Going Dutch

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Beyond its charming canal scenes, Amsterdam offers myriad aesthetic attractions

In a suite overlooking the Amstel River, Dutch jeweler and sculptor Bibi van der Velden curated a collection of vintage furniture. Photo courtesy of De L’Europe.

Think of your favorite Dutch designers. Perhaps Piet Hein Eek, Hella Jongerius, Dirk van der Kooij, Sabine Marcelis, Marcel Wanders and Floris Wubben come to mind. Over the years, these are just a handful of the names that have populated the Frozen Fountain, the renowned Amsterdam shop opened by Cok de Rooy and Dick Dankers in 1992 that remains on the cutting edge.

Indeed, for many Dutch design enthusiasts, it is a must-visit—particularly those keen to learn about the next big thing. According to Lisa Westenburg, the store’s curator, the Frozen Fountain continues to “keep the focus on upcoming talent, mostly graduated from Dutch academies.” One such designer is Masha Volkova, a 2021 graduate of Gerrit Rietveld Academie who “is making big furniture objects inspired by her family and friends.” These days, Westenburg notes, “designers really design from their inner emotions.”

Not far from the Frozen Fountain, Moooi—the lifestyle and interior brand founded by Wanders and Casper Vissers in 2001—also has a retail spot. But it’s not only the showrooms that make Amsterdam a haven for aesthetes. Throughout the capital city of the Netherlands, opportunities to marvel at art, architecture and design abound. Some are well-documented while others are new or perhaps a bit more under the radar.

Ziarah Janssen—who with her sister, Tisja, comprises SistersJanssen— created the mural in the suite that the design duo conceived for De L’Europe. Photo courtesy of De L’Europe.

Take the recently launched ‘t Huys wing at De L’Europe hotel. Its 14 exquisite suites represent collaborations with Dutch creative talents—including couturier Ronald van der Kemp, art duo SistersJanssen, jeweler and sculptor Bibi van der Velden, and the Van Gogh Museum. The accommodations can come with singular perks, such as an invitation to a designer’s atelier. In the Van Gogh suite, a museum edition painting by the artist hangs in one room, with guests permitted to choose from three works.

D/DOCK studio brought the visions of the ‘t Huys partners to fruition. Tisja and Ziarah Janssen incorporated their father’s woodwork and their mother’s ceramics in a suite awash in purple in the front and red in the back. In the van der Velden-designed suite—which overlooks the Amstel River—a stunning, outsize ceramic necklace graces a wall. For the duration of their stay in her quarters, guests can wear jewelry hand-selected by the designer.

Just a few minutes from De L’Europe, a venue from Dutch design stalwart Droog contains a gallery and café, plus a fairy-tale-inspired garden conceived by French designers Claude Pasquer and Corinne Détroyat. Also near the hotel is Royal Theatre Tuschinski; catch a movie or book an audio tour to revel in this decorative and architectural gem. Opened by Abraham Tuschinski in 1921 and designed by architect Hijman Louis de Jong, the cinema combines three styles: Amsterdam School, Jugendstil and art deco. Significant restorations included the reconstruction of original wall paintings by Pieter den Besten.

In the Frozen Fountain, the “Beautiful Beast” chair—designed by Claudy Jongstra and Piet Hein Eek in a collaboration with the store for its 30th anniversary—anchors a space that also includes a cut-glass chandelier by Eek and a timber stool by Onno Adriaanse. Photo courtesy of Pim Top.

Amsterdam’s museum scene is an embarrassment of riches. Three major institutions alone are situated on the Museumplein: the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum and Van Gogh Museum. But wait, there’s more. In 2016, Moco Museum, dedicated to contemporary and modern art—with pieces by Marina Abramović, Banksy, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Tracey Emin, KAWS, Takashi Murakami and many more—opened in the Tudor-style Villa Alsberg, overlooking Museumplein. (Fun fact: The 1904 building that houses Moco was designed by architect Eduard Cuypers, the nephew of Pierre Cuypers, who designed the Rijksmuseum.)

The house museums that dot the city typically offer more intimate settings for enjoying art and history. Among them, Our Lord in the Attic Museum, so named because the 17th-century canal house’s attic holds a church; Huis Willet-Holthuysen, which belonged to a couple of serious Francophiles; and Museum Van Loon, whose period interiors are joined by temporary exhibitions. (The latter is across the canal from photography museum Foam.)

With majestic murals and architectural features aplenty, the movies are not the only draw at the Royal Theatre Tuschinski. Photo courtesy of Royal Theatre Tuschinski.

While it’s not a house museum, but rather part of a public housing complex, those interested in the Amsterdam School architecture style should consider Museum Het Schip—located in Michel de Klerk’s 1919 sculptural brick masterpiece whose distinctive shape is reminiscent of a ship. Guided tours provide a look inside a restored apartment as well as the beautiful old post office, which warranted a past feature in The World of Interiors.

Several places about an hour south of Amsterdam make for a worthwhile day trip. At Royal Delft, dubbed “the home of stylish and original Delft Blue,” explore the 17th-century pottery factory and
its museum. (Painting workshops are available.) Visit Wassenaar for Museum Voorlinden and the neighboring Clingenbosch Sculpture Garden. The contemporary art museum’s Cloudwalker exhibition, on view until January 19, includes Yayoi Kusama’s 2008 Infinity Mirror Room: Gleaming Lights of the Souls. In 2024, the sculpture garden— with over 60 works by the likes of Henry Moore, Sol LeWitt and Berlinde De Bruyckere—is open through October 24.

At the Royal Delft Museum, a set of tableware in Delft blue depicts the royal family. Photo courtesy of the Royal Delft Museum.

For souvenirs, museum gift shops are great for objects that don’t scream “tourist.” De L’Europe offers another option: Along with its ‘t Huys wing, the hotel introduced the In-Huys boutique in its lobby. Products from those involved in the new suites are stocked, as are goods from other local makers. No matter what strikes your fancy—from tiles by Monique de Meyere and art from the Ravestijn Gallery to Iris Maree handbags and vibrant fashions by Zazi—any item that exudes Dutch design flair makes for the perfect reminder of a trip to Amsterdam.