WESTERGAS MAGAZINE
Index One\\History Two\\How it turned around Three\\ Mapping the area Four\\ Part of the creative city Five\\But is it still growing? Six\\Flat White Economy Seven\\Interviews Eight\\Futuristic Vision
THE INTRODUCTION Back in 2003 the Westergas area was a clearly an early adaptor when in comes to Richard Florida’s philosophy about ‘Creative Cities’. By the first looks of it, it seems there is nothing wrong with the current state of the Westergas area. However, we do believe it is important that the Westergas area stays future focused and keeps renewing itself,, otherwise they might face the risk of eventually falling behind. In the past the most thriving or promising brands fell behind because of relying too much on what they where instead of constantly re-inventing and further developing themselves. Westergas still is the beating hart of the creative city as a part of Amsterdam. The area has all the tools to also stay the heart of Amsterdam’s creative center, but we believe they should just look what they can build with them in the future.
One\\History The layout of the present Westergasfabriek’s site was determined by two transport links in the polders west of the center of Amsterdam. The canal-boat service to Haarlem began operating in 1632. The canal called the Haarlemmertrekvaart marks the southern edge of the site. In 1839 the railway to Haarlem was completed. It followed a curving line to the north of the Haarlemmertrekvaart. The former railway dyke forms the northern limit of the site. In 1883 the concession (a permit for and monopoly of gas production) was granted by the City of Amsterdam to the Imperial Continental Gas Association (ICGA) of London. The gas was used for street lighting. Two new gas plants were built right away, one on the Haarlemmertrekvaart in West Amsterdam and one in Linnaeusstraat in East Amsterdam. The gasworks on the Haarlemmertrekvaart was strategically sited between water, rail and access roads.
The plant was completed in 1885. In 1898 the ICGA's concession was withdrawn and the city took over, and started running of the plant. At the beginning of municipal management, production rose and the operation expanded. In 1904 a water gas plant was built - water gas (also known as coke gas) can be produced more quickly than coal gas. Gas production eventually decreased because the city was gradually switching to gas from ‘Hoogovens’ in Ijmuiden. Later in 1963 they switched to natural gas from Slochteren. Gas production at the Westergasfabriek ceased in 1967. Until 1992 the site was used mainly by the gas and electricity authority for maintenance and storage. The Westergasfabriek site covers 14.5 hectares. When it was still working, it was the largest gas pant in Amsterdam. The layout of the original complex was given careful thought: as to the placing of the buildings in relation to each other, both functionality and aesthetics played a role but most important was the symmetry (This is also evident in the architecture of the buildings). Over time the site has inevitably undergone changes. .
Two\\How it turned around In the 1980’s the ‘Zoning plan’ w as laid dow n for the Overbraak polders, w hich included W esterpark and the W estergasfabriek. The site w as to serve a green and recreational purpose. It w as to be expected that after years of industrial use the site w ould be polluted, and so soil studies w ere carried out. Various toxic substances, such as tar, m ineral oils and cyanide, are released during the production of gas. These toxic by-products w ere stored on the site and discharged, and so got into the soil. The studies show ed that the soil w as indeed polluted. It took several years for the city of Am sterdam and the central Environm ent M inistry, to agree on a cleanup plan. In the end the Environm ent M inistry approved a solution w hereby the polluted ground w ould be isolated. For the W estergasfabriek a special solution w as created, so that it becam e possible to also lay out a park. Ten years later, w hen the cleanup began, it becam e clear just how seriously the soil w as polluted. For years heavily polluted w aste had been dum ped in the foundations and cellars of a num ber of buildings. Asbestos w as discovered on the site. The degree of pollution w as an unpleasant surprise that m ade the cleanup process longer and m ore expensive than had been foreseen. Now adays, the W estergasfabriek has becom e one of Am sterdam ’s m ain cultural venues. Its success is largely due to its phase w hen it w as available for tem porary
cultural uses. This solution w as born of necessity – after the departure of the gas and electricity authority it w as feared that the em pty buildings w ould be squatted – and it proved to be an excellent idea. In 1993 the district council asked Liesbeth Jansen, an expert on advising and program m ing cultural festivals, to give the W estergasfabriek a place in Am sterdam ’s cultural life for a year. In the end this phase of tem porary use lasted for a little over seven years. Betw een 1993 and 2001 hundreds of events took place at the site and there w ere over one hundred tem porary tenants. The possibilities w ere endless: from rehearsal space to studio, from opera to house party and from circus to congress. W hen the intended perm anent tenant w ithdrew from the project in 1995, the various cultural tenants and events had already been in place for tw o years. The creative energy had such a pow er of attraction that the tem porary uses becam e perm anent. The transition w as not seam less: during the cleanup m ost of the tenants w ere forced to leave the site. At the end of 2003 the renovated buildings becam e available again for rent. Currently Liesbeth Jansen is director of the W estergasfabriek BV, responsible for m anagem ent and operations. The com bination of perm anent tenants in the form of cultural enterprises, tem porary rentals for festivals and events, and com m ercial and cultural letting provides a sound basis for a healthy operation.
