Documenting Amsterdam‘s finest 20th century architecture, from expressionist Amsterdam School housing to ambitious urban expansion plans, and more, Modern Amsterdam Map is published by Blue Crow Media and covers a remarkable assortment of buildings from 1913 to today; the two-sided guide presented in both English and Dutch and featuring a map of the city.
Written by architectural historian Rixt Woudstra, with photography by Loes van Duijvendijk, readers will discover multiple generations and genres of architecture that chronicles the compelling social, economic and cultural history of modern Amsterdam. Although renowned for its narrow 17th-century canal houses, the city is also marked by modern architecture, from expressionist housing to functionalist experiments with concrete and colourful postmodern designs.
Just as Amsterdam School architects such as Michel de Klerk transformed the city through their high-quality apartment blocks, characterised by an inventive use of brick and curvilinear shapes in the early 20th century, the late 1920s and ’30s saw the use of materials such as concrete, glass and steel help to form a type of architecture which was light, open, functional and lacking ornamentation. Fast forward to today and Amsterdam is once again undergoing rapid transformation with the makeover of Amsterdam’s waterfront starting in the late 1980s with the redesign of the Eastern Docklands, leading to exciting and refreshing developments.
Pinpointing 50 examples of 20th and 21st century architecture, Modern Amsterdam Map is avilable now from Blue Crow Media, and is the perfect companion for design devotees visiting this unmissable European capital.