POST(?)INDUSTRIAL

Following years of gradual relocating of all harbor and shipbuilding activities towards the North Sea, the area known as Buiksloterham became a massive waterfront wasteland, located just across the river from Amsterdam Centraal – the main gate to the vibrant city of Amsterdam. Without a pedestrian connection to the city, the monolithic industrial areas spent years waiting to redefine their metropolitan status.

The first two metro stations on the north side of the IJ River, planned to open just a year after the following project was developed, were supposed to be the beginning of an answer – along with various housing developments popping up across the riverfront. The typical approach of the city officials would be to turn over the suddenly attractive, strategically located site to a housing developer, however the local communities’ response was slightly different.

Over the years, the partially abandoned large warehouses and houseboats attracted a mix of creative industries and artistic activities, evolving into a creative hub of the circular economy. The waterfront turned out to be the perfect place for experimentation for young designers and entrepreneurs interested in new strategies towards recycling, renewable energy and collecting rainwater.

The following project is a search for a compromise – between the raising demand for the housing stock for the sprawling city and the will to preserve the maximum of unique identity and activities organically developed in the area. Carefully placed housing implant intents to reorient the existing warehouses towards the waterfront by means of a vast public space open to all kinds of activities.

Diploma Project | 2017