Eastern Docklands
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Docklands is a neighborhood of Amsterdam
, Netherlands
, located between the IJ
and the Amsterdam–Rhine Canal. The harbor area was constructed in the late nineteenth century to allow for increasing trade with the Dutch East Indies
; a new location was necessitated by the construction of the Amsterdam Centraal railway station, which replaced the old quays. East of the new station was a marshy area called De Rietlanden, with the Zeeburgerdijk (then called Sint Antoniesdijk), running via the Zeeburch, a fort, to the Zuiderzee.
The area, about 2/3 water and 1/3 land, consists of an extension of the Oostelijke Handelskade, east of the center of town, and four artificial "islands" (peninsulas), all of which were former industrial and harbor locations. In the early 2000s, after a large-scale reorganization, the city's biggest post-World War II
building project, the Eastern Docklands was home to some 17,000 people living in some the highest population densities in the Netherlands.
had overtaken Amsterdam in port activity. To compensate for the loss of that harbor area and to create quays that would allow bigger ships to dock, Amsterdam's city engineer, Jacobus van Niftrik, planned a new quay to the east of the station, the Oostelijke Handelskade. This quay was the start of the Eastern Docklands, which was developed contiguous to the already existing port area, the Spoorwegbassin, which would be used for the transloading
of coal
and iron ore; railroad tracks are already crisscrossing the area. Other decisions played a part in the construction of the area, such as the digging of the North Sea Canal
, decided on in 1862.
The development of the Oostelijke Handelskade (1876) gave Amsterdam a deep-water harbor for the first time in its history, and warehouse
s such as Europa, Azië, and Africa jumpstart economic activity in 1883. The quay was designed according to modern requirements, with a railroad track and steam-powered cranes
for loading and unloading.
Problematic was the influence of the Zuiderzee, which caused high waves and disturbed harbor activity. The city decides to build a breakwater
, but this was unsuccessful, and in 1890 a dam was planned, the start of the future Java Island and KNSM Island
. In 1896 the IJkade was constructed contiguous to the dam, and closed-in area raised with earth won from dredging the North Sea Canal
, the digging of which had started in 1876. When the western part of the IJkade was lengthened in 1904, a new peninsula was created, as well as two harbors: the water between the Java Island and the Oostelijke Handelskade is called the IJhaven, the water south of the KNSM Island is called the Ertshaven, both also connected by rail.
The deep-water harbors allowed for much economic development. In 1903, the Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij (KNSM) settled on the eastern part of the island and experienced rapid growth. On the western part, one of the occupants was the Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland (SMN), which had reached the limit of its possible expansion on the Oostelijke Handelskade. In the first half of the twentieth century there was ongoing development, including for instance the increasing transportation of passenger by ship to the Dutch East Indies
, but after World War II
harbor activity moved more to the city's Western Docklands and in the 1960s, despite the coming of some new industries such as Mobil
, the area became less busy, due to the increase in container and the ever-increasing size of cargo ships. In the 1970s, the area fell into complete disuse.
Many of the homes in the Eastern Docklands attract young families, which has led to more families with young children staying in the city (rather than move to places like Almere
, which offer more affordable family homes with gardens). The area is also attractive to "trendy" and well-to-do urbanites; the notably modern features of the new buildings in the "architecturally spectaculair" area draw in "trendy young media and IT professionals" and are a boon for tourism to the area.
One of its characteristic buildings is the Lloyd Hotel
, which was constructed in 1921 by Evert Breman as temporary housing for emigrants to Latin America
, many of whom from Eastern Europe
. During World War II
it was used as a prison by the German occupiers, and after the war it retained that function. It became a prison for underage convicts in 1964. After 1989 it stood empty for a time, and in 1996 the city of Amsterdam opened a competition to turn the building into a hotel, a conversion, designed by Otto Nan, which was finished in 2004 (with 120 rooms).
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, located between the IJ
IJ (bay)
The IJ is a river, formerly a bay, in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is known for being Amsterdam's waterfront. The name derives from the generic Germanic term for "water" and is similar to other Aa/Ee names for bodies of water. In Dutch, the name consists of the digraph ij, which is...
and the Amsterdam–Rhine Canal. The harbor area was constructed in the late nineteenth century to allow for increasing trade with the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
; a new location was necessitated by the construction of the Amsterdam Centraal railway station, which replaced the old quays. East of the new station was a marshy area called De Rietlanden, with the Zeeburgerdijk (then called Sint Antoniesdijk), running via the Zeeburch, a fort, to the Zuiderzee.
The area, about 2/3 water and 1/3 land, consists of an extension of the Oostelijke Handelskade, east of the center of town, and four artificial "islands" (peninsulas), all of which were former industrial and harbor locations. In the early 2000s, after a large-scale reorganization, the city's biggest post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
building project, the Eastern Docklands was home to some 17,000 people living in some the highest population densities in the Netherlands.
Construction
In the mid-nineteenth century the Dutch government determined that the city's open harbor front was to be filled in to allow for the construction of the Amsterdam Centraal railway station (the city decided on its location in 1869, and it was built 1882-1889), despite objections by the city; the building of the railway station followed necessarily on the Dutch government's decision in 1860 to build a national railroad system. Also, because ship sizes had increased but the Amsterdam's docks had not, competition from other cities began to hurt the city economically; in 1860 Den HelderDen Helder
Den Helder is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Den Helder occupies the northernmost point of the North Holland peninsula...
had overtaken Amsterdam in port activity. To compensate for the loss of that harbor area and to create quays that would allow bigger ships to dock, Amsterdam's city engineer, Jacobus van Niftrik, planned a new quay to the east of the station, the Oostelijke Handelskade. This quay was the start of the Eastern Docklands, which was developed contiguous to the already existing port area, the Spoorwegbassin, which would be used for the transloading
Transloading
For the data downloading process, see sideload.Transloading is the process of transferring a shipment from one mode of transportation to another. It is most commonly employed when one mode cannot be used for the entire trip, as for instance when goods must be shipped internationally from one inland...
of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and iron ore; railroad tracks are already crisscrossing the area. Other decisions played a part in the construction of the area, such as the digging of the North Sea Canal
North Sea Canal
The North Sea Canal is a Dutch ship canal from Amsterdam to the North Sea at IJmuiden, constructed between 1865 and 1876 to enable seafaring vessels to reach the port of Amsterdam...
