Between Time and Style. A Conversation with Alice Roegholt on the Het Schip Museum and the “Courage to Look Forward"

Het Schip, which was built in Amsterdam between 1919 and 1921, is a great example of Dutch social housing and a real workers’ palace. Michel De Klerk designed the building in the Amsterdam School’s expressionistic style, which was new at the time. Not only did the workers and their families get a good place to live there, but it was also a nice one. The building looks like a steamship because of its triangular shape, which is why people call it Het Schip (The Ship). It has wavy patterns of colourful bricks, architectural sculptures, and a lot of other interesting details. At first, the block had 102 homes with different floor plans. There was also a post office on the corner where the workers could send letters, manage their money, and make phone calls. After decades of neglect, in 2001 a living museum was established, in which the restored post office and later a model residential unit and the former school are accessible for visitors, while residents continue to live their life in the renovated units. In this interview, Alice Roegholt talks about her decades-long experience as an engaged curator of Het Schip.