Construction was finished in 1986. The building is known as the Stopera since the late 1970s, a compound between the Dutch words for city hall (stadhuis) and opera building. From its conception until this day, the building has not been without controversy. Its high costs, the removal of housing from the city centre in a time of housing crisis and the destruction of history and heritage are all valid points of criticism. On the other hand, cities have never been static environments. They expand, contract, and change responding to social, political and ecomic conditions. For better or for worse, the Stopera has become part of the history of Amsterdam as well.