Navigating the Scheepvaarthuis hemispheres

There’s a long tradition of architecture inspired by, or designed for nautical purpose. A great example of this is the ‘Scheepvaarthuis’ (which literally means Shipping House) in the center of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. This amazing building and national monument is a showcase of the ‘Amsterdamse School’ style, which similar to ‘Art Nouveau’ and ‘Jugendstil’ is very rich in detail and decoration.

The Scheepvaarthuis was built between 1912 and 1916 as joint office space for six Amsterdam shipping companies. The last of these left in the 1980s, after which it served as headquarters of the city’s public transport company for a number of years. More recently, it got converted into a luxury hotel, which means you can now actually explore its beauty as a guest (or pretending to be one, like I did).

Stain glass ceiling of Scheepvaarthuis

Immediately on your way into this architectural gem you get confronted with the many sculptures, lavish wood panelling, and crafty wrought iron decorations depicting nautical symbols. The real treat, however, is to take the central stairwell all the way to the top (if you’re claustrophobic, avoid the elevators). It holds one of the most amazing stain glass ceilings you’ll ever see. Just look up, and navigate its hemispheres.

Looking up at the ceiling, navigating the hemispheres

Scheepvaarthuis references:
Wikipedia entry (in Dutch)
Location on WikiMapia
Hotel Amrâth, its current function