The facade is striped - alternating red and sand-coloured brick, cladding a concrete frame, towering up from a granite base. The top two storeys recede inwards, in true Mesopotamian style. Statues by Joseph Mendez da Costa and Lambertus Zijl stand on either side of the main entrance and at the two corners of the building.
So how did such a strangely incongruous building come to be built within the historic 17th century canal girdle of Amsterdam?
De Bazel was built as the head office of the Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij (Netherlands Trading Society) from 1919-1926. The NHM was very active in the trade of goods from the Dutch colonies, and was seen as a successor to the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
As trade in colonial goods became less important over the course of the 20th century, the building became a regular bank, first the Algemene Bank and then the ABN-AMRO. Since 2006 the building has been home to Amsterdam's public record office - De Stadsarchief.
Since my first ever visit to Amsterdam in the 1980's I always wondered what was inside this behemoth. Since living in Holland, I have walked past it hundreds of times without ever venturing in - the exterior is hardly welcoming.
It was only when I became friends with an employee of the Stadsarchief that I ventured inside de Bazel. And what a treat lies therein!
The interior of de Bazel is light and airy, thanks to two immensely high light courts. The walls are painted in immaculate white, the staircases are lined with marble and stained glass, the floor resplendent with glazed mosaic tiles. On the ground floor is the reception, an excellent City bookshop and a pleasant cafe (try the vegetable soup!).
De Bazel's inspiration was his theosophical study of nature and divinity, combined with ideas inspired by an exhibition of Ancient Egyptian artifacts in the the British Museum. He used light and symbols to convey a spiritual message. He also threw in every mod-con available in the 1920s - hot and cold running water in the washrooms, central heating, air co, elevators, telephone kiosks and little lights over the doors of the directors' rooms to indicate - 'Do Not Disturb'!
In the basement of Be Bazel is the jewel in the crown - the Treasury. This is part Gringotts, part Egyptian Throne Room - just magnificent with its art deco tiling, mosaic floors and imposing staircase. It currently hosts an exhibition on famous Amsterdammers (Anne Frank for instance) and Amsterdam events of the 20th Century.
The second floor is home to the Directors' Rooms - offices, meeting rooms, lunchrooms and a library.
The Koningszaal (King's Chamber) is particularly elegant. This was where the Dutch Royal family - King William I and Queen Emma - would be welcomed when they visited to handle their financial affairs.
The stained glass windows are by Antoon Derkinderen (who also designed windows for De Beurs van Berlage).
While all these Directors' rooms are harmoniously furnished with simple elegance in shades of green, with rich wood panelling and late-19th century paintings, there is one room on this floor which is completely at odds with the rest. This is the Italian Room.
When the NHM commissioned De Bazel they let this established architect have free rein, but with one exception - they wanted their Italian Board Room entirely transplanted from their previous location. Bazel was not at all pleased! This is a room of rococo fancy - all pastel romanticism, cupids, biblical scenes and ornate gilded chandeliers. Worst of all, the room needs to be a good meter higher than the others on this storey to accommodate the fixtures and fittings. De Bazel had to raise the ceiling and spoil his perfect exterior symmetry by including three non-standard size windows. But this was the deal breaker - no Italian Room - no commission. De Bazel sited this room in a rear corner on the Keizergracht, and presumably ground his teeth and shook his grey locks in frustration.
The three non- standard windows of the Italian room are to be seen at tree height on the left.At present, the Italian Room is used as a conference room, complete with flat screens and an enormous 30-person glass disc-shaped table by Renzo Piano (designer of Amsterdam's NEMO museum and the Pompidou Centre in Paris).
I think this ultra modern conference table really works in the rococo setting. It certainly looks much better than the original darker wood furniture that was originally installed in the 1920's (which also did not fit the 18th century decor). The new combination is a bit like the glass Pyramid in the Louvre - so out of context that it actually works.
All these rooms are available for hire for conferences and business events and it is pleasing to see flip charts, flat screens and the typical Dutch coffee-milk and sugar containers on the meeting tables. This is not just a monument; this is a working building!
All in all, this is an excellent building, and one can only envy the employees of the Stadsarchief their elegant workplace.
After much political wrangling, in 2012 the Stadsarchief finally received approval to make a larger, more welcoming entrance to the building. It seems Ambrosia was not the only person to walk past without daring to enter. This rebuilding is due to be finished in 2013 and will hopefully mean that more visitors come in to enjoy the treasures, the cafe and the bookshop.
An Information Centre is available for tracing Amsterdam history or genealogical research and a study room is provided for viewing and copying archived documents.
The Stadsarchief is open to the public on Tuesday to Friday from 10.00 until 17.00 and on Saturdays and Sundays from 12.00 until 17.00. Admission to the Treasury, information centre and film auditorium are free, but there is a small charge to visit special exhibitions such as a recent display of Cor Jarling photographs of swinging Amsterdam in the 60's and 70's (John and Yoko's bed-in at the Hilton, the Provos, etc.).
On Saturdays and Sundays at 14.00 there are tours of the building (in Dutch) - a great chance to hear the history of de Bazel first hand and to nose around the Director's rooms. Current price 6 euros for adults, free for children up to 16 years. Recommended! Tours for groups can also be arranged, but need to be booked in advance.
Full programme available at:
https://stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl/english/exhibitions/index.en.html
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