The NH Carlton Hotel Amsterdam started life in the 1920s as the Grand Central Hotel.  Built in the Amsterdam School style, it had shops at street level and hotel accommodation above.  The facade is decorated with sculptures by the Dutch artist Theo Vos.  The hotel has had an interesting history.  It was requisitioned by the German airforce during occupation and ironically in 1943 a British Halifax bomber crashed into it.

The Rijksmonumenten website describes the building as having a, " ... supporting structure made of reinforced concrete and lined with red brick and gray granite inlaid in the arches of the gallery. The gallery is supported by heavy downward rejuvenating pillars. At the rear of the building on the side of the Singel is an upwardly rejuvenating stubby tower on the corners provide pilasters with stone decorations."

"Between the mezzanine and the first floor is placed sculpture. They are allegorical representations of the world traffic and continents. On the short front side two images depicting America (left) and Europe (right). The Auger Straatzijde successively Africa, Asia and Australia (the latter now gone). The names of the continents are engraved on the pedestal."