Westertoren Amsterdam 3D model

Here is one of the most famous landmarks in Amsterdam: The Westertoren.

In 1578, the City of Amsterdam joined the Prince of Orange movement in ousting the Roman Catholic regents. As a result of this 'Alteration', seven Roman Catholic churches fell into the hands of the Reformed Church.

After the Alteration, the Amsterdam population grew dramatically from 30,000 to 200,000 in just one century. This was caused by, among other things, people migrating from rural to urban areas and the influx of refugees and other foreigners (from France, Germany and Belgium), mainly craftsmen. A suburb called the Jordaan was established to accommodate the growing number of workers. The Amsterdam municipal authorities built the Noorderkerk for people living in the Jordaan. At the other end of the Prinsengracht, the Westerkerk was built for the wealthy “ring of canals” area.

In 1620, a churchyard was constructed on the Westermarkt, situated on the north and the east side of the church. Coming from the Keizersgracht, the entrance to the Westerkerk churchyard was through a beautiful gate, which no longer exists. Just like the church itself and the tower, the gate was designed by Hendrick de Keyser.

Fortunately, a second gate, with access to the churchyard from the Prinsengracht, has been preserved for later generations. Today, this gate gives access to the Prinsenhuis next to the church. This building is often used for church events and social activities organised by the Westerkerk. The churchyard has not been in use for very long. Until 1865, people were also buried inside the church. The tombstones inside the Westerkerk are clear evidence of this practice.

I used it to camera map onto it, but it is easy to texture it any way you like it.