Dutch Invasion

Ben van Berkel’s New Amsterdam Pavilion opens next week as part of a six-day Dutch festival in downtown Manhattan.

Ben van Berkel/UN Studio’s New Amsterdam Pavilion is now under construction in downtown Manhattan. Photo: Richard Koek/courtesy UN Studio

Last April, Karrie Jacobs wrote approvingly of the plans for a new pavilion at New York’s South Ferry subway station, to be designed by UN Studio’s Ben van Berkel in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s exploration of the river that now bears his name. She wrote:

Granted, this origami-style building, with its sidewalk café, colorful LED display, and edifying pavement texts, won’t save us from the economic damage done by the rapers and pillagers of Wall Street. But it will be one of those unexpected urban treats, like Madison Square Park’s Shake Shack or Times Square’s new TKTS booth, a small token of civilization that represents this city’s virtues far better than any number of starchitect condos.


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Now the pavilion’s opening is just around the corner. The official unveiling–with the Netherlands’ Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Màxima in attendance–takes place next Wednesday, September 9, as part of a six-day festival that will include exhibitions, a sailing race, free bike rentals, Dutch delicacies, and more. View the complete schedule of events on the NY400 Web site.

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