GASHOUDER: FROM SLUDGE POND TO ICONIC EVENT LOCATION The foundation of the demolished gasholders was filled with water and they had to be partly removed before new ponds could actually be laid out in them. During the demolition work, they found large amounts of heavily polluted and stinking sludge. To limit the smell in the surrounding neighborhood, a large tent equipped with ventilation and airconditioning was erected over one of the gasholders during the cleaning process. After an immense cleanup that started in 2002, the Gashouder now serves as a unique event location for congresses, trade fairs, dining, festivals, and dance and fashion events.
THREE\\ Mapping THE AREA Let’s take a look at the ‘new’ Westergas area, how it turned out and what it currently has to offer. Within the area there are a lot of indoor and outdoor facilities, a mix between business and recreational. The following section displays a map of Westergas, filled with different businesses, bars, meeting spaces, event locations and (recreational) facilities. It really seems that the area offers something for everyone.
Food
It will be kind of hard to starve with the various places where you can get food or a drink. One of these is housed in the Regulateurshuis, it’s called the Bakkerswinkel. It’s a bakery that uses local and organic products where possible, to create some tasty treats. They sell bread, cakes, filled sandwiches, coffee and fresh juices – to take home or enjoy in the park. In the last century, Dutch ice cream was one of the best in the world because of their special ingredients. The creative ice cream developers of IJscuypje brought this tradition of cream to Amsterdam. If you’re in the market for some ice cream there is an IJscuypje on the Westergas terrain where you can try the best ice cream from Holland with typical Dutch flavors. In an area like Westergas there has to be a good coffee place, and luckily there is. The Espressofabriek is the
ideal meeting place at Westergas. There is Wi-Fi, old-fashioned apple cake and of course the best coffee made by a genuine barista. At lunchtime ‘tramezzini’ - a Italian sandwiches - is served. Towards the end of the day you can enjoy a good glass of wine or a refreshing beer. At Pizza Pazzani you can eat on their sunny terrace, in the trattoria or enjoy your pizza in the park. Are you a wine lover? On the wine menu you find a range of fine wines and tasty Italian digestives. Looking for something special? Mossel en Gin is a new cafe and bar specializing in sustainable, local food. At Mossel en Gin you will find fresh mussels in a variety of flavorsome sauces paired with special gin-tonic cocktails. In addition to fresh mussels served a variety of ways and gintonics, you’ll also find crispy fries, oysters, shrimp, lobster and wines.
Bars
In addition to the food possibilities, Westergas also offers a couple of places where you can get a drink, watch a movie or listen to some live music. The Ketelhuis is a cozy cinema for the better art house film, including Dutch youth cinema and documentaries. The Ketelhuis also participates in film festivals such as Cinekid and Africa in the Picture. The cafe is a popular hangout for Dutch actors and actresses. Of course there is also the possibility to just have a drink. Connected to the studios you can find MediaCafé Westergas. This is the ‘royal supplier’ for employees of TV programs such as De Wereld Draait Door (The World Keeps Turning), Pauw, “Vandaag de Dag” and Eva Jinek on Sunday. Here you can get a drink or some food in an inspiring radio and television environment. The WestergasTerras is a beautiful place in the green environment of Westerpark. With a view on the famous Gashouder and the charming water gardens, the terrace is located in the western part of the park.
