Page 124 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - The Netherlands

122  A MSTERD A M

Street-by-Street: Museum Quarter

The green expanse of Museumplein was once
bisected by a busy main road known locally
as the “shortest motorway in Europe”. But
dramatic renovation between 1996 and 1999
has transformed it into a stately park, fringed by
Amsterdam’s major cultural centres. The district is
one of the wealthiest in the city, with wide streets
lined with grand houses. After the heady delights
of the museums, it is possible to window-shop at 3 . Van Gogh Museum
the many upmarket boutiques along the exclusive The new wing of the museum, an
PC Hooftstraat and Van Baerlestraat, or watch the elegant oval shape, was designed
by Kisho Kurokawa and opened in
diamond polishers at work in Coster Diamonds. 1999. It is dedicated to temporary
exhibitions of 19th-century art.

Van Baerlestraat
contains exclusive H O N T H O R S T S T R
clothing shops (see p148).

4 . Stedelijk V A N D E R V E L D E S T R
Museum
Housing the civic P A U L U S P O T T E R S T R A A T
collection of modern
art, this museum also
stages controversial
contemporary art
exhibitions. A sculpture
garden is behind
the building. V A N B A E R L E S T R A A T

5 Concertgebouw
Designed by AL van Gendt,
the building has a Classical
façade and a concert hall
with near-perfect acoustics.

For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp396–7 and pp406–9

122-123_EW_Netherlands.indd 122 16/01/17 12:03 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Starsight template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 24th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm