17th century canal houses
Eye Film Institute Netherlands
Across the Ij River and easily accessed by a free ferry, the Eye Film Institute reigns as the principal attraction of the Overhoeks urban district. It is the Dutch film culture and heritage museum which opened in April 2012. The EYE was designed by a Viennese architectural firm, Delugan Meissl Associated Architects. An article on April 10, 2012 in the ArchDaily described the EYE building as follows: "On the interface between land and water, between historic centre and modern development area, the building adopts many faces from each viewpoint, thus finding itself in a constant dialogue with its surroundings." I view the EYE as rising from the waters of the Ij and is one with it. (In fact, it stands on pylons embedded in the river below.)
Pathé Theater
Even if you don't want to watch a movie, you can always go to Pathé theater for a drink at the bar. And this is one heck of a bar! There's no mistaking the Art Deco façade which sets Pathé apart from its neighbors. The bar is in the lobby which has been thoughtfully furnished to reflect the era. I stood below the lighted dome in the foyer and watched mesmerized as it changed color from green to red to purple. When I finally had enough of the kaleidoscopic colors, I turned around and spotted a beautiful painting on the wall. As I was crossing the foyer to get a closer view of the painting, I happened to glance down and saw this eye popping carpet. This carpet was redone in 1984 using the same Moroccan thread ( but not the original design). It was flown back to Amsterdam in one piece courtesy of KLM Airlines.
Construction of Pathé started in 1918 and it opened in 1921 after Abraham Icek Tuschinski, its owner, spent 4 million guilders for a top rate theater. Renovations to the theater took four years, from 1998 to 2002. Nothing was spared to restore the theater to its former glory. As a footnote, Tuschinski and his family died at a Nazi concentration camp.
American Hotel
I have passed by the American Hotel many times over the years but not until recently did I notice the façade which faces the Leidsekade. What stopped me in front of the hotel were the life-size statues representing the world's continents suspended in a row between the windows. These statues were added during the expansion and renovation of the hotel under the management of the architect W.G. Kromhout. Kromhout preserved the original building in its Viennese Renaissance state while the new building was constructed in the Dutch Art Nouveau style. The American Hotel is a charter member of Historic Hotels Worldwide.
For the architectectural buff, Amsterdam is a treasure trove of buildings both old and new and well worth exploring. That's why it's always fun to travel to Amsterdam where surprises abound.
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Images by TravelswithCharie