Burgerweeshuis: Exhibition & Architecture Tour

Explore Aldo van Eyck’s Burgerweeshuis in Amsterdam and the BPD Art Collection of the building’s current tenant, BPD | Bouwfonds Gebiedsontwikkeling. The Burgerweeshuis was designed by architect Aldo van Eyck (1918-1999) in 1955 to house 125 orphans. It is considered one of the most important contributions to Dutch architectural history of the twentieth century. It is also seen internationally as one of the architectural highlights of the last century. Note: The tour can only occur with enough participants (minimum 10 people).

Burgerweeshuis: Exhibition & Architecture Tour

Location

Burgerweeshuis

IJsbaanpad 1

1076 CV Amsterdam

Contact

+31 204471857

info@vaneesterenmuseum.nl

Art and architecture in the former Burgerweeshuis

The building was designed in 1955 to house 125 orphans. It is a labyrinth of pavilions covered with 328 domes, ingeniously grouped around patios. At a time when mass production, rationality and functionalism were the norm in architecture, Van Eyck’s focus was on the human scale. By merging the private and the collective – under the motto ‘a house like a city, a city like a house’ – he created a safe place where each child could live, play and develop.

In 1960, the Burgerweeshuis was completed and used as a children’s home until 1991. After that, the building housed various companies and was vacant for a while. In 2014, the building was purchased by the real estate company Van Zadelhoff and Nijkerk and was thoroughly restored under the direction of architect Wessel de Jonge. Since 2018, area developer BPD Bouwfonds Gebiedsontwikkeling has been renting the building and establishing its headquarters there.

The building also features the impressive BPD Art Collection. The collection includes (inter)national contemporary artworks by Sol Lewitt, Esther Tielemans, Günther Förg, Linda Arts, Michael Jacklin, Daan van Golden, Jan Schoonhoven and André Volten. Inside the Burgerweeshuis, BPD has chosen to show artworks from its collection that connect with several building design principles: structuralism, relationship indoor-outdoor, man at play and colour. On display is work by artists who show direct and indirect affinity with these principles.

Guided tours

Every first Saturday of the month, the Van Eesteren Museum provides two guided tours of the Burgerweeshuis: one at 11:00 (in Dutch) and one at 13:00 (in English). The tour will also feature BPD’s art collection.

Please note: The tour starts and ends at the Burgerweeshuis.

Accessibility: during the tour, you will visit the first floor and (via stairs) the second floor. Only the first floor is accessible with a wheelchair and/or a walker.

Language: English