During winters the WestergasTerras is indoor, with a cozy fireplace and comfortable sofa’s. As soon as the first sunrays start to shine, the terrace expands and when the temperature rises, so does the atmosphere! The menu is small, but changes within the season. Every weekend the North Sea Jazz Club is the place to be in Amsterdam to enjoy live music, dinner, drinks & dance. Experiencing live shows by top of the bill artist in an intimate jazz club setting. Find established names within arms reach and discover up-andcoming talent. Just like at the North Sea Jazz Festival, the club presents a wide variety of jazz, funk, soul and world music. Everyone, young or old, enjoys visiting Pacific Parc. Outdoors, there is a large, sunny terrace area; indoors, there is an open fire when it gets cold. The ambiance is relaxed and the dishes are reasonably priced. Every evening, a DJ plays an interesting mix of music and there are frequent live gigs.
Shops & galleries Battalion is an art and design showroom boutique in Amsterdam. Their focus is on progressive contemporary art from local and international artists and on high quality design items from around the globe. Battalion has two floors for shopping, regular exhibition programming and a constant flow of new art and designs item surprises. Kallenbach Gallery operates from an interest and passion for movements usually labeled as underground, lowbrow and urban art. At the same time keeping an eye out for new movements and emerging contemporary art. Their aim is to introduce the public to these exciting and
innovative artists in an open and approachable way. Kuvva Gallery is a new creative exposition space and innovative studio that creates e.g. videos, technology, products and stories. Kuvva aims to translate their products and services to the public by showing changing expositions from talented artists with different backgrounds. At QicQ concept store you find electric bikes and racing bikes. In addition, they also offer sustainable design clothing and accessories. Whether you want to buy or lease, QicQ can arrange it for you. In the shop you can try a bike and travel up to 45 kilometers per hour without breaking a sweat.
Organizations
In addition, the Westergas area is home to quite a lot of businesses and organizations. With a lot of facilities nearby, it’s only logical that the Westergas area has quite a few permanent tenants. Aside from that, it is also possible to rent temporary working spaces, also as an individual. Let’s start with an organization that aims to strengthen the Dutch creative industry, the Dutch Creative Industries Council. Collaborating with companies, educational instances, and the government, they try to find opportunities for all the stakeholders and make use of each other’s strengths, Quite the textbook example of the Triple Helix Model. Another organization based on the Westergas terrain is Kunstbende. Kunstbende is a network organization that focuses on discovering, developing and showcasing young creative talent. With the Kunstbende competition and projects such as Move Your Art a lot of youngsters are being stimulated to discover and exploit their talents. Quite some big artists like Martin Garrix and Trijntje Oosterhuis used Kunstbende as a stepping stone to where they are now. Then there is IJsfontein, an interactive media business. IJsfontein is convinced that people are naturally curious and intrinsically motivated to develop themselves. Play is one of the most effective ways to encourage this natural behavior. Their projects have objectives ranging from creating awareness to education and from training to educational entertainment. Think for instance, of a serious game as a training tool for (medical) staff or interactive exhibits, and apps for museums. Pand020 is a permanent tenant just as much as the organizations mentioned above, but the nature of their business makes them a bit more flexible. At Pand020 people can rent their own working or meeting space, even for only one day in the week. It’s a place where you can work in peace and quiet, develop creative ideas and where you can meet other entrepreneurs and businesses. Finally and possibly the sweetest business in the Westergas area, Tony’s Chocolonely. Tony’s aim is to change chocolate by making it 100% slave-free, lucky for them it’s also pretty tasty. By doing so, they hope to inspire other – larger, much larger – chocolate makers to take more responsibility for their cocoa. One day, the global chocolate trade will be a 100% slave-free industry.
