Eastern Docklands
Author: Anothertravelguide.com0 COMMENTS
Amsterdam is unique not only with its 6800 16th, 17th and 18th century buildings but also with the most impressive concentration of modern architecture in the whole of Europe. It can be found mostly in the Eastern Docklands where more than 8000 buildings have been constructed during the 1980s-1990s, and the district is still developing. Although the history of the Eastern Docklands can be traced back to the 17th century, most of it was built in the early 1900s when trade with Indonesia, Americas and Middle East flourished. A string of artificial islands were also created and given names of the most important places of trade, for example, Java and Borneo. Part of the warehouses in the western part of the Docklands were named after the continents of origin of the goods that were kept there. Since the area is quite large, the docklands are also best toured on a bike, crossing the countless bridges (some real gems among them), squares with environmental installations, neighbourhoods of residential and office buildings, passing cafés, art galleries etc. One of the pioneers of the KNSM Island is definitely Piraeus, an irregularly shaped residential building, nicknamed the Dark Dinosaur (designed by the German architects Hans Kollhoff and Christian Rapp), as well as the Brazilie shopping mall, housed in a converted warehouse that was originally used to store the cocoa brought from Central and South America. In July the Amsterdam Central Library is also going to open its door in the Eastern Docklands. More on the latest in architecture and design at the Amsterdam Centre for Architecture or on its website:
Prins Hendrikkade 600
www.arcam.nl
as well as on the Eastern Docklands website:
www.easterndocklands.com
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