Home / Art

New Bike and Pedestrian Tunnel Features an 80,000-Tile Mural of Old and New Amsterdam

A 361-foot path called Cuyperspassage recently opened in Amsterdam as a way for pedestrians and cyclists to travel from the city center to the IJ waterfront. Now, 15,000 daily commuters not only have dedicated road space, but a fantastic mural to look at as they walk or ride from one destination to the next.

Cuyperspassage was constructed by Benthem Crouwel and features two sides that separate the pedestrians from the cyclists. The darker bike lane has sound-absorbing asphalt and steel grates, while its opposing pathway is wrapped in art designed by Irma Boom. Made up of 80,000 delft blue tiles, it features a fleet of ships as they brave the treacherous seas. The design is heavily inspired by the Rotterdam tile painter Cornelis Boumeester (1652-1733), who created a tile panel depicting the Warship Rotterdam and the Herring Fleet.

Commuters see the illustrative tile painting during part of their trek through the tunnel. Eventually, the ships fade away and gradually emerge in an abstract, pixelated design. This shift has a symbolic meaning–on one end of the tunnel is the historic Amsterdam and at the other is the newer part of the city.

Benthem Crouwel: Website
via [Colossal, designboom]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
Become a
My Modern Met Member
As a member, you'll join us in our effort to support the arts.
Become a Member
Explore member benefits

Sponsored Content