Events & festivals
The Westergas area is also home to a wide range of festivals and events that make use of different sections of the terrain. With sites like the Gashouder, Transformatorhuis, Regulateurshuis, Zuiveringsgebouw and Machinegebouw there are quite a lot of possibilities for events big and small. In addition, there is the possibility to include parts of the outside area such as the park or the spaces in between the buildings. To get a glimpse, a handful of events and festivals that Westergas has hosted is listed below. Starting off with Amsterdam Fashion Week, a combination of fashion shows of upcoming talents, designers and commercial labels and brands. Amsterdam Fashion Week offers a broad and diverse program meant for the fashion professional and their relations. Every edition it draws the attention of both national as well as international press and buyers. Amsterdam Fashion Week is organized twice a year, the Summer/Spring edition in July and the Fall/Winter edition in January on the grounds of the Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam. The next thing is called the Next Web is everything but a traditional IT congress. With renowned speakers from all over the IT scene and the presence of progressive start-ups, TNW is a congress where the international tech community looks forward to every year. In the meanwhile, thousands TNW draws thousands of international visitors.
For the art enthusiasts Westergas offers the playful We Like Art exhibition with affordable art. The 2013 and 2014 editions took place in the Machinegebouw. The exhibition shows work of artists with a musicological background or an international career, and young artists that are expected to be the next best thing. Onwards from the first edition in 2011, the Westergas area is home to PITCH festival. PITCH is a two-day event that aims to please progressive electronic music lovers. The line-up is complemented with the presence of a large number of live bands and a variety of food, drink and accessories stands. Renown, big and compelling are words that come up, thinking back on the Davis Cup tournament that was hosted in the Westergas area. Just for this occasion a complete tennis stadium was built, including a professional gravel court. Each day of the tournament, there were over 6,000 tennis enthusiasts present. Last but definitely not least, the Westergas area is home and birthplace to Awakenings. The organization hosts several huge dance events on the terrain every year, with Awakefest as the absolute culmination. During the Awakenings nights, the uniquely decorated Gashouder is a dance temple and during Awakefest, the area surrounding the Gashouder holds as much as 6 additional stages.
FOUR\\ Westergas as part of the creative city What exactly are the characteristics of a creative city? This section covers a short explanation on the creative city by Richard Florida, along with some criticism. It also explains how Amsterdam fits in and how the Westergas area is a part of it.
The creative city and the creative class Richard Florida was the one who came up with the terms creative city and the creative class. He describes cities as cauldrons of creativity. “They have long been the vehicles for mobilizing, concentrating, and channeling human creative energy. They turn that energy into technical and artistic innovations, new forms of commerce and new industries, and evolving paradigms of community and civilization” (Richard Florida, 2015). Florida’s basic idea is that the economy is transforming, and creativity is to the 21st century what the ability to push a plow was to the 18th century. Creative occupations are growing and firms now orient themselves to attract the creative. The urban lesson of Florida’s book is that cities that want to succeed must aim at attracting the creative types who are, Florida argues, the wave of the future. The aim was for the creative city to serve as inspiration to encourage openmindedness and imagination implying a dramatic impact on organizational culture. Its philosophy is that there is always more creative potential in a place. It posits that conditions need to be created for people to think, plan and act with imagination in harnessing opportunities or addressing seemingly intractable urban problems. These might range from addressing homelessness, to creating wealth or enhancing the visual environment. Its assumption is that ordinary people can make the extraordinary happen if given the chance. Creativity is seen as applied imagination. In the creative city it is not only artists and those involved in the creative economy that are creative, although they play an important role. Creativity can come from any source including anyone who addresses
issues in an inventive way, be it a social worker, a businessperson, a scientist or public servant. Moreover, it the creative class can be found in a variety of fields, from engineering to theater, biotech to education, architecture to small business. The role of creativity in city formation and growth is not new. However, with the decline of physical constraints on cities and communities in recent decades, creativity has become a substantial driver in the growth and development of cities, regions and nations. To also shed a little light on the other side, let’s take a look at what some critics have to say about Florida’s work. If members of the creative class look to move to a certain part of the city, they will most likely look for an area with likeminded people. The creative class doesn’t have to be the wealthiest group of people, but similarity is more in the level of skill. An owner of a startup and a lawyer might not earn the same income, but they use a similar set of intellectual skills that rely on creative, critical thinking so in most cases they would like to live near each other. As this creative class expands into cities, repeatedly it's clustering downtown, along transit lines, near universities or creative working spaces, and close to natural amenities like waterfronts. In addition, these workers drive up the cost of living in these places causing service and working-class residents to be effectively left with the least desirable parts of town, worse access to transport and the fewest amenities. This process is called gentrification and it is definitely something to take into account regarding Florida's "creative class” (Washington Post, 2014).
