In 1997, 3XN won the international competition for the new centre for modern music and jazz in Amsterdam, positioned at the tip of the Oosterlijke Handelskade pier, just a short walk from the heart of the old canal city. When completed in 2005, the original design proved its strength, and passed the test of time. The Muziekgebouw is all about music. Providing new common premises for two well-established institutions; the Ijsbreker and the BIMhuis, at this prominent pier-head location, the building has become an attractor for an advanced music audience as well as for a generic public life - and a landmark facing the fjord Ij. It’s a truly public, democratic building, designed with a 24/7 open flow, independent of BIMhuis and Muziekgebouw activities. Wide staircases connect to the pier and the water and become the spectacular access route to the interior. The café, documentation center, exhibitions and audio playground are some of the features open for all. Transparency and the play of light consciously influence the building’s appearance: large glass facades let in a flood of daylight; filtered, softened and protected by the cantilevered roof. Inside, the daylight shapes the different building elements, and ingenious electrical light features pulsate according to the music in the Muziekgebouw concert hall. The Muziekgebouw has been awarded the ‘Nederlandse Bouwprijs 2006’ (the Ducth Building Award 2006), the ULI AWARD Europe 2006, the LEAF Award 2006, the Dedalo-Minosse Special Prize 2006 and more.