[Press Release]
Green, Healthy, and Social Living: ‘The Workers' Paradise’ Exhibition at Museum Het Schip
From October 11, 2024, to July 27, 2025, Museum Het Schip in Amsterdam presents the exhibition The Workers' Paradise: World Garden Cities. With a vibrant collection of films, drawings, and objects, the exhibition provides an international perspective on the impact of green urban planning and the artistic and architectural splendor that the garden city movement inspired.
As cities worldwide face increased pressure, themes like housing shortages, greening, and social cohesion are becoming ever more urgent. The Workers' Paradise shows how the garden city ideal, which emerged in the late nineteenth century as a response to the pollution and overcrowding of industrial cities, remains relevant in light of today’s housing crisis and the pressing need to build greener, more sustainable cities. Visitors will discover the origins of the garden city movement and what lessons it offers for building the cities of tomorrow.
From Polluted Industrial Cities to Green Paradises
In 1924, the International Urban Planning Congress took place in Amsterdam, where experts like Wibaut and Berlage discussed the future of public housing. It needed to be healthier, more social, greener, and more beautiful. A hundred years after the pioneering garden city movement flourished, the exhibition at Museum Het Schip takes visitors on an inspiring, international journey through time. With photo and video materials, imaginative drawings and paintings, historical publications, models, objects, and postcards from across the globe—from England and France to Brazil and Japan—the garden city ideal comes to life. Transformations from polluted industrial cities into green paradises, idyllic oases, and vertical garden cities offer a fascinating look at the past, present, and future. The exhibition highlights the artistic beauty of Dutch garden villages, some designed by Amsterdam School architects.
Proud of the Garden Villages
Throughout the Netherlands, there are still over a hundred beautiful and cherished garden villages. Many have even been designated as monuments or protected village views due to their unique architecture and artistic beauty. For example, Tuindorp Nieuwendam in Amsterdam-Noord was once awarded the title of most beautiful garden village in Europe—a testament to how nature, living spaces, and social cohesion can go hand in hand. Hilversum became the largest pre-war garden city in the Netherlands, with many Amsterdam School influences. That residents remain proud of their garden villages is evident in the film created for this exhibition.
Living Heritage and Inspiring Activities
In addition to the exhibition, Museum Het Schip is organizing a series of activities that bring this heritage to life. Visitors can participate in lectures, bike tours, and workshops that will take them to some of the most beautiful garden villages in the Netherlands. For those who are keen to learn more, the platform World Garden Cities offers an online community where enthusiasts worldwide can share their experiences and knowledge. Additionally, a book titled *The Workers' Paradise: World Garden Cities* will be published alongside the exhibition, bringing these unique living spaces to life with richly illustrated stories.
Museum Het Schip, Oostzaanstraat 45, Amsterdam | website, Facebook, X, Instagram
For more press information: Margarétha Moerkerke and Trix van Alphen
t: 020 612 7000, e:
