‘AMSTERDAM’ is an illustration or collage, constructed from 17th - 19th century prints. It’s made to fit the the elevator’s back wall in two appartment buildings in historic Amsterdam. The objective was to create a visual experience that can be enjoyed by those new to the city (expats) and residents. It’s a blend of local Amsterdam and stereotypes, without making things too obvious.
On eye-level you are invited to move a little closer:
the Amsterdam map, surrounded by it’s streets and houses, and the people that live in them. All is resting firmly on the wooden poles Amsterdam is built on. The frame works almost like a window, and you can experience a sense of space.
Some people will see this picture everyday so I wanted them to easily feel a connection with the city they live in now.
The red-brown steel traffic bollard (Amsterdammertje) reigns the southside of town, and if that doesn’t work the A’dam Tower will push you right back into the present.
About the Making:
The image below shows a (simplified) visualization of how the canal bridges as part of the wind rose are made:
A visualization of how drawings are sampled to create the wooden poles that represent Amsterdam’s famous foundation structure:
The traffic bollard needed the etching look while staying contemporary. It has a paper texture with line patterns placed on top. Some critical areas are finished with pen. For the metal look a photo is blended to steal it’s metallic reflections:
Source Material
Some of the prints provided by Rijksmuseum Amsterdam (Rijksstudio) and Stadsarchief Amsterdam: