ODEMAGAZINE summer 2018
‘A little bit of New York City in the heart of Amsterdam’
Oosterdokseiland: Small island, great place
P6 - Museumhaven
P16 - Booking.com City Campus
P9 - Construction has started
P20 - Dining at Grand Café 1884
P12 - Sea Palace
P22 - ODE to cyclists
Leave Central Station and see the city that unfolds before the city like a fan, leaf after leaf, of pearl grey and gold. The pearl grey of the morning air that rises over the Amstel, the gold of the sun in the autumn season that is nearing its end.
Whatever place you left because of her, she will greet you with quays, Damrak and the Beurs and ships full of rust with towers wide and strong as stone and of slender build and, if your hearing is good, with calls across the IJ.
There is no city like Amsterdam so spacious and so familiar; had I been able to build a house, I would have built it here with windows through which all the light would flow that bounces off the Amstel, where the water freezes in the winter and everyone ice skates.
From the series ‘Poems on façades’: An excerpt from a poem by Jan Campert (1902-1943)
Standing in front of the windows you will see the warm fire above the Leidseplein and the Rembrandtplein make the clouds smoke; you will see, if you have eyes, the expressionless watchmen on Heerengracht and Keizersgracht at the fall of night.
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26 6 Colophon Editor: BPD region Northwest Design: Scrambled Ads Photography: Wietse Visser, Hein Verhees, Heleen Wenniger & Martha Schoemaker Text: Ilja Kraaier, Marlous Mok & Michel van Dijk
Š2018 BPD
14 CONTENTS History of Oosterdokseiland........................................6 Construction has started................................................8 Oosterdokspots..................................................................10 Sea Palace...............................................................................12 Expedition Oosterdok.....................................................14 Booking.com City Campus............................................16 Mediamatic...........................................................................18 Grand CafĂŠ 1884.................................................................20 ODE to cyclists.....................................................................22 Rederij Lampedusa...........................................................23 Insta-ODE...............................................................................24 Marineterrein............................................................26 ODE to the builders..........................................................28 ODE neighbours.................................................................30 ODE agenda............................................................................31
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‘The best way to preserve a boat...
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... is by living on it’ The history of Amsterdam would not be complete without the history of its seafaring heritage. Preserving this heritage is the goal of the Museumhaven, the historic dockyard straight across from the National Maritime Museum, explains Titus Dekker, an expert on the history of the historic dockyard. Squatters triggered founding of the Museumhaven. In May 1984, a group of houseboat owners looking for a suitable location to moor their boats decided to tie up at the eastern pier of the IJ tunnel. Until then, the space was uninhabited. ‘As was often the case back then, the municipality of Amsterdam tolerated the squatters,’ says Titus Dekker. ‘Later they decided to legalise the mooring space and issue permits for the boats.’ Titus Dekker, who lives on Janna, a houseboat moored at Windrooskade on Wittenburg, knows the history of the historic dockyards like no other. In 2011, he was the lead editor on the book Oosterdok, in which the history of the historic dockyard and its residents has a prominent place. ‘I made the book for the 25th anniversary of the Vereniging Museumhaven Amsterdam (VMA),’ he explains. ‘The “Museum Harbor Amsterdam Society” currently has around 150 members. The nice thing about it is that you don’t have to have a boat in the historic dockyard in order to become a member. You can become a member even if you don’t have a boat. All you have to do is support Amsterdam’s maritime heritage.’ Because that is the essence of the boats in the historic dockyard. All of the boats work. ‘That’s the difference with most of the other houseboats. Therefore houseboat residents say: “ships sail, boats float”.’ Ships were important for Amsterdam. ‘The history of Amsterdam would not be complete without the history of its maritime heritage. As early as the 15th century ships sailed the canals with milk and clean water for the beer brewers. Until World War II, most goods were transported by water in Amsterdam.’ Feeling of freedom The preservation of the maritime heritage; that is the goal of the historic dockyard. But how do you do that? ‘The best way to preserve a boat, is by living on it. You can’t imagine how much money, time and effort residents pour into their boats to restore them to their original state. Because that is a condition to being allowed to moor in the historic dockyard.
