Urban Renewal & Placemaking Tour #3

Spaarndammerbuurt and Houthaven

The workers' residential district of Spaarndammerbuurt is characterized by expressionist buildings of the so-called "Amsterdam School". One hundred years later, they served as inspiration for the new buildings in the neighboring Houthavens. Most of the apartment blocks in the Spaarndammerbuurt have an expressionist design language and an extraordinary wealth of detail. The best-known example is the Het Schip housing block, built in 1917-21 by the young architect Michiel de Klerk, which still houses social housing today. After a long period of neglect, they have been refurbished in recent years.

In the heart of the area, a new building complex has also been constructed that reinterprets the Amsterdam School. A few hundred meters to the north is the former wood shipping harbor. Seven manmade, car-free peninsulas form a ridge structure, lined with a total of 2700 flats, including 20% social rental housing. The area is 100% energy neutral. In 2018, one of the most iconic new residential buildings in Amsterdam, the Pontsteiger, was completed.