The Westergas area as part of the creative city As seen in the previous chapter, the Westergas area is home to quite a few businesses and (creative) working spaces. It’s a vibrant place where people work, relax and participate in all sorts of recreational activities. In addition it’s positioned relatively central in the city and the access to public transport is pretty good. The development of the Westergas area translates into a shift of inhabitants as well. This is clearly visible by a growing number of ‘young urban professionals’ (yuppen) living in the surrounding neighborhoods. A yup is a starting professional that is relatively career oriented and well-educated most of the time. Some of them have just started a family or are thinking about doing so. It is not unlikely for a yup to work in the creative industry or from a flexible working space. One of the adjacent areas, the Staatsliedenbuurt, wasn’t a safe place not to long ago. Shootings took place almost on a regular basis, this was not a place where everyone felt safe, also considering this was only ten years ago. Similar things were happening in other surrounding neighborhoods such as the Zeeheldenbuurt and the Spaarndammerbuurt just a little before that time. So the areas surrounding the Westergas terrain keep getting upgraded in safety as well as in facilities. As a result the creative class feels more and more attracted to the neighborhood and more of them start to move there. This ‘flourishing’ of the neighborhood causes the house prices to go up, which in turn leads to the original inhabitants having to look for a house elsewhere because they can no longer afford to stay.
FIVE\\ But is it still growing?
Back in 2003 the Westergas area was a clearly an early adaptor when in comes to Richard Florida’s philosophy about ‘Creative Cities’. The Westergasfabriek’s project team together with the Harvard design school organized the international congress ‘Creativity and the City’, with Florida as its keynote speaker. Ever since Westergas has done a great job as being a part of the creative city and making great contributions to the city of Amsterdam. As shown in the previous chapter Westergas has so much to offer, looking at their permanent tenants as well as the different events or even one-time festivities. We would like to emphasize that during our research we discovered that Westergas is doing great. They have putted themselves on the map when it comes to being part of a Creative City. However, there this could become a threat in the future. Brands or corporations have the tendency to lose focus if business is going well. They feel save, see steady numbers and have trust in what they’ve once created. The problem with this loss of future view is that eventually the brand will fall behind. More focused or ‘younger’ brands are constantly looking for smart ways to get ahead. When it comes to the creative city industry a lot has happened since Richard Florida introduced his thought to the world. Although his philosophy is still very much alive and applicable in the current creative industries, it did grow with along with the current zeitgeist.
