Page 127 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - The Netherlands

MUSEUM QU AR TER  125

Vondel (1587–1679) was
erected on the grounds. The
committee soon began to raise
money to enlarge the park, and
by June 1877 it had reached its
current dimensions of 47 ha
(116 acres). The park now
supports around 100 plant
species and 127 types of tree.
Squirrels, hedgehogs, ducks and
garden birds mix with a huge
colony of greedy, bright green
parakeets, which gather in front
of the pavilion every morning
to be fed. Herds of cows, sheep,
goats and even a lone llama
graze in the pastures.
Vondelpark welcomes about Façade of the Hollandse Manege, the Dutch riding school
8 million visitors a year, and is
popular with the locals for dog- glory. The Neo-Classical indoor saved the nave by forcing the
walking, jogging, or just for the arena boasts gilded mirrors and burning tower to fall away into
view. Free concerts are given at moulded horses’ heads on its Vondelpark. A new tower was
the openluchttheater (open-air elaborate plasterwork walls. added later by the architect’s
theatre) or at the bandstand Some of the wrought-iron stalls son, JT Cuypers. The church
during summer. remain and sound is muffled was deconsecrated in 1979 and
by sawdust. At the top of the converted into offices in 1985.
7 Hollandsche staircase, one door leads to a
balcony overlooking the arena,
Manege another to the café. 9 Vondelpark-
paviljoen
Vondelstraat 140. Map 3 C2. Tel 020-
6180942. v 1. Open 9am–11pm 8 Vondelkerk Vondelpark 3. Map 4 D2. Closed to
Mon–Fri, 9:30am–6pm Sat & Sun. - the public, renovations underway.
Vondelstraat 120. Map 3 C2. v 1, 3,
The Dutch riding school was 12. Closed to the public. Vondelpark’s pavilion was
originally situated on the designed by the architects
Leidsegracht, but in 1882 a new The Vondelkerk was the largest PJ Hamer (1812–87) and his
building was opened, designed church designed by PJH Cuypers, son W Hamer (1843–1913),
by AL van Gendt and based on architect of the Centraal Station. and opened on 4 May 1881
the Spanish Riding School in Work began in 1872, but funds as a café and restaurant. After
Vienna. The riding school was ran out by the following year. World War II, it reopened as a
threatened with demolition in Money gathered from public cultural centre. In 1991, the
the 1980s, but was saved after donations and lotteries allowed pavilion was renovated once
a public outcry. Reopened in the building to be completed more. The complete Art Deco
1986 by Prince Bernhard, it has by 1880. When fire broke out in interior of the Cinema Parisien,
been restored to its former November 1904, firefighters Amsterdam’s first cinema,
built in 1910, was moved into
one of the rooms. At one
point, it housed an important
national film museum, EYE,
which screened more than
1,000 films a year. The
museum, however, which
also features a lovely film
poster collection, has been
shifted to a new building on
Bad huisweg. The Vondelpark-
paviljoen underwent
extensive renovations in
recent years and now
functions as a TV and radio
media centre, complete with
a café and restaurant. The
surrounding garden has been
Built in 1880, the striking Vondelkerk now houses a number of offices beautifully re-landscaped.

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