Amsterdam Architecture Skyline

This is my idea for an Amsterdam Architecture set; hope you like it!

If so, can I have your vote please? But first, let me tell you about my build.

I have been working on this project for about two and a half years.

It started out by picking the right vignettes to make up the city.

After that study, I made the actual model over countless iterations.

I mostly used bricks from my own collection, but also had buy some online to get my vision incorporated in the build.

My version of Amsterdam is comprised of the following elements.

On the lift flank runs the Paulus Potterstraat, depicted by tram-tracks.

 The tram-cars in real life make a stop here at one of the city’s world famous art temples;

the Van Gogh Museum. I created both of its architectural eye caters; the original main building by Gerrit Rietveld and the new wing by Kisho Kurokawa. The latter posed the biggest construction challenge in the whole diorama.

Slightly to the right of the museum, you can see my impression of Richard Serra’s sculpture

Sight Point. Considering the location of the Van Gogh, it’s almost on its actual location.

If anyone can do the math on its scale; please leave it in the comments.

Behind the museum is a slice of the actual Museumplein, where the Dutch have seen some of the best parties in the world!

Although Amsterdam is not famous for its skyscrapers, I wanted to include at least one tall building.

And in my vision it had to be from within the city centre. I choose the ‘Toren Overhoeks’, probably better known by its new name A’DAM Tower. This giant stands 80 metres tall, is located on the north shore of the IJ-river and offers a spectacular view of the city and its surroundings.

In front of the tower is a tourist-hot-spot that stood on the Museumplein for years. The iconic red and white “I Amsterdam”-letters. I can only imagine how many people have taken a selfie with

those words!

Because the tower stands on the bank of the river, I have included a bit of the IJ here as well. If you look closely you can even see two of the famous ferryboats, locally called “pontjes”. One of the ferryboats has their household blue colour and one of them is in a shade it has only once a year!

Along the bank of the IJ I have constructed a bicycle path in lilac because not all of those are plain grey.

Next up to the left is ‘The Monument on the Dam Square’. Another main feature of my model, not only for its historic significance but its iconic shape as well. I have worked out the whole monument including the remembrance-wall and the square.

The next section holds our national “cathedral for the arts”; the RIJKSMUSEUM designed by

Pierre Cuypers. This had definitely to be in the line-up, if not only because of the central bicycle-passage (in dark-grey now ;-) that is going straight through it! That way you are invited to look at the back side of the model to. In front of the building you can see a part of Amsterdam’s famous canals on which a tourist vessel is passing by. On both sides of the building I made room for part of the gardens surrounding the museum.

On the far right side of the skyline I constructed the address Prinsengracht 263-267. By first impression, these premises may look like any other of the canal houses one can see all over the city. But look closely and you’ll see a little green statue depicting Anne Frank. The notorious famous Achterhuis is located in these actual houses. Next to all the visual splendour in the line-up, I think this houses bear historical significance and therefore deserve a place in this diorama.

Overall I am happy the way my version of Amsterdam turned out. There are only a few details I could not get a grip on during the build:

·       The black 24246-parts making up for the 3 topside windows in the centre of the RIJKSMUSEUM should have a dark transparent shade. But that kind of brick does not exist.

·       The light-grey 27925 macaroni pieces and the 25269 quarter round tiles making up for the roof of the Kurokawa-wing should be metallic, like the backwall. But to my knowledge these also do not exist.

The actual finishing touch would be if the tiles depicting the bicycle paths would have tiny white lines straight across to make up for the road markings.

Short biography of me…

My name is Maarten. I’m 47 years old and live in Almere in The Netherlands.

During my childhood I played with LEGO a lot.

But like many of us I then got lost in “dark ages” and lost the connection.

Fortunately for me during my college years LEGO started their alliance with the Star Wars universe and set 7190 was the one that brought me back form the dark side.

Today I have a nice collection and after a recent move now finally have space enough to create my own ideas. So who knows what will be next ;-)