The Statue of Hendrik Petrus Berlage

You are now standing on Victorieplein, and you will have noticed that the statue of Hendrik Petrus Berlage stands prominently in the centre of the square. The statue was created by Hildo Krop, Amsterdam's city sculptor. Working for the municipality, Krop created an estimated 400 works, ranging from facade stones to reliefs, from ornaments to freestanding sculptures.

Take a close look at the sides of the pedestal. You will see figures symbolising the construction industry: a bricklayer, a scaffolder, a sculptor, a labourer and a draughtsman. Krop wanted to honour not only the designer of the city expansion, but also the many skilled workers whose manual labour brought this vision to life. Without them, Amsterdam-Zuid would never have become what it is today.

Close to the statue stands another imposing structure: De Wolkenkrabber (The Skyscraper), designed by Jan Frederik Staal and completed in 1932. At 40 metres and 12 storeys, it was the tallest building in the Netherlands at the time – hence its nickname. The official name of the flat was the Twaalf Verdiepingenhuis (Twelve Storey House).

Architecturally, the building is a turning point between two movements. On the one hand, you see characteristics of the Amsterdam School: expressive brickwork, decorative details and vertical accents. At the same time, it heralds the emergence of the Nieuwe Bouwen (New Building) style, with its cleaner lines, functional layout and large glass sections – particularly striking in the stairwell. The fact that the building stands alone, separate from other buildings, is in itself typical of this new approach.

Although the Wolkenkrabber is often seen as a luxury residential building, that was never the intention. It was designed for people with a stable income – such as teachers, civil servants and middle-class professionals – and offered modern amenities for the time, such as central heating and a spacious bathroom.

A remarkable detail from the war years: Dutch pilots returning home after their missions used the Wolkenkrabber as a landmark. Those who flew straight over the tower and oriented themselves using the V-shaped layout of the neighbourhood ended up right at Schiphol Airport.