Museum Het Schip focuses on the Amsterdam School, an expressionist architectural and art movement of the early 20th century, strongly associated with social housing. The museum is housed in a former school within the social housing complex designed around 1919 by architect Michel de Klerk, one of the leading representatives of this style. This unique location underscores the story the museum tells about the influence of architecture on urban development and the housing climate.
Located in three iconic buildings within the complex, the collection provides insight into the role of the Amsterdam School in Dutch social history and architecture. Through permanent exhibitions and changing programs, including workshops and tours by bicycle, boat and bus, the story of this movement is kept alive. The tours take visitors past distinctive stylistic features and social ideals that were central at the time.
The ongoing museum program includes the exhibition "Women of the Amsterdam School," on view through the end of June 2026. This exhibition highlights the contribution of women architects and designers to this predominantly male-dominated movement, placing their work in a broader context of architecture and culture.
Museum Het Schip is thus a crucial educational and cultural platform that depicts the connection between social housing and architecture of the past. The integration of the former school building and residential complex provides a tangible experience of urban ideals, with great attention to details in architectural style and functionality characteristic of the Amsterdam School.