This gallery contains images from three select cities of the Netherlands; Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht.

It’s amazing to think that much of Holland is reclaimed land, having been cultivated by drainage. The buildings of Amsterdam, from the 17th century houses at the Rokin to the modernist Dutch architecture of the early twentieth century right through to the current contemporary examples show the rich history the city has, to the credit of Dutch architects. Bridges are also an interesting aspect of Amsterdam, being integral to the urban design of the city’s extensive canal system. Mechanical bridges such as the Kloveniersburgwal/Staalstraat Bridge ( from 1896) are especially interesting from a structural or engineering point of view, and very characteristic.

Rotterdam also in Holland (south), was the busiest port in the world in the last half of the twentieth century, but was superseded in 2004 by Shanghai. The Netherlands Architecture Institute showcases some of the talent of Dutch architects, being near the Kunsthal (designed by Remment Koolhaas, architect of works such as the Casa da Música in Porto).

Utrecht is the capital of its own province of the same name, and famous for structures such as the famous Dom Tower of Utrecht, (built between 1321 and 1382 and designed by John of Hainaut). The nearby Universiteit Utrecht features some impressive buildings as the Educatorium by Rem Koolhaas and capacious library.

Three cities on a familiar flat landscape, each with their own intricate nuances and rich histories.

Kloveniersburgwal/Staalstraat Bridge

Kloveniersburgwal/Staalstraat Bridge (1896), is a Bascule bridge or draw bridge, allowing access by larger vessels.

IJmuiden

IJmuiden, Velsen, The Netherlands. A large industrial port of entry to mainland Europe.

IJmuiden Pilot

A pilot boat guiding a ship out of IJmuiden.

Wormerveerstraat

A house on Wormerveerstraat, near Michel De Klerk's 'Het Schip' (The Ship) in the Amsterdam district of Spaarndammerbuurt. The building was earmarked for demolition.

Postkantoor Neude

Post office building at the Neude in Utrecht, 1924.

Stadhuis Utrecht

Interior of the City Hall, Utrecht, designed by Enric Miralles.

Stadhuis Utrecht

Interior of the City Hall, Utrecht, designed by Enric Miralles.

Utrecht Street

Access to the canal on a street near the City Hall

Oudegracht

Old Canal side in Utrecht, with cafés on the canal side. Bicycles are the main form of transport, as the land is so flat, being drained marshland.

Utrecht Muziekcentrum Vredenburg

Music centre in Utrecht, having plays many concerts over the years including Radiohead, The Cure, and many others. Designed by architect Herman Hertzberger and opened in 1979.

Rietveld Schröderhuis

The famous Schröder House designed by Gerrit Rietveld and built 1924 is an example of De Stijl-Architecture. Because of its significance and infulence on modernist architecture is has been placed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

Educatorium

Educatorium at the Universiteit Utrecht, by Rem Koolhaas, 1999

Bibliotheek, Universiteit Utrecht

Library at the Utrecht University, with a huge and unnerving atrium space interrupted by a bridge with a space for private study.

Pythonbrug

Pythonbrug or Python Bridge, in Amsterdam (Bridge 1998)

NEMO Museum

Detail from the NEMO Science centre in Amsterdam, by international Italian architect, Renzo Piano.

Nederlands Architectuurinstituut

Empty exhibition space in the Netherlands Architecture Institute building, with faintly visible text on the formed concrete suggesting a previous exhibition.

Boijmans Van Beuningen Extension

Limited edition 1979 Saab 96 parked in front of Boijmans Van Beuningen Extension in Rotterdam, part of an Art Gallery in Rotterdam.

Kunsthal Rotterdam

Detail Kunsthal in Rotterdam, designed by Rem Koolhaas.

Domtoren

Dom Tower in Utrecht, the most dominant feature of the city's skyline, designed by John of Hainaut and finished 1382.

Rotterdam Metro

Rotterdam Metro entrance, near the Erasmus Bridge, suggesting a rift in the concrete with glazing framing the structure.

Erasmusbrug

The Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam, a cable-stayed bridge linking the two halves of the city across the Nieuwe Maas river.

Rotterdam Tramway

Tramway in Rotterdam, showing an interesting division of space.

Delft University

Delft University Library with the distinctive cone on the left, with the brutalist student hall on the right.