A Day at Magna Plaza in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Sometimes all I want is to lie down on the bed and do nothing. My body feels so tired nowadays and also I am having little trouble with my left eye. I don't know what exactly the problem is because I am having trouble seeing things. I will see a doctor very soon. It's been a long time since I haven't taken a good walk, the weather here is not friendly at all and after work, all I want is to sleep or do nothing. It might seem laziness but my body doesn't cooperate and also my heart always says, stay in the room.

A few weeks ago while walking on the streets of Amsterdam, suddenly I decided to check the shopping mall. I have seen many shops in Amsterdam but I didn't see any shopping malls after coming to the Netherlands. I bought most of my necessary things from Almere thinking Amsterdam might be expensive. I asked google what are the famous shopping areas and malls in Amsterdam and it gave me some options. Among them, I found one which was nearby and I had decided to pay a visit.

At the first glance, I have never imagined that a shopping center can be like this. In my mind, I was expecting a kinda modern look shopping mall or something similar that looks like a mall. But it was a palace. A fun fact is I was in front of the Mall and I was trying to figure out the location of the mall standing in front of the building because I never thought this palace is a shopping center.

The name of the shopping mall is Magna Shopping Center and it was recommended by google without any further information. The mall is called Magna Plaza. The building is very close to the famous Dam Square and the Royal Palace of Amsterdam.

Exquisite exterior and neo-gothic architecture can easily attract tourists and force them to visit. Not only the shopping center is iconic but also the building is holding the story of 1895. The building is known as the former Amsterdam main post office and now it is a shopping mall. In my opinion, this building should be a museum instead of a mall because the building itself is a landmark of Amsterdam City Center.

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Seeing such an exclusive Neo-Gothic landmark in front of me, I instantly had decided to explore the surroundings of the building first and then see the interior. Because such kinds of monumental architectural historical buildings are considered either heritage sites or museums which you cannot visit for free always or are not open to the public. This building is known as Rijksmonument (The national heritage site of the Netherlands). source

A huge number of arch-shape framed doors and windows; with heavily decorated polychromatic brick wall exteriors and sky-touching domes created this building not only an important monument and landmark of the city but also famous among tourists all over the world.

Before entering the building, I walked the surrounding of the building and it was a typical Amsterdam scenario. Obviously, a lot of tourists were walking around as the building is located near the busy street. The weather was not friendly otherwise I would have spent some time outside exploring the detailed exterior of this building.

After entering the building, I found out that the building was under renovation; a few floors were closed to the public and most of the shops were closed. Anyway, inside the building I found out huge central space surrounded by arcades. The main hall ceiling is so high and light comes from the ceiling. Such a kind of space nowadays is known as the Atrium. Only the ground floor is open for the people, on other floors you can check but nothing much to see. The stairs were in good condition but some floor escalators were not working due to construction work.

The Interior of the building is unique though and I felt like I have entered into another world. The interior of the structure is rebuilt but due to some unusual faults still, renovation is happening. I understand such kind of building renovation takes a lot of time than modern shopping malls. Besides the purpose of the building is now different and changed which used to be a post office.

After my exploration of Magna plaza, I came back to the central station and decided to take the train to reach home. Well, I took some photos because the sun has arrived to say goodbye.

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The office of the Red Cross for Ukrainians was still there in the central station; reminded me of a lot of things. Those days were scary and my mind was completely empty but full of fear. Time passed so fast but a few things never changed...

If you are traveling to Amsterdam and if you have only one hour on your hand before leaving Amsterdam, I would suggest you see Magna Plaza just for once.

After a good day, I headed back home with a smile on my face.

Thanks for reading... See you soon...

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Love

Priyan...

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^{I am @priyanarc.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thought easily...}

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All images used are captured by the author...