Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum is marked by an imposing, symmetrical red-brick façade that terminates the street, blending neo-Gothic and Renaissance architectural styles. Opened in eighteen eighty-five, the building was designed by architect Pierre Cuypers to serve as the national home for Dutch art and history. Its grand exterior is broken into distinct sub-masses and ornate bays, creating a rhythmic, balanced appearance that was highly controversial at the time of its construction; many critics dismissed the design as too medieval and not sufficiently Dutch.