Every hour, every spare weekend you have, is spent on the boat. You don’t do it if you’re not passionate about it.’ Dekker knows that all of the houseboat owners share the same passion. But they aren’t all ‘river gypsies’ he says laughingly. ‘The people who live here are so diverse. You’ll find everything from musicians to lawyers. One of the owners turned his boat into a yoga studio – you’re allowed to do that. But the thing that binds us is our love of boats. And the feeling of freedom that overcomes you when you untie the ropes and head off into the unknown. We’re all familiar with that feeling.’ Preserving the historic dockyard wasn’t always easy, says Dekker. ‘Sometimes we had to fight in order to persist, but we succeeded. And all of the new developments in the Oosterdok only strengthened our position. Everyone understands how important the Museumhaven is. And you can see how beautiful it is. There is nothing better than walking along the quay admiring the boats. It’s become a lovely promenade. And a car-free one at that!’ New edition of ‘Het Oosterdok’ Yes, there will be a new edition of his book about the Oosterdok. He just doesn’t know when. ‘The Oosterdok is changing so quickly that I’m having trouble picking the right time. We’ll be making a decision soon. But there is a lot of interest. And there will be an English translation. The Oosterdok community is very international. I’m sure there are a lot of people who would like to know more about this lovely area.’
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Construction has started‌
Get the latest information on the construction at Oosterdokseiland.nl/bouw (Dutch only) and sign up for the newsletter. Watch the video about the first months of construction and the vision of Booking.com, BPD and UNStudio at Oosterdokseiland.nl/video
@ The project manager for ODE, Nicolien Meuris, can be reached by phone at +31(0)6 836 917 28 or email at n.meuris@oosterdokseiland.nl. She is happy to answer your questions about the construction. You can always schedule a meeting with her if you wish. At www.oosterdokseiland.nl/bouw, you will find an FAQ with the answers to the most frequently asked questions (Dutch only). If you sign up for the construction newsletter on the website, you will receive regular updates on the construction!
START OF CONSTRUCTION July 5 marked the start of construction of Booking. com’s new campus in the heart of the city. For this milestone, Gillian Tans (CEO of Booking.com) and Walter de Boer (CEO of BPD) welcomed representatives of the city of Amsterdam, architectural firms UNStudio and HofmanDujardin and construction engineering company Züblin to celebrate the last development phase of the island with an official start programme on the construction site.
Work on the building’s foundation started on lot 5b/6 in January 2018. In addition to Booking.com’s city campus, this unique site will also accommodate 42 luxury flats with a breathtaking view. The 1100 piles are in the ground. In addition to the traditionally driven piles, some of the piles were ‘formed’ in the ground. Once all the piles were in the ground, the removal of sand resumed. The sand is removed partly by water in an attempt to limit the amount of construction traffic on the roads. The top of the piles is then capped, exposing the rebar. In Dutch, this step is also called ‘decapitation’. The rebar in the pile is intertwined with the rebar of the building that is being constructed. The concrete floor of the new parking garage is poured at the same time the top of the piles is capped. Five tower cranes have since been installed on the site. The highest crane has a maximum range of 113 m. Planning The ground floor is expected to be reached by the end of 2018. The new entrance to the parking garage will open at the beginning of 2019. This new situation will increase the amount of traffic that can enter and exit the parking garage.
Information about the apartments will be published next year on: www.oosterdokseiland.nl/en/living. Register as an interested party on the website now.
