The Amsterdam School (ca. 1910-1930) is known for its expressive brick architecture and richly decorated interiors. But what sources of inspiration influenced these wondrous designs? This book shows how the colonial relationship between the Netherlands and Indonesia, the former Dutch East Indies, strongly shaped the style of the Amsterdam School. For this book, Museum Het Schip has asked both Indonesian and Dutch authors to write contributions. Their richly illustrated articles show how the Netherlands and Indonesia have mutually influenced each other in the fields of art, design, architecture and public housing or reflect on this from a contemporary perspective. The book Indonesia and the Amsterdam School: When Culture Crosses the Ocean thus unites the history of architecture and design with that of colonialism and revolves around the question: What happens when cultures cross the ocean?