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Van Eesteren Museum in Amsterdam

An exhibit about the famous urban designer Cornelis van Eesteren (1897-1988), one of the authors of the new areas of Amsterdam built after the World War II on the outskirts of the city. Son of a building contractor and a city official in Ablasserdam in South Holland, Van Eesteren became himself an architect, won several prizes for his designs, was a colleague of world pioneers of modern urbanism as Le Corbusier and van Doesburg and a member of the Dutch De Stijl group. Van Eesteren was one of the architects instrumental in the creation of The Athens Charter - the document written by the Swiss architecture genius Le Corbusier in 1933 and proclaimed again in 1944, conveying ideas of modern urban planning.

Ideas of modern city

While European cities grew fast just before and after the World War II, it became clear that without constructing whole new city areas it would be impossible to achieve an improvement of living conditions of working class people. An idea of the garden cities (Dutch: tuinsteden) pioneered by van Eesteren proclaimed construction of modern freestanding buildings surrounded by park and water areas.

The feel

People passionate about the subject lead the Van Eesteren Museum. It consists of one large exhibition room with a coffee corner and a small library room. The museum organizes popular guided walks in the area, bicycle tours, lectures, special architecture lessons for high schools and courses of architecture photography. We recommend the Van Eesteren Museum to historians of architecture and visitors interested in modern Amsterdam history in general.

Open

Friday – Saturday, 11 A.M. - 5 P.M.
Guided tours of the area start at 2 P.M. and take almost two hours.

Admissions

Adults:	€5
Seniors 65+, Stadspas holders:	€3
Children up to the age of 12:	free
The museum ticket includes 1½ - 2 hours long guided tour in the Slotermeer area and a warm drink. If it rains, a special Van Eesteren umbrella may be purchased at the museum.

How to get there

By public transport: from the Munt square tram line 14, exit on the stop Burgemeester Eliasstraat, ca 40 minutes ride.
By car: from the Amsterdam ring A10 North take an exit S104 and drive away from the city center along the Bos en Lommerweg and Burgemeester De Vlugtlaan for about 2,5 km. You will see the museum clearly marked behind the Total gas staion on your left. If you arrive from the South you must take S103 exit and make a U-turn: take right direction city center, take right into Admiral de Ruiterweg and take again right the the first big street – the Bos en Lommerweg. Continue above the ring A10 and further until the museum.