The New Church

The Nieuwe Kerk features a jagged, unfinished brick tower that cuts a stark silhouette against the city skyline. Construction began in the fourteenth century because the nearby Oude Kerk could no longer accommodate the city’s growing population. During the construction, workers discovered that the heavy weight of the stone threatened the stability of the soft canal soil. They abandoned the ambitious spire design halfway through, leaving the structure truncated. Every Dutch monarch since eighteen fourteen has held their inauguration ceremony within these walls.