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OOSTERD HANNEKES BOOM NAUTICAL DISTRICT AT KOP DIJKSGRACHT A beach bar in the centre of town. Hannekes Boom. The trendy restaurant is at the start of Dijksgracht – and according to Hanneke’s website, in ‘the most beautiful spot in Amsterdam’ – and has a big patio on the water. You can moor your boat here and watch people all day long from the picnic tables or the quayside. Hannekes Boom has been around since 1662: the site is marked on 17th-century maps as Hannekes Boom. Back then, it was one of the main gateways into Amsterdam. The current version of Hannekes Boom opened in 2011. It’s a great place for a drink and a simple but nutritious meal: from fresh sandwiches and snacks to fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. And there is more: Hannekes Boom also offers an extensive cultural program and a variety of events throughout the year. www.hannekesboom.nl
PIPPERS – HOME OF THE MINI SANDWICH
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Feel like having a delicious, freshly made sandwich for breakfast or lunch but don’t want half a baguette? Get a ‘Pippertje’ at Pippers on Harry Banninkstraat 1 (Oosterdokskade) beside Centraal Station. The ‘Pippertje’ is a compact sandwich on freshly baked bread with fresh ingredients of your choice. Egg and tomato; brie; manchego; jamón ibérico; mortadella; ossenworst (ox sausage); salmon or blue cheese with dates, to name but a few examples. Perfect for people who have a hard time choosing: you can get two, three or four mini-sandwiches. By the way, Pippers is not only renowned for its crispy sandwiches but also for its great coffee. What better way to start the day than with great coffee and food at a beautiful location at the water with a view of the old city centre! Pippers is open daily from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. (Sundays from 9.00 a.m.). www.pippers.nu
DOKSPOTS
POWERZONE CHALLENGING INDOOR FUN & EXPERIENCE Lovers Powerzone is a great way to spend a fun evening (or afternoon): it’s the place to play laser games, glow-in-the-dark mini golf, and bowl. Powerzone Amsterdam is on De Ruijterkade 153, ‘under the bridge’, 200 m away from Centraal Station. It’s not a stuffy brown room, but rather a modern entertainment paradise with rooms that can be set up to reflect a theme such as ‘admiral Michiel de Ruyter’ or ‘underground laser’. Between all the games, you can relax with a drink at the hip bar and end the day with a fun barbecue or a tasty pizza: Powerzone offers special combo deals that are perfect for a company outing or teambuilding day. Every Friday evening from 7.00 p.m. it’s ‘Party Friday’: Powerzone is then transformed into a party venue with a DJ. The evening has its own combo deal, namely the ‘B4-package’, which consists of bowling, BBQ, beer and beats, as well as a portion of bitterballen (mini-croquettes). www.powerzone.amsterdam
SKYLOUNGE HILTON DOUBLETREE PANORAMIC VIEW
Lounge around with a beautiful view of Amsterdam? Head for the SkyLounge, Amsterdam’s premier rooftop terrace on the 11th floor of the Hilton Doubletree Hotel on Oosterdoksstraat 4. The rooftop lounge bar offers a panoramic view of Europe’s most energetic city 365 days a year. The hotel bar recently received the ‘European hotel bar of the year’ award during the European Hotel Awards in Strasbourg and also won the public choice award for ‘Best Hotel Bar’. During the day, the SkyLounge is a great place for business for personal meetings with a cup of Buscaglione coffee or a dish from the sophisticated lunch menu. It’s also a great place for a drink with friends or colleagues with stylish cocktails, elegant wines and classy snacks or small dishes. In the evening, the SkyLounge changes into an energetic lounge club where DJs and mixologists create the perfect atmosphere. www.skyloungeamsterdam.com
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‘Oosterdok has become a high Sea Palace is the oldest business on Oosterdokseiland. The floating Chinese restaurant was already at the quay when Oosterdok was still inhabited mainly by homeless people, drug addicts and prostitutes. KaJi But, one of the owners of the restaurant, experienced the island’s transformation. Sea Palace is kind of a second home for KaJi But. He owns the restaurant, which looks like a Chinese temple and has been moored at Oosterdok since 1984, together with his uncle and brother. ‘My father started it together with five partners. I watched them build it when I was a boy. My father had a few Chinese restaurants in the east of the country. Every weekend we would drive from Arnhem to Amsterdam to see how construction progressed. Since then, my family and I have moved several times, but the Sea Palace is still in the same place. And it won’t be moving any time soon.’
