All the cities in his remarkable, but probably only in Amsterdam, with its distinctive outlook on life could be such a structure as the Stopera.

Stopera - a complex of buildings located in the center of Amsterdam, on the Waterloo Square, in the bend of the river Amstel. It is the municipality and the Dutch National Opera and Ballet Theatre. There is also a domestic scene of the National Symphony Orchestra. The name comes from the merger of two Dutch words: «stadhuis» (town hall) and «opera».

The complex was built in 1986, although the talk that the city needed a new musical theater and the new city hall, were from the beginning of the XX century. Due to the constant lack of funds delayed construction, and the projects have not been approved. In 1979, an architect from Vienna Wilhelm Holtsbauer proposed place and municipality, and musical theater in the same building. The revolutionary proposal suddenly had to taste the city authorities; the government also gave consent. Among the people there were angry, voices of protest, but in 1986 the Amsterdam Music Theatre opened its doors to the public. City officials celebrated the housewarming party two years later, followed by Amsterdam's famous flea market in the area of ​​Waterloo was finally able to return to its historical site - on the construction of the market was moved to the street Rapenbyurger.

Externally Stopera is a massive building, built in red brick. The curved semicircular facade is decorated with white marble. Numerous panoramic windows of the lobby of the theater provides a wonderful view of the river.