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Timeless Charm: Amsterdam’s Canal-Side Architecture

With their distinctive picture windows, Dutch gable roofs, and charming brick facades, Beam’s Dan Grimshaw has been exploring the timeless beauty of Amsterdam’s elegant canal-side houses this week.

A fascinating feature of these 17 century buildings is how they lean slightly forwards towards the canal.  Although it may look like a design quirk, this ‘lean’ has a practical purpose, allowing residents to lift large objects into the upper floors, using ornate roof hooks fixed to the gable roofs as pulleys; an ingenious solution for city living from centuries past! 

Also pictured is the historic library of the Rijksmuseum, along with its atrium entrance designed by architects Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos, which juxtaposes the building’s traditional architecture with contemporary elements quite beautifully.