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Sea Palace may not have changed much, but its surroundings have. KaJi has a vivid memory of the changes. ‘It was not the best place to be. It was very industrial. The post office was here, you could pick up packages, but other than that it was primarily a distribution centre. There were homeless people, drug dealers and prostitutes basically on our doorstep. It was not a nice environment, people didn’t like coming here. Entrepreneurs didn’t want to start a business here. My father was the only one.’ Back then, it wasn’t easy to keep the restaurant afloat. ‘Things got better in the 1990s. My father had a few good years until the restructuring of Oosterdokseiland started and customers stopped coming. It was a really tough time.’
Turning point The turning point came in July 2007 when the public library (OBA) opened. ‘A constant flow of people suddenly started walking this way and the Sea Palace has being doing well ever since. The whole world eats here: Chinese, Americans, and even real Amsterdamers still know how to find us. A lot of it has to do with the improved neighbourhood of course, but we also work very hard to make our customers happy. Our hospitality, the atmosphere, the quality of our menu and of course the view. The whole Oosterdok is at your feet. And yes, we are a floating restaurant. Guests think that’s special.’ His father, who passed away in 2007, only saw the beginning of the transformation. After he died, the
-tech island’ family asked KaJi to run the restaurant. ‘I said yes, on the condition that we replace our Chinese-Indonesian menu with an authentic Cantonese one. It’s more in line with the times. People want authenticity, which is what our menu reflects. We are now a high-quality Chinese restaurant that brings a part of China to the heart of Amsterdam. That makes us unique. It’s a wonderful cuisine with a lot of stirfry dishes, and people even go out of their way to eat our dim sum. Personally, I love our steamed fish with ginger, scallions and soy sauce. Nice and light and prepared on the spot. It can’t get any fresher than that.’
are more to come. What do you think of today’s Oosterdokseiland? ‘I think it’s a great blend of different functions, such as life and work, shopping and good food. And in terms of culture we have the OBA, the Conservatorium, and NEMO up the road. I’m happy that Oosterdok has become a high-tech island, a Silicon Valley in the middle of Amsterdam. Tom-Tom was the first company after the OBA to move into one of the buildings. Adyen, which recently IPO’d, and Thuisbezorgd.nl both have their head offices here. And the arrival of Booking.com and its thousands of employees will also enrich the neighbourhood.’
Silicon Valley He should know; Sea Palace is the oldest business on Oosterdokseiland. ‘The post office and the striking Post CS building, don’t exist anymore. So yeah, we’re the oldest business in the area.’ A lot of new businesses have established themselves since and there
KaJi is happy about this because, as a businessman, he likes looking to the future rather than the past. ‘That’s what these companies are doing. It’s good for the city, for its diversity, innovativeness and international allure. We see it in the visitors that dine with us.
KaJi But, restaurant Sea Palace
We’re thinking about working with Expeditie Oosterdok to set up conference facilities for international visitors. There’s a lot of demand.’ Liveable It’s great that so many people are coming to Oosterdok, but it has to remain liveable, he warns. ‘It’s not yet as busy as other places in the city, but we do have to be careful. Oosterdok has become a beautiful place and it should stay that way. It would be a pity if its success turned on us.’
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Party around
Oosterdok
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Report: Successful Expedition Oosterdok Few neighbourhoods in Amsterdam have been through as many transformations as Oosterdok. Ever since a large part of Amsterdam’s shipping industry established itself here in the Golden Age, the area has always served as a gateway to the city and the world. It is the place where the high-tech wooden ships of the VOC (the Dutch East India Company) were built at high speed. And where the IJ tunnel, the main post office, NEMO and Oosterdokseiland became characteristic spots of this area. Oosterdok is still an exciting place. It is home to many cultural institutions, big IT companies, startups and special restaurants. Now that the recent redevelopment work is coming to an end, it’s time to shine the spotlight on Oosterdok as a neighbourhood.
