Central Station - Central Station information and pictures



This always-busy Central train station is a major transportation hub of the Netherlands serving thousands of arriving and departing trains, including 50 international trains. Its magnificent red brick, highly decorated, neo-Renaissance exterior is viewed as one of the most important buildings in the Netherlands. Located on the banks of the scenic IJ River, Central Station stands as a symbol of Amsterdam’s architectural prominence.

The Architecture - Completed in 1889 by architects P.J.H. Cuypers and A.L. van Gendt, Amsterdam’s Central Station is a remarkable red brick testament to neo-Renaissance design with a little Gothic thrown in for added drama. Cuypers also designed the Rijksmuseum and numerous neo-Gothic churches throughout Holland. The building process itself required the extensive placement of 8,600 pilings into the swampy Dutch soil to form a sturdy foundation for the station.

The exterior of the building can’t be ignored with its soaring spires, towers, carvings and decorative reliefs. The towers feature a clock and the four compass points. The façade includes, the coat of arms of Amsterdam and 14 European nations. Cuypers’ design was controversial at the time and criticized by his Protestant detractors for appearing too much like a cathedral. Cuypers was Catholic.

Royal Waiting Room - According to the social customs of the time, Cuypers designed separate waiting rooms for third class, second class, first class and royal passengers. The third class waiting room was for craftsmen, the second and first class rooms reserved for merchants. The first class waiting room is stunningly designed in an Art Nouveau style. The royal waiting room is lavishly decorated with extensive murals and inlaid mosaics.

The Coat of arms of the House of Orange and a ceiling drawing depicting the fable of the fox and rooster stand out among the many royal decorative elements. Cuypers also designed the ornate Baroque style furniture that remains in the royal waiting room.

The Central station was recently renovated and refurbished, washing a century’s worth of grime off the elaborate wall and ceiling murals. When busy travelers pass through this bustling train station, now modernized, they can appreciate the elaborate decorations that Cuypers created for Amsterdam’s Central Station.

Where is Amsterdam’s Central Station: Stationsplein

How to get to Amsterdam’s Central Station: Subway to Centraal Station

Central Station Amsterdam



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