To that end, the museum is situated in one of the movement's most celebrated achievements: the residential complex "Het Schip", Dutch for "The Ship", conceived as a "palace for workers" (paleis van de arbeiders) and a more comfortable alternative to the cramped tenements that were once their standard.
The museum's well-informed docents lead visitors on a tour of the spectacular complex. Tours start every hour on the hour, so keep this in mind when you plan your visit. (However, visitors who arrive between tours can easily kill some time with a stroll of the immediate vicinity to take in some of its other noteworthy architecture, or stop for a bite at the museum cafe across the street.) The tours start in the ticket office and museum shop, housed in the former post office section of Het Schip - an oddity in its time, as workers only rarely used postal services. Nevertheless, architect Michel De Klerk didn't waver in his attention to the fine details of the beautifully tiled space, which contains a telephone nook insulated for privacy.
Amsterdamse School architects didn't only determine the exterior, but also the interior of their projects, for a splendidly unified whole.
Outside, visitors feel the full effect of the monumental architecture, which undulates down the street in a manner that earned it the nickname "Het Schip". The brick facade is another typical feature of Amsterdamse School architecture, as is the curious brick relief that straddles a corner of the complex. A narrated stroll to the opposite side of Het Schip reveals a tower - another anomalous element for a workers' residence, more at home in the context of castles and churches. Back inside, visitors are invited into a model apartment where the workers actually lived; here, the carpentry skill of the Amsterdamse School exponents is most evident, as all the furniture and other décor is part of the architect's holistic vision. The meticulous attention to detail pervades each room of the house; even the typeface on the spice jars in the kitchen bears the stamp of the Amsterdamse School aesthetic.
The museum also offers other tours of Amsterdamse School architecture, both in and outside of Amsterdam: every Saturday from 2.30 to 4 p.m., architecture buffs can join in on a 90-minute architectural tour of the Spaarndammerbuurt, while on Sundays it's possible to tour the Scheepvaarthuis (Maritime House), an Amsterdamse School icon and present-day location of the Grand Hotel Amrâth. There are also bus and boat tours of Amsterdamse School sites in the city, as well as bus tours to the cities Hilversum and Roosendaal, where more of the movement's treasures are located.
Museum Het Schip Visitor Information:
Museum Het Schip Location
Spaarndammerplantsoen 140
1013 XT Amsterdam
Hours
- Tues. - Sun., 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Closed January 1, April 30 and December 25.
- Tours (45 minutes) start every hour on the hour, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m..
Admission Fees
- Adults: € 7.50
- Children 12 and under: Free
- Students (with ISIC): € 5.00
- "I amsterdam" card holders: Free
Get There
- By bus - Line 22 to Spaarndammerplantsoen (the final stop).
More Information
Call +31 (0)20 418 28 85 or visit the Museum Het Schip web site.