IJburg
IJburg is Amsterdam’s largest housing extension and will eventually count 18.000 homes. It consists of 7 artificial islands in lake IJmeer, which are being developed
Amsterdam counts more than 8,500 listed monuments. Its 17th century canal ring attracts millions of visitors from all over the world every year.
But Amsterdam also has a wealth of modern architecture to offer – from 1920s brick expressionism to contemporary harbour conversions and newly created artificial archipelagos. It’s also one of the European cities famous for their Smart City approach, innovative sustainability ideas and high quality of life.
After Amsterdam turned its back against the water for nearly a century, the city planners rediscovered its waterfront in the early 1990s.
New housing areas were created on the former Docklands around the year 2000, with Borneo-Sporenburg as the most experimental neighbourhood. Over the next years the entire southern shore, from the docklands in the east to the wood shipping harbour in the west, was re-developed.
But this was only the start of the new developments along the banks of the river IJ. To the east of the Central Station, Oosterdokseiland has been turned into a high-density city district, and to the west of the station, housing area Westerdokseiland and artificial peninsula IJdock were created.
On the other side of the water, in Amsterdam-Noord, artists and media companies give the former NDSM wharf a second lease of life. Former industrial area Buiksloterham is being redeveloped as a new district with self-built housing projects, and at De Ceuvel house boats on dry land serve as office for creative companies, while plants purify the heavily polluted ground around them.
The latest addition is the Houthaven, a former harbour area which is being turned into an energy neutral neighbourhood.
The biggest recent land reclamation project in Amsterdam is IJburg, a new archipelago on 7 artificial islands, where 45,000 people will live and work one day. It features a wide variety of housing typologies, including floating homes.
Considering the growth of the city, however, even these areas won’t suffice. Accordingly, the municipality has made plans to turn parts of the current harbour into HavenStad, while at the same time office parks in the Southeast of the city are also being transformed into new housing districts.
If everything goes according to plan, the metropolitan region of Amsterdam will grow from 2,8 million inhabitants in 2017 to 3,2 million in 2040 – while maintaining the current quality of life.
Amsterdam Key Topics
- (affordable) housing
- harbour conversions
- transformation
- density
- reclaimed land
- sustainability
- living on water
- self-build
- mobility
- urban renewal
Eastern Docklands & Funenpark
Amsterdam’s Eastern Harbour District consists of a number of artificial peninsulas constructed around 1900. When the once-flourishing port lost its function, the decision was made
Around the Central Station
Most recent developments in Amsterdam can be found along the waterfront. When the Central Station was built in the late 19th century, the old town
Houthavens and Buiksloterham
Amsterdam likes to profile itself as a city of the future. In order to achieve this, progress has to be made in the field of
Bike Mobility
Amsterdam is undisputedly the European bike capital. The modal split for cycling reaches around 50% in the city as a whole and even 62% in
Urban Renewal in West
In the 1950s and 1960s, Amsterdam grew beyond its former border, the motorway ringroad. Extensive new residential areas were created in the west of the
Affordable Housing in Noord
Amsterdam-Noord is a workers’ housing area in transition. It consists of a mix of garden cities from the 1920s and post-war residential developments. After decades
Water Management in North Holland
“God created the world, but the Dutch created their own country”, goes a well known saying. In fact, the Dutch have been shaping their country
Modern Architecture in Zuid
Amsterdam offers a wealth of classical modern architecture. Especially the south of the city is a true open-air museum of modernist architecture, from Berlage’s Plan
Golden Age Walk
On this tour we will show you the old town of Amsterdam from an architect’s perspective
Climate Resilient Amsterdam
Resilience is a big issue in the Netherlands. Accordingly, the municipality of Amsterdam stimulates rainwater retention projects and the de-sealing of urban surfaces, but also
“I particularly liked the folders the guide carried with her with the pictures and maps, because it really helped her presentation and helped us to follow along. I know many students are still talking about Houthavens and what they learned during the tour, so it was a success.”
Ekta Thawani, Council on International Educational Exchange, Amsterdam
“The guides were great, and so was the programme. It has been a pleasure to work with you.
Hans Staudinger, Überbau Akademie, Vienna, Austria