Influenced by the individualism of Expressionism, the decorative flowing lines of Toorop and the design of Franklin Lloyd Wright, Amsterdam was quite different from its rational Modernist counterpart in the Netherlands, De Stijl. An Amsterdam School construction was instantly recognizable in its prominent use of purely decorative, non-functional elements. Building consisted of a concrete skeleton with a rounded brick façade. Roofing tiles covered vertical surfaces, bricks were laid vertically, and spires and sculptures embellished the exterior. ¨Ladder¨ windows (with ladder-like horizontal bars) and white, inverted parabola-shaped windows contrasted with the dark brick surface. The building's furnishings fit the rounded exterior, creating a complete architectural experience both inside and outside. The best examples of this style were in Amsterdam in the work of Johan van der Mey, Michel de Klerk, and Piet Kramer in public housing, bridges, post offices, schools, and more; Van der Mey´s 1912 Scheepvaarthuis (Shipping House) is one emblematic construction.
Though the Amsterdam School flourished after 1910, by 1925 city budget-cuts required more simple forms, and by 1930s the style was in decline. Only recently have architects and critics began to reconsider this movement and appreciate it once more.