SIX\\The Flat White ECONOMY Economist Douglas McWilliams released his new book ‘Flat White Economy’. The book is about how the ‘Hipster Generation’ turned around the whole nature of London. According to McWilliams hipsters, and the ecosystem surrounding them, represent the future of (British) prosperity. Not only are they greener and more ethical than the rest of us, but also the industries in which they work are driving our economy (McWilliams, 2015). His theory grew from Florida’s original philosophy of the Creative City. The Flat W hite econom y is a great exam ple of the creative cities becom ing m ore adjusted to the current zeitgeist. It is not longer just enough to attract creative folks and offering them a ‘cool’ place to w ork or hang out, being part of a creative city now adays requires m ore. As m entioned above this generation is starting to becom e m ore and m ore sustainable and aw are of the choices they m ake, w hether these choices w ill only affect them or others. As part of that consciousness they feel a stronger need for collaborating. They see how com bining strengths could be a w in-w in instead of feeling threatened by another person’s talent. M oreover, they value true craftsm anship, w hich is also a part of that collaborating philosophy. If for instance a one-m ans shop bakes incredible bread, and his neighbor m akes w onderful cheeses, they com bine those strengths instead of trying to pushover one another. This renew ed creative city idea generates even m ore opportunities then the ‘previous’ creative city did. Tw o great exam ples of these evolved and renew ed creative cities in Am sterdam are B-Am sterdam and Print3DM atter. They represent Florida’s creative cities, but in a m ore current form . It houses all different sorts of people, w ith different backgrounds and occupations, w ho can easily connected and bundle their know ledge, ideas and strengths. B-Am sterdam is huge building that offers all different interesting people a place to w ork, m eet and collaborate. Print3DM atter is a 3D printing shop, w ere anyone w ith an idea can w alk in and execute that thought. Here as w ell, all different sorts of people m eet and end up w orking together. An artist can w ork together w ith som eone w ith a m edical background creating beautiful or useful new products. It is not just about attracting the creative generation these days. They’re looking for diverse spaces, w here one could m eet another w ith a totally different (professional) background and can becom e inspired or w ork together. It is not longer just the space but also the connections m ade w ithin that space that count. The need for togetherness has already increased and it w ill grow only stronger in the upcom ing years.
Seven\\What do people think The development of the Westergas area is something that could concern quite a few people. Tenants on the terrain, the city council, students and inhabitants of the surrounding neighborhoods all have their own way of looking at things. This section covers a little insight in their vision for the area. We asked them what they’re looking for in the Westergas area…
“This area has really changed over the past years, I guess you could say it has become safer.” (Inhabitant Staatsliedenbuurt, f).
“There is a lot of diversity here, I wouldn’t want to see that any different.” (Visitor at Pacific Parc, m).
"A place to go out at night, and have a coffee by day. Maybe also visit some festivals or spend a day in the park." (Student, m, 22).
"I like a quiet place to think. Somewhere I can escape from the crowded city. But I do think it’s good that so much is happening here, it opens a lot of doors for the local people and tourists." (Marketing manager, w, 43).
"I like meeting all kinds of people and get inspired by their stories. It’s great to work in a place with so much to do, also outside of work." (founder of a startup, m, 32).
"A flourishing neighborhood and economy. We are constantly trying to raise the standard of living in this area." (Stadsdeel West).
“The cultural park Westergasfabriek serves a combination of cultural activity in the former factory buildings, hospitality industry and park. Next to recreation the area can also be used intensively for big events and concerts.” (destination plan Westergasfabriek, Stadsdeel West 2013).
EIGHT\\The Future VISION As we emphasized before, Westergas is doing a create job contributing as a creative city to Amsterdam. The success of the area underlines the importance of the creative economy and constantly gives a new impulse to the city. However, to keep thriving Westergas must become even more future focused. Looking at the ‘Flat White Economy’ the current and upcoming generation have a strong need for togetherness, something the Westergas area could exploit much more. For instance, the way their buildings are laid-out offers great opportunities to create a village kind off vibe. Their website states that working together is one of their most important values, but right now that is not communicated clearly to the public. As previously mentioned, B-Amsterdam is using that need for collaboration, and offers its visitors easy aces to one and other. They combine Florida’s view on creative cities, but mold that into a more current form. Another important facet of the new creative generation is the need for craftsmanship. The target group of the area values crafted and conscious made products, which in the future should give craftsmanship-oriented businesses the opportunity to settle in the area. The creative city citizens of this era are more aware, have a higher level of consciousness, are more sustainable and are willing to pay if they feel these needs get fulfilled. Another opportunity could be making the area even more sustainable. All the buildings could have roof gardens to supply the permanent tenants and the buildings could be equipped with solar panels. The fact that the Westergas area has space for so much growth and development is what makes them the beating hart of the creative city now and hopefully also in the future.
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