The city of Amsterdam is giving away pieces of its architectural heritage for free! This includes gorgeous old gables and other fragments. If you want a piece for your house, you have until the end of the year to send in a request.

Giving a bit of old Amsterdam new life

Why would they do such a thing, you ask? Well, the city has loads of bits of old gables and other beautiful pieces of historical buildings that have been demolished or partly demolished in storage. In fact, 30 percent of the collection is made up of entire gables that are clearly recognisable and traceable. Previously, some of these architectural bits were reused, including complete gables. However, in the last few years, hardly any of the pieces have been reused - and that’s a lot of missed opportunities.

The city is, therefore, inviting those who own a house in Amsterdam, or have building plans, to apply for one of the many architectural pieces it has in storage and give it a new life. It’s not just home-owners who can claim one of the pieces either; artists can also apply to use them in art projects or the pieces could be placed in public spaces. There are plenty of uses for the fragments and the city’s Monuments & Archaeology department is open to creative ideas.

Get your hands on a piece

In order to get your hands on one of Amsterdam’s so-called cultural goods, you’ll need to apply for the piece you want by December 31. The ornaments are categorised according to value, size and state of preservation. You’ll have to meet certain criteria to be able to take one of the pieces home, with the more remarkable pieces holding stricter requirements.

Potential “building fragment parents” will have to present their plans for the piece in their request and show that they will be respectful of its historical value and that they will take care of it properly. An overview of all the fragments and the form to request one can be found on the city’s website (in Dutch). You’ll hear whether you’ve got the piece or not by the end of February 2020 at the latest and will then have to pick it up by May 31, 2020.