There were lots of things we thought would be interesting about Amsterdam, but actually the architecture wasn't initially one of them. However, we were immediately taken with the lovely brick and iron details, and the fascinating hook-structures (called "hijsbalk") seen protruding above top floor windows. It turns out these hook and pully combinations are not decorative features. Rather, they are a clever adaptation to the need to move large objects in and out of tall, narrow buildings that have steep internal staircases. Can't take it up the stairs? No problem, just hoist it up into the attic window from the outside...
But there was more. It didn't take long to see that the city could be described as either a structural engineer's nightmare or reflective of a fascinating interaction between the natural environment, the man-made environment and some sort of cosmic whimsy.
Do you expect to see 90 degree angles in your architecture? Well, not here. Canal houses seem to lurch and lean, with seemingly tiny slivers of buildings sandwiched between larger structures; stairs, doors and windows are at odd angles, and even street lamps lean in a stance of quiet precariousness. Of course, this is not the case for all buildings. And as amusing as it can appear, clearly, there are challenging structural and architectural issues at play, here. But the effect, overall, is one of playful and quite lovely architectural disarray.
And then there are the boats. There is a surprisingly large and varied assortment of watercraft ranging from canoes, rowboats, paddle boats and dinghys, to motor boats, sail boats, barges and houseboats. The houseboats are a wonder in and of themselves, with many displaying innovative and artistic design features, gardens and furnishings.
So, this is our homage to Amsterdam, a city that we have come to love. Perched in its tipsy humor on beautiful canals, enveloped in greenery, with a river of bicycles coursing through its narrow arteries of streets, and colorful boats quietly stationery or actively meandering down its canals, it is a city whose visual uniqueness is an antidote to the straight-laced assumptions we have about the world. And that is without ever having set foot in a coffee shop. Marvelous.
© Visual Ovation Photography