-gabled residence at Singel 140142 Singel 140142 where Captain Banning Cocq (the princ.i.p.al figure in Rembrandt's where Captain Banning Cocq (the princ.i.p.al figure in Rembrandt's The Night Watch The Night Watch) lived built in 1600 by de Keyser.
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Herengracht The seventeenth century saw a surge in the city's population, and a major expansion expansion was required to successfully absorb its newcomers. This exercise in city planning was way ahead of its time, using the expansion to create the graceful sweep of ca.n.a.ls you see today. It was also the heyday of Dutch architecture, and Hendrick de Keyser, and others, left their mark with a series of trailblazing works, such as the was required to successfully absorb its newcomers. This exercise in city planning was way ahead of its time, using the expansion to create the graceful sweep of ca.n.a.ls you see today. It was also the heyday of Dutch architecture, and Hendrick de Keyser, and others, left their mark with a series of trailblazing works, such as the Huis Bartolotti Huis Bartolotti at Herengracht 170172, with its ornate step-gables, as well as two of the city's most characteristic seventeenth-century churches: the at Herengracht 170172, with its ornate step-gables, as well as two of the city's most characteristic seventeenth-century churches: the Westerkerk Westerkerk and the and the Zuiderkerk Zuiderkerk.
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Huis Bartolotti De Keyser's distinctive Westerkerk tower was finished by his successor as the leading city architect, Jacob van Campen Jacob van Campen (15951657), who brought overseas influences to his work. He is best known for building Amsterdam's new town hall in 1665, now the (15951657), who brought overseas influences to his work. He is best known for building Amsterdam's new town hall in 1665, now the Royal Palace Royal Palace a more restrained building than its predecessors, exhibiting the Palladian proportions that the architect had absorbed in Italy. Van Campen's contemporary, a more restrained building than its predecessors, exhibiting the Palladian proportions that the architect had absorbed in Italy. Van Campen's contemporary, Philip Vingboons Philip Vingboons (160778), was responsible for a number of the private houses on the by now burgeoning city extension, many of them sporting the fas.h.i.+onable neck-gable a slimmed-down version of the step-gable; some appealing examples can be seen at (160778), was responsible for a number of the private houses on the by now burgeoning city extension, many of them sporting the fas.h.i.+onable neck-gable a slimmed-down version of the step-gable; some appealing examples can be seen at Herengracht 168 Herengracht 168 and the Cromhouthuizen at and the Cromhouthuizen at Herengracht 364370 Herengracht 364370.
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The Royal Palace (Koninklijk Paleis) Architecture in Amsterdam
The nineteenth century The eighteenth century was relatively uneventful, but in the nineteenth century the city developed a distinctive new style, partially spearheaded by Petrus J.H. Cuypers Petrus J.H. Cuypers (18271921), famed for his neo-Gothic creations. Cuypers not only built the monumental (18271921), famed for his neo-Gothic creations. Cuypers not only built the monumental Centraal Station Centraal Station, but also contributed a series of buildings in the outskirts not least the Rijksmuseum Rijksmuseum, which was purpose-built as the country's national museum, and shouts from its gabled rooftops the importance of tradition and the legacy of Dutch art.
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The Rijksmuseum The turn of the century ushered in further changes with the international, modern style of Hendrik Petrus Berlage Hendrik Petrus Berlage (18561934), exemplified in his (18561934), exemplified in his Beurs Beurs on the Damrak, exhibiting the attributes of a restrained yet highly decorative vision. Berlage's work inspired the on the Damrak, exhibiting the attributes of a restrained yet highly decorative vision. Berlage's work inspired the Amsterdam School Amsterdam School, a group of architects working in the city in the early twentieth century, led by Piet Kramer Piet Kramer (18811961) and (18811961) and Michael de Klerk Michael de Klerk (18841923). The movement's keynote building was de Klerk's (18841923). The movement's keynote building was de Klerk's Het Schip Het Schip housing complex of 1920, on the western edge of the centre. housing complex of 1920, on the western edge of the centre.
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Eastern docklands architecture [image]
The Muziekgebouw Architecture in Amsterdam
The nineteenth century The nineteenth century
Contemporary Amsterdam Contemporary AmsterdamModern Amsterdam is changing fast, with new developments constantly adding to the city's architectural variety. The largest, perhaps most influential of these are the docklands docklands schemes to the west and east of the city centre, where some of the city's long-neglected waterways are being transformed into a modern-day version of the seventeenth-century master plan. The docklands to the east, and schemes to the west and east of the city centre, where some of the city's long-neglected waterways are being transformed into a modern-day version of the seventeenth-century master plan. The docklands to the east, and Zeeburg Zeeburg in particular, are home to some of the city's most exciting new architecture a mixture of renovated warehouses and a.s.sertive new structures, the most notable being the avant-garde in particular, are home to some of the city's most exciting new architecture a mixture of renovated warehouses and a.s.sertive new structures, the most notable being the avant-garde Muziekgebouw Muziekgebouw. There are also some clever, contemporary takes on the traditional Dutch waterfront on Java Island Java Island, whose modern terraces and curvy bridges evoke the ca.n.a.l houses of the city centre and as such bring the city's architectural story full circle.
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