De Duif
Encyclopedia
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. At present – after the recent restoration by Stadsherstel Amsterdam – it is rented out for all kinds of events.
History
The building was built in 1858 as the Roman Catholic St. Willibrorduskerk using the plans of the architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Theo Molkenboer. This was the former location of the sugar factory called "Het Fortuyn". After this burnt down, the spot was used for the new church. Replacing the century old (secret) church "Het Vrededuifje" which stood on the "Kerkstraat" (on the place where nowadays the post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
is standing.
The Church is built in the neo classicist style and has a Neo-baroque
Neo-baroque
The Baroque Revival or Neo-baroque was an architectural style of the late 19th century. The term is used to describe architecture which displays important aspects of Baroque style, but is not of the Baroque period proper—i.e., the 17th and 18th centuries.Some examples of Neo-baroque architecture:*...
front. From the opposite site of the canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
one has a good view off this building. The building is a rijksmonument
Rijksmonument
A rijksmonument is a National Heritage Site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.-History and criteria:...
. Inside there stand a large Smits-orgel
Orgel
Orgel is a surname, and may refer to:* Doris Orgel , children's literature author* Leslie Orgel , British chemist* Stephen Orgel , Professor of English at Stanford University...
, which has a monumental status both local as national. This "orgel" (The biggest above the big Dutch rivers) was taken in to service on 25 September 2006, after a restoration. The church is since 1974 the home of the "Oecumenische Basisgemeente De Duif", that has her Sunday meetings here.
Events
The building is high and wide and can house events with hundreds of visitors. The acousticsArchitectural acoustics
Architectural acoustics is the science of noise control within buildings. The first application of architectural acoustics was in the design of opera houses and then concert halls. More widely, noise suppression is critical in the design of multi-unit dwellings and business premises that generate...
make it suitable for concerts of choirs, orchestras, singers, etc. In fact it is used for things like dance performances, product presentations, television production, theater, shows and business meeting events. In Amsterdam "De Duif" is popular as location for marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
and funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
s. It hosts yearly events like the Tangomagia
Tangomagia
Tangomagia is an annual international Tango-event in Amsterdam, occurring between Christmas and New Years Eve, from 27 to 30 December.- Program :...
and the Tribal Art Fair. In the summer of 2006 it was one of the locations of the Holland Festival
Holland Festival
The Holland Festival is The Netherlands' oldest and largest performing arts festival, and takes place every June in Amsterdam. It comprises theater, music, opera and modern dance. In recent years, multimedia, visual arts, film and architecture were added to the festival roster...
. The building is managed by Stadsherstel.