One of the first things you notice when you visit Amsterdam is how crooked its buildings are. The buildings also appear to be leaning forward and tend to be narrower than what you see in other parts of the world. If you have no idea why the buildings look like this, you may wonder if you’re seeing things or if you need new prescription glasses.
So, why are Amsterdam’s buildings crooked? Why are they so narrow? The quality of the wooden piles used to build Amsterdam houses and their old age has made them sink unevenly into the ground, thus making them appear crooked. The narrowness of the buildings dates back to the 17th century, when plots of land allotted for building were very small.
But if these designs date back to years ago, why are most of the buildings in Amsterdam still crooked and narrow today? Should you be cautious when living in such houses, or are they as safe as regular-sized, straight buildings? If you’re planning to move to Amsterdam or planning to visit the city, read on to learn all about Amsterdam’s buildings and their unique construction.
Why Are Amsterdam Buildings so Narrow?
If there’s one thing the Dutch government is good at, it’s planning. This is a characteristic they’ve maintained throughout the centuries. The government has been especially keen when it comes to the expansion of the city.
In the 17th-century, Amsterdam became the cultural, political, and economic center of the Netherlands as a result of the Dutch Golden Age. According to Amsterdam Hangout, the Dutch Golden Age represents the time that “Amsterdam suffered all sorts of transformations: art was developed, trading and expansion grew, and the main architectural constructions began.”
With the influx of so many people arriving in the city, the government began handing out plots of land to accommodate the new residents. However, the plots of land in the three main canals – Herengracht, Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht – were extremely small. Each plot was about 5 to 7 meters in width.
It’s believed that they chose to divide the plots this way because it meant that a maximum number of houses would have entrance to the waterfront, which was the primary means of transport in the 16th century.
But don’t let the narrow appearance of the buildings fool you. While the buildings in Amsterdam appear narrow, they’re quite roomy. Most buildings have a large garden that’s hidden from view, and the richer residents had a carriage house in the back.
Interesting fact: Because the houses in Amsterdam are so narrow, their staircases are also very thin. For this reason, residents used the wide windows and the hoist beam on top when they needed to move to another home.
However, not all houses in Amsterdam are narrow. Back in the day, the rich could afford to buy more than one piece of land, so they had the luxury of building wider houses. One of the areas where you’ll see “city palace” buildings is Golden Bent (Gouden Bocht) of the Herengracht. This area is where many wealthy people lived in the past.
You’ll also notice that there are no beams on top of the “city palaces,” which is mainly because the wealthy didn’t need to stock anything in the attic for extra cash. Additionally, because their staircases were larger, moving into the home was a hassle-free process.
As tour guides will tell you, taxes were determined by the size of the buildings. Some people believe this is the reason for the narrow houses. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. When the taxes were introduced, the canal had already been dug, and the houses were already built!
What is the Narrowest House in Amsterdam?
If you’re planning to visit Amsterdam, seeing the narrowest building in the city should be at the top of your list. Seriously, you cannot leave Amsterdam without seeing it! So, what is the narrowest building in Amsterdam?
The narrowest building in Amsterdam can be found on Oude Hoogstraat. The house, called Het Kleinste Huis, measures 2.02 meters by 5 meters, and it only has space for one room on each floor. Currently, the building is open to the public as the “smallest tearoom in Amsterdam,” and serves coffee and pastries to visitors while they admire the incredibly small architecture.
You’ll find a tea shop and historical images on the bottom floor. However, you’ll need reservations to see the upper floors.
Why are Amsterdam Buildings Crooked?
Crooked buildings are the last thing you expect in a city as developed as Amsterdam, so why are Amsterdam buildings crooked? Tour guides have different explanations for the skewed and slanted buildings in this city. Several theories explain the crooked nature of Amsterdam buildings.
Quality of Wooden Poles Used
When building Amsterdam houses, contractors use piles that they drill meters deep into the wet soil. In the past, they used wooden piles to prevent the houses from sinking into the swampy ground. Today, the piles are made sturdy by reinforcing them with cement.
