It's a question that bothers everyone that comes to Amsterdam, why do the buildings in Amsterdam lean?

Has this question been bothering you on your visit to Amsterdam?

Did it make you doubt yourself "do the buildings really lean in this city or is it just me not used to the air or something?"

Well we are here to solve this problem and hopefully set some souls free. The buildings in Amsterdam are built leaning forward on purpose.

Even though it might look strange to our modern eyes, designing a building that leans forward, this way to build was a solution to another problem.

The problem with these old buildings is that the stairways are always very narrow and steep. These stairways are impossible to use while trying to get furniture or any other big object to your house.

These stairways are a consequence of the very narrow construction used in Holland at the time.

That meant you had to pull your furniture up through your window.

If you take a look at most old houses in Amsterdam you will see a hook placed on top their roofs. This is used to hang a wheel and use it with a rope to pull things up.

While pulling big object up a building, it helps avoiding hitting the building with these objects if the building tilts forward.

So that’s what they did. The rest of the buildings you see leaning to the side or on each other are probably a result of being there for 300 years and being built on a dry canal and under sea level which make the ground less stabile.

The rest is you and the air...









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