This is Holland

This is Holland is a panoramic flight simulator attraction in Amsterdam, housed in a distinctive cylindrical pavilion. The Amsterdam attraction opened in 2017 as Europe’s fourth panoramic flight simulator. The pavilion rises about 24 metres, with a glass lower level and parallelogram-shaped panels above. Its aluminium and PVC panels change the building’s appearance from different viewpoints. Architect Joep Mollink drew its round form from oil drums once associated with this site before the Second World War.

Inside, interactive quizzes and a history film prepare you for a nine-minute flight over Dutch landscapes, cities and heritage sites. A second pre-show outlines the route and safety instructions. Four moving gondolas hold ten seats each beneath a 15-metre dome screen. They rise at least ten metres beneath the screen before the film begins. Wind, sound and scents accompany helicopter footage of the Netherlands. The film contains 22 shots of Dutch places. It passes Amsterdam’s canal belt, Zaanse Schans, the Afsluitdijk, Rotterdam and the Wadden Sea. Music from a forty-piece orchestra accompanies the flight. The attraction is wheelchair accessible and presents the Netherlands through dikes, polders and windmills. During the flight, the gondolas hang at least ten metres above the ground.