The former NDSM shipyards used to cover an area of 2 square km on the north banks of the waters of ‘t IJ, in Amsterdam. The company shut down in 1985 after some mergers and a bankruptcy. The early nineties saw the first squatters
taking control of the area. Now an organization, of former squatters, owns the grounds and exploits it for cultural benefits, organizing several festivals each year and a monthly vintage goods sale.
There also is a skate park, artist exhibitions, residences and much more. Of the 2 square km, only a fraction is now owned by the organization. Some of the dry docks have been bought by other dockyards some of the area that is near to the NDSM buildings have been redeveloped into a thriving creative area. Besides some small marine related companies, there are several architects who has taken residence in this area. Another company is MTV networks, who is housed in a former carpentry workshop where ships’ inners where crafted. Nearby a former crane base, on which cranes used to roll back and forth,
has been turned into a one of a kind building, called ‘Kraanspoor’ in Dutch.
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For those interested, external link to the Kraanspoor building on Flickr.
Urban Locations 