Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam

DutchAmsterdam.nl — Amsterdam is home to the most prominent music hall in the Netherlands — the Muziekgebouw, literally ‘Music Building.’

While the name may not seem inspired the spectacular venue certainly is home to lots and lots of music.

The full name of the building is ‘Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ’ — music building at the IJ, refering to the river behind Central Station.

The banks of the IJ are being re-purposed and re-developed, and the visually stunning concert hall is a welcome addition to Amsterdam’s waterfront — if you prefer your buildings designed like stacked shoe boxes, that is.

We prefer a more classic approach to architecture, but it cannot be denied that the the building serves as a cultural anchor in the city.

The building was designed by Danish architectural firm 3XN and has won various Dutch and international architectural prizes. It consists of a multifunctional state of the art 725 seats chamber music hall, several foyers for workshops and master classes, a smaller hall seating 100, and extensive conference and catering facilities.

The Muziekgebouw is lauded for its great acoustics, and guests tend to agree that — as the venue promotes itself — it is the ‘Concert Hall of the 21st Century.’

Bimhuis

Attached to the Muziekgebouw is the world famous Bimhuis — the central spot for the Dutch jazz scene.

The ground floor of the building contains cafe restaurant Star Ferry. It is open to the public serving lunches and dinners.

Star Ferry also provides open-air, waterfront seating with fantastic views across the busy IJ river.

Address and Information

Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ
Piet Heinkade 1
Amsterdam

Box Office
Phone: 020 – 788 2000 [Amsterdam phone info]
Monday to Saturday:
12:00 – 18:00

Website
Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ (at this time of this writing some English information was available, but not enough to be useful).

Cafe Restaurant Star Ferry
Dinner reservations:
PhoneL 020 – 788 2090 [Amsterdam phone info]
website: starferry.nl (at the time of this writing no English information was available. However, the lunch and diner menus (lunchkaart and dinerkaart respectively) are in both Dutch and English).

How to get there
Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ is a 10-15 minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station. It can also be reached by tram, line 25 or 26. Use the first stop (‘Muziekgebouw’) after Central Station.