, decided on in 1862.
The development of the Oostelijke Handelskade (1876) gave Amsterdam a deep-water harbor for the first time in its history, and warehouse
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
s such as Europa, Azië, and Africa jumpstart economic activity in 1883. The quay was designed according to modern requirements, with a railroad track and steam-powered cranes
Crane (machine)
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It uses one or more simple machines to create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal capability of...
for loading and unloading.
Problematic was the influence of the Zuiderzee, which caused high waves and disturbed harbor activity. The city decides to build a breakwater
Breakwater (structure)
Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defence or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.-Purposes of breakwaters:...
, but this was unsuccessful, and in 1890 a dam was planned, the start of the future Java Island and KNSM Island
KNSM Island
The KNSM Island is a man-made peninsula in the Eastern Docklands of Amsterdam. It is named for the Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij , the Royal Dutch Steamboat Shipping company which used to have its headquarters and its docks on the island...
. In 1896 the IJkade was constructed contiguous to the dam, and closed-in area raised with earth won from dredging the North Sea Canal
North Sea Canal
The North Sea Canal is a Dutch ship canal from Amsterdam to the North Sea at IJmuiden, constructed between 1865 and 1876 to enable seafaring vessels to reach the port of Amsterdam...
, the digging of which had started in 1876. When the western part of the IJkade was lengthened in 1904, a new peninsula was created, as well as two harbors: the water between the Java Island and the Oostelijke Handelskade is called the IJhaven, the water south of the KNSM Island is called the Ertshaven, both also connected by rail.
The deep-water harbors allowed for much economic development. In 1903, the Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij (KNSM) settled on the eastern part of the island and experienced rapid growth. On the western part, one of the occupants was the Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland (SMN), which had reached the limit of its possible expansion on the Oostelijke Handelskade. In the first half of the twentieth century there was ongoing development, including for instance the increasing transportation of passenger by ship to the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
, but after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
harbor activity moved more to the city's Western Docklands and in the 1960s, despite the coming of some new industries such as Mobil
Mobil
Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
, the area became less busy, due to the increase in container and the ever-increasing size of cargo ships. In the 1970s, the area fell into complete disuse.
Panorama
Recent development
In the 1980s, the city decided to change the by now derelict area into space for residences, and even proposed to fill in the harbors. In the end, the harbors and islands remained intact, to create relatively quiet enclaves of residential neighborhoods.Many of the homes in the Eastern Docklands attract young families, which has led to more families with young children staying in the city (rather than move to places like Almere
Almere
Almere is a planned city and municipality in the province of Flevoland, the Netherlands, bordering Lelystad and Zeewolde. The municipality of Almere comprises the districts Almere Stad, Almere Haven, Almere Buiten, Almere Hout, Almere Poort and Almere Pampus .Almere is the youngest city in the...
, which offer more affordable family homes with gardens). The area is also attractive to "trendy" and well-to-do urbanites; the notably modern features of the new buildings in the "architecturally spectaculair" area draw in "trendy young media and IT professionals" and are a boon for tourism to the area.
Oostelijke Handelskade
A central element in the development of the Docklands is the Oostelijke Handelskade, the Eastern Quay. Located on the IJ harbor, it ran along the docks to the east of the center of Amsterdam and got its name in 1883. Previously known as Handelskade, it was built between 1875 and 1883. In 1919 part of the quay was renamed Piet Hein Kade. In 2001, it became connected to Java Island by Jan Schaefer Bridge.One of its characteristic buildings is the Lloyd Hotel
Lloyd Hotel
Lloyd Hotel and Cultural Embassy is a historic building in the Eastern Docklands of Amsterdam, commissioned by the Royal Holland Lloyd . It became a building to temporarily house immigrants, a prison and later was a collective building of artists' studios, but is now serving as a hotel since 2004...
, which was constructed in 1921 by Evert Breman as temporary housing for emigrants to Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, many of whom from Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was used as a prison by the German occupiers, and after the war it retained that function. It became a prison for underage convicts in 1964. After 1989 it stood empty for a time, and in 1996 the city of Amsterdam opened a competition to turn the building into a hotel, a conversion, designed by Otto Nan, which was finished in 2004 (with 120 rooms).
Literature
- Ton Heijdra, Kadraaiers & Zeekastelen: geschiedenis van het Oostelijk Havengebied. Amsterdam: Het Open Havenmuseum, 1993. ISBN 90-90057-01-3.
- Ton Heijdra, Zeeburg. Geschiedenis van de Indische Buurt en het Oostelijk Havengebied. Alkmaar: René de Milliano, 2000. ISBN 90-72810-32-5.
- Geert Mak & Frans Heddema (text), Han Singels (photography), De Eilanden. Het Amsterdams Oostelijk Havengebied in stadsgezichten 1974-2002. Amsterdam: De Verbeelding, 2002. ISBN 90-74159-45-1.
- Bert Franssen, Ruud van Soest, Ontdek het Oostelijk Havengebied. Amsterdam: Stokerkade cultuurhistorische uitgeverij, 2009, ISBN 97890-79156-078.