Architecture - the Netherlands

The architecture in the Netherlands is varied (for example, see the post about Marken).

In Amsterdam, the buildings are tall and narrow. At the time that Amsterdam was being built (16th and 17th centuries), there was a property tax based on the width of canal frontage. Thus the tall and narrow buildings.

The building to the right is in Amsterdam and is very old - I think 16th century.

In this photograph, you can see the tall and narrow buildings typical of Amsterdam.







This picture was taken from the bus on the way to the Hague. Along the route, there were several grand houses situated in very large gardens.















For the most part though there is an economy of space for housing. On the way back from the Hague, I took these photographs of row houses, or townhouses, to show that the Dutch don't seem to have an aversion to living side-by-side.












I wish I had taken more photographs of the doors in the Netherlands. Some were very pretty and intricately decorated and others utilitarian. The two photographs below were taken in Marken. The interior doors were "dutch doors," meaning they split in half with an upper and lower portion. There also was an second exterior door that was solid, probably to help block the winds from the sea in winter.