To understand why buildings in Amsterdam are crooked, you need to understand the soil composition of the area. In Amsterdam, the soil consists of 11 meters of soft peat and clay before the first layer of sand appears.
For the older homes, contractors used low-quality wooden piles that were neither thick nor long enough. As a result, the poles sunk deeper into the soil as the years passed, making the buildings appear crooked.
Today, building construction uses higher quality wooden piles that are drilled further into the ground until they reach the second layer of sand – 18 meters deep.
Renovation of Houses Built in a Row
Another explanation as to why the buildings in Amsterdam appear crooked is renovation practices. When all the houses remain tightly packed together, everything appears fine because the houses hold each other in place.
But things go south when one of the houses is getting a makeover. If the poles holding the buildings together are not in good condition, they start moving or sinking deeper into the ground, which results in some of the buildings beginning to lean.
This problem is most common with buildings in corners. Because they do not have another house to lean on, they appear slanted. In most cases, the walls of these corner houses appear bloated as well.
Rotting Wooden Piles
Rotting wooden piles are also a reason behind the crooked buildings in Amsterdam. When the water level in the city is lowered, the wooden piles are exposed to oxygen, and they begin rotting. But how exactly does this happen?
There’s a special government agency in Amsterdam known as Waterschap that’s tasked with the responsibility of controlling the water levels in the city. If the agency decides to lower the water levels, it affects the quality of the wooden piles in most buildings, and consequently, they all start leaning on one side.
Addition of Extra Floors on Top
Some buildings in Amsterdam are crooked because additional floors were added to the building. When an extra floor is added to the top, the weight of the building exceeds what the builders calculated when they constructed the building. The result? A crooked building.
How to Check the Foundation of an Amsterdam House
Due to these errors in construction, it’s wise to check the foundation of an Amsterdam house before deciding to buy one. According to Expatica, the only way to know what kind of foundation your house has is to check with the Council of Amsterdam.
The council keeps records of all investigations done on Amsterdam houses and will have information about the construction and other details of the homes.
The Most Crooked Buildings in Amsterdam
Four buildings in Amsterdam have taken the title of the most crooked buildings in Amsterdam, according to The 500 Hidden Secrets.
1. Vijzelgracht
The Vijzelgracht is an underground North-South line that exceeds all budget and planning limits but has been a major nuisance for the city. Between the years 2008 and 2012, several buildings, along with the Vijzelgracht, sunk 15 to 23 centimeters due to the construction work. This renovation forced residents to vacate their homes temporarily.
2. Sluyswacht
The Sluyswacht is a free-standing building that was constructed in the year 1695 as a lockkeeper’s house across from the Rembrandt House museum. For the last 20 years, this building has been a café.
3. Rokin
The houses on Rokin were located near the water, but the last section of the Amstel River was drained in the 1930s. Back then, an art dealer and Persian rug shop were located in the building. In 2003, the building was vacant and squatted twice a year. The building has since been renovated, but it still retains its crooked shape.
4. Spiegelgracht
The Spiegelgracht is a tiny house with a clock gable that rests comfortably on its neighbor. A 17th-century canal opposite the Rijksmuseum of the same name is lined with pieces of jewelry, art shops, and galleries, along with many crooked houses.
Most of the canal houses here leaned forward so that hoisting goods up the building would be easier.
Why do Amsterdam Buildings Appear to be Leaning Forward?
Apart from being crooked and narrow, you may also have noticed that the buildings in Amsterdam seem to be leaning forward. This leaning isn’t an accident; it’s intentional. The Dutch government refers to this construction design as “op de vlucht bouwen.”
Until the beginning of the 19th century, the construction regulations in Amsterdam stipulated that all houses should lean forward. There were even specifications regarding the leaning. For instance, the houses in the corners were expected to lean forward on both “open” sides.
But how was this style of construction beneficial? There are several reasons.
It Matched the Medieval Style of Construction
In the medieval era, all the houses in Europe were made of wood, and the buildings featured an upper floor that was larger than the floor below – a technique known as jettying. The primary advantage of this design was that, when it rained, the water didn’t get to the bottom floor.
