A Photo Tour of Amsterdam
Buildings, Houses, Canals, and Street Scenes
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025 – "Het Rijksmuseum" – The National Museum – AD1885 –
Designed in neo-Dutch, early 17th century Renaissance style by P. J. Cuypers, the first pole for the museum went into the ground on 1 October 1876.  A scant eight years later, it opened its doors to the public.  At the same time and in addition to the museum, a library and an official residence for the museum's director where also built.  At the direction of the city fathers, Cuypers incorporated into his design a wide, ground level tunnel to accommodate pedestrian and vehicular traffice between the Stadthouderskade at its front and Museum Plein (square) at its rear.  The picture below is a view of the building's rear at Museum Plein.  As you can see from this picture, the tunnel's front entry isn't quite as dramatic as its rear exit.  For a clear view through the tunnel, go to this image.  Along the axis through the tunnel and on the other side of the roadway at Museum Plein, is a large refelecting pool which serves as an ice-skating rink in the winter.

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