Stazione Centrale
أمستردام
Amsterdam's central station is a red-brick palace built on the water between 1881 and 1889. For anyone arriving by train, it is the front door of the city.
A station on artificial islands
The national government wanted the station in front of the old harbour, on artificial islands in the IJ. The city council would have preferred another spot. It feared the station would get in the way of the ships. It only changed its mind once a canal was dug towards the sea.
The design is by Pierre Cuypers, the architect of the Rijksmuseum. The station opened on 15 October 1889, in front of a huge crowd.
What to look at from the square
The front looks like a palace, with a central section between two towers. Cuypers chose Dutch materials: red brick, white stone for the trims and blue stone for steps and bases.
Look for the stone reliefs above the windows and the little iron railings on the roofs. They are tiny details on an enormous building.
The city's front door
For anyone arriving by train, this is the gateway to Amsterdam. In front of it lie the Damrak and the canals of the centre. Behind the station, on the IJ, free ferries leave for the other shore.
The government wanted it as a showcase for its railways. That is why it is so richly decorated, inside and out.
