Illustration Amsterdam in Bird's Eye View by Stephan Timmers

About "Illustration Amsterdam in Bird's Eye View"

by Stephan Timmers

About the artwork

In few places does Amsterdam really have the feel of a metropolis. Consequently, it is home to "only" 850,000 people: that is very little for a capital city worldwide! Moreover, it is on average only 1 meter above sea level, one of the lowest cities in the world. With its canals, it was once nicknamed: Venice of the North. This bird's eye view illustration of Amsterdam was therefore given the subtitle "village by the water.

When drawing our capital city, the center simply turned out to be too 'full'. Therefore, the various parts of the city were 'raised' so that they are closer together. As a result, it appears larger and there is more space! By raising the center, the flow direction of the Amstel River is reversed, coming down as a six-stage waterfall. Moreover, the three canals and the canal form a kind of annual rings. This has a nice side effect: vertically, across the surface, you make a time travel from top to bottom. Below is the modern high-rise buildings of the 21st century around the Zuidas. Up you go back in time and the history of Amsterdam, until you arrive at the Old Church: the oldest surviving building in Amsterdam dating from 1280.

This drawing is great for waiting rooms, receptions, meeting rooms and counters of hotels, hospitals and convention centers. It arouses curiosity, creates a first conversation and manages to captivate people for longer than 1 minute.