Scheepvaarthuis

The Shipping House (Dutch: Scheepvaarthuis) is a building on the western tip of the Waalseiland near Amsterdam harbour that is one of the top 100 Dutch heritage sites and generally regarded as the first true example of the Amsterdam School, a style characterised by "expressive dynamism, lavish ornamentation and colourful embellishments".

[1] It is situated on the Prins Hendrikkade and was erected on the spot where Cornelis Houtman's first trip to the East Indies had begun in 1595.

The shipping companies housed inside were all involved in global trade, their combined lines "circumnavigated the earth in several directions" from Dutch hub points in the East and West Indies.

For example, the outside of the building is covered in carving and relief sculptures that reflect the Dutch colonial empire, with the sculpted personifications of the oceans around the main entrance presented as "exotic mysterious women".

[2] The building's design and execution were entrusted to the brothers Johan Godart and Adolf Daniel Nicholas van Gendt.

The former main entrance on the corner Prins Hendrikkade and Binnenkant is topped by a truncated tower structure, coated with copper-coloured English slate.

In designing the hotel interior, Amsterdam-based architect Ray Kentie was inspired by the original sumptuous Art Nouveau style.

In keeping with the tradition of the Gesamtkunstwerk, he invited artists like Gerti Bierenbroodspot and Christie van der Haak to complete the renovation.