Museum Het Schip

Het Schip, which means "The Ship" in English, is an architecturally outstanding residential building in Amsterdam's Spaarndammerbuurt district. It was built between 1919 and 1921 to designs by the architect Michel de Klerk and is considered a masterpiece of the expressionist Amsterdam School. The name comes from the building's unusual, ship-like shape, which stands on a fan-shaped plot of land. Originally conceived as a prestige project for social housing, the building today houses not only apartments but also a museum apartment and the former post office. The facade of light red brick is richly adorned with symbolic details and sculptures by the sculptor Hildo Krop, and each side of the building was designed individually to fit in with its surroundings.

Since 2016, the complex has been home to the Museum Het Schip, which is housed in the rooms of a former elementary school. The museum is dedicated to the history of the Amsterdam School, social housing, and the building itself. In addition to a permanent exhibition, you can visit changing special exhibitions. The guided tours, which take place every hour, offer a special experience: you can see the historic post office and the furnished museum apartment. The former post office stands out for its colorful interior in violet and lavender blue, which deliberately departed from the usual official aesthetic of the time. In addition, the museum's courtyard displays a variety of street furniture in the style of the Amsterdam School, reflecting the look of the city in that era.