osterdok is still O an exciting place
Many of the museums, businesses and restaurants organized Expedition Oosterdok along the banks of the water: a day full of free activities to discover the neighbourhood. On a beautiful sunny day, some 3500 people came to forge iron at the historic dockyard, did an architecture tour at the OBA and took tai chi lessons at Sea Palace. Beer was brought to room temperature at Café Pollux and the Doubletree by Hilton served free cocktails. NEMO tested the sailboats the visitors made and muscles were trained in the new fitness garden on the marine grounds. Stromma’s sloop and one of Rederij Lampedusa’s water taxis took visitors from one activity to the other. If you would like to discover Oosterdok and all of its cultural institutions and companies, go to www.expeditieoosterdok.nl for more information.
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‘ We want everyone to feel at home here’ In 2021, Booking.com plans to open an iconic head office on Oosterdokseiland. It will be the new workplace for people from more than 100 countries.
Linehouse
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Coming home: that is the main theme of the City Campus, Booking.com’s new head office. Yeah, that does sound kind of crazy for a company that works in the travel business, says Bob Elshof, responsible for real estate at Booking.com. But when you think about it, it makes sense. ‘We’re a very diverse company. We employ over 100 nationalities. We want every one of them to feel at home. Your job is only fun if you feel at home, so we’re combining functionality and job satisfaction.’ Michiel Hofman agrees. The lead interior design architect wrote the master plan for the interior of City Campus. ‘Take a family from New York that moves to Amsterdam because one of the partners is going to work for Booking. What can you do as a company to make them happy? How do you make sure they feel at home in an environment that is foreign to them? Three concepts are important: functionality, diversity and inclusiveness.’
HofmanDujardin
Studio Modijefsky
Elshof: ‘We want to give every employee the feeling that they belong. That’s why even the fit-out has to radiate inclusiveness.’ ‘We’re working with 15 international design teams, including from Shanghai, Tokyo, Madrid and Amsterdam,’ adds Hofman. ‘Each of the teams develops different parts of the campus, such as the restaurant, the workplaces, but also the signage, the green spaces and the flooring. This is how we’re encouraging diversity in the design aesthetic. Above all, we want to make sure that our colleagues can work in the most comfortable and functional way possible.’ Green rooftop terrace Although the interior is still being designed, the team is excited about some of the highlights in the new City Campus. For example, the restaurant will be the heart of the community. Hofman: ‘We’re designing it as a kind of festival area, with different colours, different heights, different levels of intimacy.’ Elshof: ‘There will be a number of small stations spread out over the restaurant, such as coffee bars, water points and snacks. You could spend the whole day in the restaurant without getting bored, just like at a real festival.’ The twelve breakout rooms in the campus will also be special. Hofman: ‘The breakout rooms will offer a place to relax or break fixed working patterns alone or with the team. Each breakout room will have a subtle reference to a special travel destination. The breakout room with the theme Oceania will be transparent with associations of infinity and lots of shades of blue. Each breakout room will have the atmosphere of a special place in the world.’ And then there’s the rooftop terrace, covering over 3,000 m2 across three floors. It’s south facing and has a beautiful view of the city. ‘It will be a total outdoor experience,’ says Hofman, ‘with a lot of green, sports, iconic objects and plenty of opportunities for music and film. We’re now in the middle of the design process, but it will be spectacular.’ Lively place The area with public facilities on the ground floor is also worth mentioning. Elshof: ‘It will be freely accessible to everyone. The idea is for the multifunctional rooms to be available to be hired out by other companies. We’re thinking about an art gallery, co-working spaces and other such things.’
