Metz & Co.

Metz & Co. Review

When the New York Life Insurance Company opened this building in 1891, its soaring six floors brought a touch of Manhattan to Amsterdam's canals—literally, as architect J. van Looy had also designed the company's lofty skyscraper in Manhattan. By 1908, the Metz department store had converted the offices into showcases for Liberty fabrics and De Stijl teapots. The cupola on the roof was designed by Gerrit Rietveld in 1933, and on the sixth floor is a café with dazzling views, grubby windows, and surprising sandwich prices. "We are Luxury" is the byline for the store; perhaps they should change it to "We are jolly expensive, have a ban on taking photographs, and not very friendly."