The building

Since its official opening on 23 September 1986, The Amsterdam Music Theatre has proven extremely popular with audiences from Amsterdam and beyond. The main attraction, of course, is the performances, but the public is also interested in the building itself and in what goes on behind the scenes.

The architects of the two separate building projects of the City Hall and The Amsterdam Music Theatre (Wilhelm Holzbauer and Cees Dam) were set the difficult task of integrating two complicated building programmes into a single design. The spatial and functional merging of the city hall and theatre is mainly evident on the ground floor, where covered walkways ensure that the building is harmoniously incorporated into the life of the city centre.

The architectural highlight of The Amsterdam Music Theatre is its curved front façade that faces the Amstel River, housing the 14-metre-high open foyers. The main entrance is also on this side. The glass façade of the foyers offers a magnificent panoramic view of the Amstel river, from the 'Magere Brug' (Skinny Bridge) to the Mint Tower.
The different levels of the building and its spacious feel create the effect of a playful intermingling of indoor and outdoor spaces.

The exterior of the theatre is built in Frisian red brick, clad partly in Carrara marble, while the interior façades are constructed of metal parapets and glass. Blue-glazed bricks decorate the stage tower, with a golden-tiled edge at the top, which is illuminated at night.

Soft colours have been chosen for the foyer. The auditorium as planned in Bijvoet’s original design has been retained in the combined design. In spite of seating 1600, the auditorium has an intimate atmosphere. Its semicircular form means that the audience is close to the stage, guaranteeing a good view of the performance from practically every seat.