In addition to this, the jettying technique allowed the construction of a bigger upper floor that didn’t take too much space in the street – a great benefit that complied with the medieval street plans.
The Beginning of Brick Houses
In 1452, a large fire destroyed most of the wooden buildings in Amsterdam. As a result, the government saw it fit to construct all houses with bricks going forward. But the historical buildings guild didn’t do away with the “op de vlucht bouwen” building technique.
It wasn’t until the 19th century when Napoleon did away with Amsterdam guilds that the country started building straight houses. And halfway through the 20th century, it was illegal to build “op de vlucht bouwen.”
Today, you’re allowed to build a leaning house only if the other houses in the area are also leaning – it offers a great aesthetic appeal!
It Was Easier to Hoist Goods Up
Back in the day, Amsterdam was a “staple port” – an area where merchants made money by trading different types of goods that entered the city by boat. As a result, most of the buildings in the city were not used for living; instead, they were used for storing goods.
Goods like cacao, spices, and cotton were stored in special warehouses and attics in merchants’ canal houses in Amsterdam. To get them to the attic, the merchants would use a hook attached to the beam sticking out at the top of the building. A leaning building design meant that the goods wouldn’t break windows or hit the wall when they were being hoisted up.
It was a Beautiful Sight
Not many countries can boast about having leaning buildings with unique designs. Therefore, it’s possible that some homeowners in Amsterdam preferred the leaning construction to display their fancy designs.
It’s in the upper part of the structures where you truly get to see the wealth and glory of Amsterdam buildings. Therefore, it makes sense why they’d prefer a leaning house over a straight one. How else would you see the gable?
Intriguing Buildings in Amsterdam
While most people visit Amsterdam to see the medieval and Dutch Golden Age architecture, this isn’t the only thing the magnificent city has to offer. Over the years, there’s been an increase in innovative and modern structural designs that have only reinforced the idea that Amsterdam is an ultimate tourist destination.
Some of the most intriguing buildings in Amsterdam include:
1. NEMO Science Museum
Pritzker Prize-winner Renzo Piano designed the NEMO Science Museum. The building looks like an enormous turquoise ship pulling out of Amsterdam’s Oosterdok harbor. The entrance of the museum is located on the deck of the vessel and visitors access it through a giant staircase.
The upper bulwark of the building slants towards central Amsterdam, creating a remarkable viewing platform. If you don’t make it inside of the museum, the building itself is a sight to behold and one you won’t forget.
2. Eye Film Institute
The completion of the Eye Film Institute completely altered Amsterdam’s northern skyline. This exceptional structure was put up to contain the national film archives, an exhibition space, four modern cinemas, and a restaurant.
The building’s peculiar geometrical patterns and sloping spires create the illusion of movement, with each of its walls folding into the next to create a unique structure.
3. REM Eiland Restaurant
The REM Eiland Restaurant is a popular restaurant that’s loved for its incredible view of the river IJ. Initially, the structure was built in Ireland but later towed to the North Sea. In the 1960s, a Dutch private radio station broadcasted from the building but was later shut down by the authorities.
The platform was later moved to Amsterdam’s Houthavens, where it was turned into a restaurant.
4. De Fietsflat
If you’re a bike-riding aficionado, the De Fietsflat is a building you’ll appreciate. In 2001, the Amsterdam municipality constructed a bicycle storage facility with multiple stories on a canal just south of Central Station.
Originally, the space was designed for temporary use. It was meant to be a temporary space for bicycles that would help free up room in the station during a large-scale renovation project. However, after the project, the municipality decided to keep the facility, which is now known as De Fietsflat (the bicycle apartment).
Perfect is Boring
When most people notice the crooked, narrow, forward-leaning buildings in Amsterdam, they instantly think it was a construction error. But the only thing that resulted from a construction issue is the crookedness of the buildings, which the government has worked hard to rectify over the years.
It’s interesting to know that the narrow and leaning design of the buildings was intentional. It’s something you won’t see in every country, and it’s one of the many reasons to love Amsterdam. Not to mention, it shows that many things seen as functional and necessary can end up being beautiful and unique – a great lesson to learn from this magnificent city!