Traces of Three Centuries of the Walenweeshuis
Roos Aldershoff photographs the empty rooms of Amsterdam’s Walenweeshuis, revealing traces of three centuries of occupancy and history.
© Roos Aldershoff Fotografie. Portes en bois (Wooden doors).
In Traces of Three Centuries of the Walenweeshuis, Roos Aldershoff presents photographs of the empty rooms of Amsterdam’s former Walenweeshuis. Her eye is drawn to the traces left by its previous occupants. Peeling walls, doors and deserted rooms reveal the history of the building.
The Walenweeshuis was built on the Vijzelgracht between 1669 and 1671 for the orphans of French-speaking immigrants. Over the following centuries, the building served several purposes. It housed the French consulate and the Institut Français, Maison Descartes, which occupied it from 1971 to 2017. After these institutions left, the building was temporarily occupied by property guardians.
Aldershoff records the succession of occupancy, emptiness and absence. Through her attention to light, composition and interior details, she invites reflection on transience and memory, revealing the stories behind the architecture.