1:2000 city model of Amsterdam: white printed buildings on a green and grey landscape base

750 jaar Amsterdam

Project
750 jaar Amsterdam
Client
Gemeente Amsterdam, Zadelhoff Cultuurfonds, World Trade Center Amsterdam
Collaborator
MVSA Architects
Location
Amsterdam, NL
Materials
Cast Acrylic, 3Dprint (biobased PLA)
Exhibition Model
1:2000

For the celebrations of Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary, the Zadelhoff Cultuurfonds commissioned a large-scale urban maquette showcasing the city’s development through time. The project combines a carefully crafted physical model with an interactive LED installation, creating an immersive experience where visitors can explore Amsterdam by illuminating buildings and neighbourhoods, discovering both the city’s past and its future.

The exhibition is open to the public at the World Trade Center (WTC) in Amsterdam.

  • A visitor beside the city model, the surface lit in turquoise 1/5
  • Aerial of the city model with green parks between the white printed blocks 2/5
  • Aerial view of the 750 years of Amsterdam city model, with the city blocks in white on green 3/5
  • Close-up of the Amsterdam city model showing canals, parks and neighbourhoods 4/5
  • The model in the World Trade Center lobby, under the coffered ceiling 5/5

The urban fabric was created in collaboration with the municipality of Amsterdam. Using and refining their urban database, we tested how their digital information could be translated into physical fabrication at appropriate scales. The site model itself is made of layers of translucent acrylic, allowing the dynamic light installation beneath the model to shine through and animate the surface. While traditional maquettes are static representations, the integration of moving LED screens and programmed light sequences introduces a new dimension. Multiple moments in time can be showcased, at an urban scale, transforming the model into a moving object that tells different stories of the same city.

In line with the anniversary celebrations, 75 buildings were selected and modelled in high detail to be showcased at varying scales. Surrounding the maquette, these architectural landmarks are highlighted to illustrate the evolution of architectural design throughout Amsterdam’s history.

The city model lit from below in blue and green, showing the waterways across Amsterdam
  • A visitor standing on the printed map that surrounds the model 1/5
  • A small white 3D-printed model of an office block in a display case 2/5
  • Four small white landmark models, including churches, on a display shelf 3/5
  • A single 3D-printed landmark building with its tower, photographed on the model base 4/5
  • A white 3D-printed stadium model in a display case 5/5
1:100 model of Villa Voorwerf carved from solid walnut, standing on a plywood base with dried branches