Amsterdam and the Java Eiland.
. Amsterdam, the capital of Netherlands, is a metropolis where 1,468,120 people live.
. The city is 219 km², of which 53 km² of water. The population density is 4,459/km².It is one of the main port cities on the North Sea and is known for its canals and islands, which have led to Amsterdam being termed the "Venice of the North".
.One of the main development areas of the past years has been the Eastern Docklands, where Java Eiland is located, and now home to our case study.
History of the Eastern Islands:
At the end of the nineteen seventies the municipal authorities of Amsterdam decided to stop the exodus of residents from the City. For that reason locations were sought where houses could be built to help retain the existing population and attract new residents as well. The Oostelijk Havengebied (the Eastern Docklands), the market-gardening areas of Sloten and the Middenveldsche Akerpolder were designated for house construction. The Oostelijk Havengebied consists of artificial peninsulas that were constructed between 1874 and 1927. In the seventies the port activities which took place here were relocated to the western dock area of the city. At the same time the Amsterdam City Council decided to develop this area. Between 1987 and 2003 some 8000 dwellings, shops and offices have been realised here.
The Java and KNSM islands, once separated pieces of land that have been joined, were located in this development area. Between 1995 and 1998 a total of 1357 houses and around 5000 square meters of office space were built in the Java Eiland.
Planning of Java-KNSM area in the 90s:
KNSM Jo Coenens' Masterplan for KNSM-island- provided big buildings, referring to the harbour scale. The buildings which accord to one block are among others the "Piraeus" from Hans Kollhoff and Christian Rapp and the "SkyDome" from Wiel Arets. At KNSM there are still traces of the old harbour history to be found. Apart from houses for retired captains and former administration buildings of the shipping companies also a the passenger terminal dating from the sixties is still to be seen. Additional to the predominating housing small galleries, shops, cafes and boot-workshops can be found.
JAVA-EILAND On the eastern part of the island a different strategy has been followed. The old houses were entirely torn down, before an urban and small scale housing district after plans of Sjoerd Soeters was built. The big housing blocs with intimate yards are structured by small canals referring to the flair of the Amsterdam city centre. The buildings designed by different architects are repeated in each of the urban blocs in varying positions. Java-eiland is now an almost 2-kilometer-long (1.2 mile) exhibition space for Dutch architects. The housing project of the Swiss architects Diener and Diener links Java and KNSM within the urban plan. The Jan Schaefer bridge from Venhoeven CS connects Java island to the city centre. All This area is now a residential quarter for young professionals.
