Waag, Amsterdam
The oldest gable stone in Amsterdam adorns the facade of the tower at the corner of Zeedijk and Geldersekade.
It carries the inscription MCCCCLXXXVIII de XXVIII dach in April wart d'eerste steen van dese poert gheleit.
For instance, there are several documents in the city archives of Amsterdam that pre-date 1488 and mention Saint Anthony's Gate.
[3] De Graauw also found that Saint Anthony's Gate was originally much smaller, and was heightened at a later date.
These kinds of additions were commonplace at that time, as a protection against the increasing threat posed by canons.
[4] From around the beginning of the 16th century, when Amsterdam had completed its surrounding stone city wall, Saint Anthony's Gate appeared as it is depicted in the wood carvings of Cornelis Anthonisz: a main gate with four towers on the inner (city) side — of which the masons' guild tower was still small — and a front gate with two towers on the outer (canal) side.
In addition, the square was raised, causing part of the brickwork of the gate to disappear below ground.
The gate of the masons' guild includes sculpture work by Hendrick de Keyser.
After falling into disuse as a weigh house, the Waag served a range of different functions.
Eventually the building was handed over to a foundation, Stichting Centrum De Waag, which commissioned Philippe Starck to design a glass extension that would have required part of the outer wall to be demolished.
On 20 September 1991, local residents and preservationists opened the disused building to the press and the public.
A general sense of dismay, which also resounded in the city council, led to the appointment of a commission of experts, which proposed to have the building restored under the guidance of an architect with expert knowledge of medieval construction and foundation.
During restoration, the cellars (which had been filled in) were reopened, and a wooden awning was added to the eastern facade.
The paving around the building was changed so that de Waag again became the central point on Nieuwmarkt square.
Waag Society, a foundation that aims to foster experimentation with new technologies, art and culture, is housed on the upper floors.
