Designed in 1871, Amsterdam's station island sees over 250,000 passengers every day. For many it is the first memory they have of seeing Amsterdam upon arrival, walking out the door of the station and taking in the sounds, sites, and smells all around.

For the past 8+ years the island has been undergoing a massive renovation to make room for, among other things, the new North-South metro line. Those who came to the city some years ago would also be surprised by the new shops and more efficient layout to the station itself.

Considering that the construction is hard to ignore and that many visitors (or residents!) might have questions about where all these changes are eventually leading, the city has opened the station island information center. There you can read and see all about how the plan will translate to reality once it is finished. Meanwhile I'm simply impressed by the sketches they published on their website. Boring to some perhaps, but if you've seen chaos turn to peaceful beauty... it can be quite a sight.