Het Schip, Amsterdam

Museum of the Amsterdam School of architecture

One of the most expressionist apartment blocks in Amsterdam, located at the Spaarndammerplantsoen, is called Het Schip (The Ship). It has been built in the years 1911-1920 and was designed for the housing association Eigen Haard by the architect Michel de Klerk. It featured 120 low rent apartments and the public utility buildings as school, post office and a community house.

Today, the former post office of Het Schip houses the museum of the Amsterdam School style of architecture. In its permanent exhibition the museum shows the history and the finest examples of this unique style.

The ticket to the museum will also give you the admission to an interesting Amsterdam School apartment in another house, at the walking distance of 300 yards (ca 100m.). You will also have the opportunity to visit the famous decorative tower designed by de Klerk.

On the other side of the street the museum has a convenient lunch space (at Ostzaanstraat 28-30).

The whole area of Het Schip is an interesting quarter, largely in the Amsterdam School style, now extensively renovated. You may see how inhabitants of Amsterdam live in the districts less frequented by the tourists.

The feel

Unusual monument of the early twentieth century architecture and an opportunity to see an interesting well off the beaten tourist tracks in Amsterdam, still not far from the city centre.

A well documented multilanguage exhibition (in all basic European languages and Japanese) seems really a must for architecture lovers.

Amsterdamse School Museum Het Schip

Address:
Spaarndammerplantsoen 140
1013 XT Amsterdam

How to get there:
Take a bus 22 from the Central Station. The bus stop is in front of the Victoria Hotel on the other side of the street (canal side). Het Schip museum is at the last stop of the bus (Zaanstraat) – after ca. 10 minutes ride.

Opening hours:
Wednesdays to Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. Also by appointment. Every hour: guided tour in the museum.

Admission: € 5,00; older people (+65): € 2,75; students € 2,00, with the Museum card: free

Tel. +31 20 4750924 or +31 20 418 2885
Web: http://www.hetschip.nl/

The museum also organizes guided tours of Amsterdam showing the highlights of the Amsterdam School style of architecture. Conference facility with the possibility of lunch or reception and a capacity of 50 participants is also available (please contact Alice Roegholt, tel. no. +31 20 418 2885).