July 23: Amsterdam – Beurs 2

We ventured into the belly of the Beurs. (Sorry.)

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These railings are another good example of negative ornament; but for the mortar joints, they look as though they'd been carved from monolithic walls.

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A vivid contrast of both color and gloss.

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The grand space and structure of the main exchange hall, the Goederenbeurs, if we go by this floor plan.

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The Beurs is now an exhibition and performance center — which means that the socialist Berlage's dream for the building as a "Palace of the People" has essentially been realized, albeit by moving the stock exchange functions somewhere else rather than through the dissolution of the capitalist system!

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Truly this is a structural rationalist's dream. The continuation of the curve from the metal arches into the stone abutments carrying them is incredibly satisfying.

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One thing I found unfortunate is that the glass roof of the Goederenbeurs was shaded for the sake of the exhibitions. I would love to be able to see it with the daylight streaming in.

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The grand array of windows at the southern end, illuminating a smaller but still grand chamber. I don't remember who the figures depicted in the windows are.

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The side wall of that chamber, rather more rustic than the Goederenbeurs.

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The Amsterdam coat of arms at the epicenter of the chamber's carpet.

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Thence we headed north toward the Graanbeurs.

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Thankfully, the Graanbeurs's skylights are still permitted their function.

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Throughout the building are murals exalting the proletariat, apparently a good means of annoying the commodity traders who worked there.

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The walls of the Graanbeurs are simple planes except where piers protrude to support beams. I really like the inlays of the various materials in the wall plane.

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Embedded in the Graanbeurs is this glass chamber providing acoustical enclosure for a performance space. Quite different in detailing from the surroundings, but rather concordant with them nonetheless due to its own fully expressed structure.

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Jonathan tested the acoustics with a harmonica concert.

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Nested spaces, nested structures.

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This room is at the north end of the Beurs, I think, judging by the horizontal daylight.