The Noorderkerk – ( Northern church )

In 1620 an important decision was made. The northern part of the Jordaan area was to have a church of its own. The Westerkerk, proved too far away in more sense than one. Hendrick de Keyser designed the Noorderkerk, built between 1620 and 1623. On June 15, 1620 the foundation stone was laid and as early as Easter 1623 the church opened its gates.

When Hendrick died in 1621 his son Pieter took over and supervised the final phases of the construction process together with Hendrick Jacobsz Staets, the town carpenter, and Cornelis Danckerts, the city stone mason. Staets certainly managed to leave his mark on the building. The wooden vault and the elegant little tower, marking the central part of the church, demonstrate his excellent craftsmanship.

Originally a churchyard formed part of the church grounds. As early as 1688 the churchyard was moved to an area on the western outskirts near the present Rotterdam Bridge.

The building takes up a special place among Amsterdam churches. The centrally planned structure, based on an octagonal groundplan and an elevation shaped like a Greek cross (i.e. with arms of equal length), meets the ideal requirements of Renaissance architecture. The clarity of the geometrical design is perfectly in keeping with the ideals of Humanism. Last but not least, this type of design is eminently suitable for the Protestant religious service which focuses on the pulpit.

The pulpit of the Noorderkerk was placed against one of the pillars so that those who attend the service can see the preacher no matter where they are. The location of the church and its place among the surrounding buildings, however, is basically medieval in character. The building and the nearby houses cuddle up to each other and not a single street leads up to the church directly. Besides, the church is relatively low and lacks a prominent tower, so that it hardly rises above the surrounding houses.

The design of the Northern church has served as an example for many other Protestant churches.