NEW ARCHITECTURE IN AMSTERDAM

If you think of Amsterdam as a city only full of bikes, canals and brick houses with long and narrow shapes you're wrong ... Amsterdam has changed a lot in recent decades with a surprising architecture!

Just a few are aware of it but there are a thousand reasons to discover the new Amsterdam .. let's do it together!! In fact while Amsterdam’s urban landscape is generally associated with Medieval and Dutch Golden Age Architecture, the city also features numerous examples of modern structural design.

These intriguing buildings veer away from conventional forms and architectural gestures, encouraging a sense of civic diversity that has allowed Amsterdam to become a paradigmatic modern city.

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Situated in the privileged riverside area in the heart of Amsterdam, the Film Institute represents the visual landmark of the new Amsterdam Nord quarter. This development area extends over to the former Shell Terrain on the opposite side of the river to the Central Station, Amsterdam’s train station.

This monolithic building was designed by Delugan Meissl Associated Architects to contain the Netherlands’ film archives, as well as four modern cinemas.

Its sloping spires and peculiar geometrical patterns create the illusion of movement, with each of its numerous walls folding into the next.

Silodam Block by MVRDV

Completed in 2002 as part of the huge transformation of an industrial area comprising a former dam and silo building, the 10-storey block accommodates 157 homes, along with workspaces, commercial units and communal areas for occupants.

The starting point for MVRDV's design was a desire to accommodate a wide variety of homes, bringing together low-income families with elderly residents, office workers and artists.

Masterplan IJ Dock by Mecanoo Arch. / Dick Van Gemeren/Bjarne Mastenbroek

Accommodating diverse functions for living, working and leisure, IJDock adds dynamism and a sense of liveliness to the inner city of Amsterdam. The complex connects with the surrounding urban fabric through an interplay of voids and sight lines that make this urban island a hybrid of unity and multiplicity .

OBA Library & Conservatorium Van Amsterdam

The OBA (Amsterdam’s Central Library) is located in the eastern docklands area not far from Central Station. The building was designed by noted Dutch architect Jo Coenen and was opened on 7th July 2007, moving from its former location on Amsterdam’s Prinsengracht canal. Amsterdam Central Library is the 2nd largest public library in Europe and currently attracts around 1.5 million visitors per year.

It is a super place to spend a couple of hours, especially if it’s cold or raining outside – which in Amsterdam happens quite regularly !

Since April 21, 2008, the Conservatorium van Amsterdam has its home in a new building at the Oosterdokseiland, near Amsterdam Central Station. The design, by Dutch architect Frits van Dongen, is based on the 'Engawa model', the Japanese way of building, where the corridors are situated next to the outer walls of the building and the concert halls, classrooms and study rooms, within. Large windows in the front transmits sufficient daylight into the rooms.

NEMO Science Museum

This massive science museum was designed by Pritzker Prize winner Italian Architect Renzo Piano and resembles a gigantic, turquoise ship pulling out of Amsterdam’s Oosterdock. Its entrance is located on the deck of this artificial vessel and visitors can ascend a towering staircase to access the facility. The building’s upper bulwark slants down towards central Amsterdam, creating a remarkable viewing platform.

Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

Although large parts of the Stedelijk were created during the 19th century and was designed by Adriaan Willem Weissman, in 2012 a new wing was added to the museum that is known locally as the ‘bathtub’ designed by Benthem Crouwel Architects. This ultra-modern structure resembles a deep, elongated bowl with an enormous metallic top that juts over its sides. The new wing was harshly criticized during its early years, but eventually became an iconic part of Amsterdam’s urban landscape.

The Stedelijkt is located at the Museum Square in the borough Amsterdam South, where it is close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw.

Rijksmuseum

The reconstruction of the Rijksmuseum is made by Two Spanish architects - Antonio Cruz Villalón and Antonio Ortiz García who worked together since 1971 forming architecture firm Cruz y Ortiz, chosen by the Dutch authorities. Spanish architects previously designed apartment buildings on the Amsterdam Java Island and received several awards for their work.

The main value of the Cruz y Ortiz project was the decision to keep the old building intact, locating many of the modern museum service areas deeper under the old structure.

The historical building designed by the Dutch architect Pierre Cypers originally opened in 1885, had centrally located gates from the both sides of the building and the street passage between them. Cruz y Ortiz project planned to close this passage creating an interesting new space, future reception area of the museum, accessible from both sides of the building.