Built between 1884 and 1887, the St. Nicolaaskerk is the most well-known of the 'new' Amsterdam churches. It is a tall and spacious building, standing at a spectacular position diagonally opposite the Central Railway Station in the Old Centre district of Amsterdam.Officially the church was called Saint Nicholas Church but in the 125th year of its existence (in 2012) the church was elevated to basilica by the Vatican.The architect, Adrianus Bleijs (1842-1912) designed the church basing himself on a combination of several revival styles, predominantly Neo-Baroque and Neo-Renaissance. The basis of the groundplan is the scheme of the classic three-aisled cross-basilica.