Architectural Diversity in Amsterdam

17th century canal houses

During the Dutch Golden Age, wealthy merchants built magnificent homes along the canals of Amsterdam. Today we associate Amsterdam with its 17th century canal houses. But a walk around this compact city reveals a healthy dose of Art Deco, Dutch Art Nouveau, and modern structures. Amsterdam is a city that embraces diversity (in more aspects than one) with aplomb.

Eye Film Institute Netherlands

Across the Ij River and easily accessed by a free ferry, the Eye Film Institute reigns as the principal attraction of the Overhoeks urban district. It is the Dutch film culture and heritage museum which opened in April 2012. The EYE was designed by a Viennese architectural firm, Delugan Meissl Associated Architects. An article on April 10, 2012 in the ArchDaily described the EYE building as follows: "On the interface between land and water, between historic centre and modern development area, the building adopts many faces from each viewpoint, thus finding itself in a constant dialogue with its surroundings." I view the EYE as rising from the waters of the Ij and is one with it. (In fact, it stands on pylons embedded in the river below.)

Pathé Theater

Even if you don't want to watch a movie, you can always go to Pathé theater for a drink at the bar. And this is one heck of a bar! There's no mistaking the Art Deco façade which sets Pathé apart from its neighbors. The bar is in the lobby which has been thoughtfully furnished to reflect the era. I stood below the lighted dome in the foyer and watched mesmerized as it changed color from green to red to purple. When I finally had enough of the kaleidoscopic colors, I turned around and spotted a beautiful painting on the wall. As I was crossing the foyer to get a closer view of the painting, I happened to glance down and saw this eye popping carpet. This carpet was redone in 1984 using the same Moroccan thread ( but not the original design). It was flown back to Amsterdam in one piece courtesy of KLM Airlines.

Construction of Pathé started in 1918 and it opened in 1921 after Abraham Icek Tuschinski, its owner, spent 4 million guilders for a top rate theater. Renovations to the theater took four years, from 1998 to 2002. Nothing was spared to restore the theater to its former glory. As a footnote, Tuschinski and his family died at a Nazi concentration camp.

American Hotel

I have passed by the American Hotel many times over the years but not until recently did I notice the façade which faces the Leidsekade. What stopped me in front of the hotel were the life-size statues representing the world's continents suspended in a row between the windows. These statues were added during the expansion and renovation of the hotel under the management of the architect W.G. Kromhout. Kromhout preserved the original building in its Viennese Renaissance state while the new building was constructed in the Dutch Art Nouveau style. The American Hotel is a charter member of Historic Hotels Worldwide.

For the architectectural buff, Amsterdam is a treasure trove of buildings both old and new and well worth exploring. That's why it's always fun to travel to Amsterdam where surprises abound.

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Images by TravelswithCharie

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called Kasaysayan ng Maynila (History of Manila). The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was

8 Heritage Houses of Iloilo

Lizares Mansion The province of Iloilo on the island of Panay has a rich trove of heritage houses, left over from the sugar industry boom in the 19th century. Iloilo also had the largest port in the Philippines at that time which facilitated the export of sugar to foreign shores and deposited money in the hands of the sugar barons. The barons dropped their earnings into the acquisition of properties in Negros and the construction of beautiful homes in Iloilo, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Jaro Cathedral. The Lizares Mansion was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife, Concepcion Gamboa and five children. The family fled to safety when World War II broke out and the house was occupied by the Japanese military. The family returned to the house after the war but left once again after the demise of Don Emiliano. It was sold to the Dominican order in the 1960s and was converted in 1978 to a private school, Angelicum School. The mansion now houses the

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