Michiel Hofman from HofmanDujardin
The intention is for these public areas to be lively outside of office hours and accessible for residents of the island and the rest of the city. ‘We want to remain connected to Amsterdam,’ says Elshof. ‘Which is why we’re opening up this new space in the heart of town. Amsterdam has given Booking.com a lot. We’re looking forward to giving something back.”
and Bob Elshof from Booking.com
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‘ We are rediscovering the world around us’
High-tech, smartphones, internet, we get excited by every technological development, but there is also another world. In the cultural institution Mediamatic, children and adults learn how to discover the power of their senses.
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Grow edible soup bowls from
‘More and more people are asking themselves: do I want this, is it good for me, is it good for the world?’
lentils and fungi, brew beer from elderberry, learn how to make your own perfume, just to name a few of the things you can do at Mediamatic, the cultural institution on Dijksgracht, a stone’s throw from Oosterdokseiland. Taste, feel, smell, sense, discover the
These are questions that Mediamatic
sensory world around us, that’s what
likes pondering. ‘We’re not activists,
Mediamatic is about, explains the
we’re an art centre, that’s our focus.
founder Willem Velthoven. ‘We are
We experiment with new discoveries
rediscovering the world. In the last
in art and culture, and offer a platform
decades we have gotten carried away by
for new art forms. And yes, this means
all the exciting developments in digital
that we also experiment and work
technology. That’s not a bad thing, but
with living materials. There’s a lot you
we are now realising that we’ve lost
can do with self-growing materials
something along the way. Today you can
such a bacteria, fungi and mushrooms.
place an order in China at the press of a
They are inspiring and sustainable
button. But as a consumer, you have no
alternatives to the non-renewable
idea what goes on behind the scenes to
resources we’re still using today.’
get that order to your home. More and more people are asking themselves: do I want that, is it good for me, is it good for the world?’
Ernst Haeckel The 19th-century evolutionary biologist and lithographer Ernst Haeckel is, as Velthoven describes him, the ‘patron saint’ of this expedition. Beautiful reproductions of Haeckel’s lithographs of microorganisms such as fungi and algae are hanging in the lock gate warehouse behind the Mediamatic restaurant. ‘Haeckel was a communicator. He liked talking about nature and he knew how to reach a wide audience. “Kunstformen der Natur”, his book of lithographic and halftone prints, was very popular.’ Velthoven also likes talking about the power of nature. ‘We’re currently working on a puzzlehunt for kids. Oosterdok is the perfect place. In the warehouse, they can choose a lithograph they like and then search the neighbourhood for all the details it contains. We’ve put up “traffic signs” everywhere with details of the prints. This is a good activity for a school trip. You examine the organisms together, imagine things about them, and discover playfully that another world exists outside of the world of games, smartphones and the internet.’
BPD sponsors art & culture
As part of the integrated area development of Oosterdokseiland, BPD promotes art and culture with the aim of contributing to the quality and the transformation of the area. More information about the BPD Ontwikkeling-sponsored Ernst Haeckel project is available at www.oosterdokseiland.nl/haeckel
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Grand Café 1884 Chef Michiel Visser (Lute, Merlet, North Sea Jazz Club) is head of the kitchen of Grand Café 1884. Every day, he and his team prepare the most delicious fresh dishes with a lot of attention to detail and pure ingredients. The service is provided by hostess Judith Bustos Molina-Winkels (Hilton, RIU Hotels & Resorts), hosts Paul Ursem (Hostelling International, Stayokay) and Steven Houtbraken (Jonge Dikkert, Groot Paardenburg, Horeca Stadsschouwburg) and a young and dynamic team. Opened in November 2017, Grand Café 1884 stands for indulgence at its best and a welcoming experience at a great location: right next to Amsterdam CS with a unique view of the IJ. The owner did a great job of reviving the characteristic ambiance of the modern and atmospheric grand café, which is located in a beautiful historic building on the IJ. The name says it, the building was built in 1884, the same year in which France completed the Statue of Liberty and gifted it to the United States. The statue symbolises freedom and is a sign of welcome for everyone: Americans returning home, visitors and immigrants. Hostess Judith and her team strive to give their guests the same warm welcome to ensure their guests enjoy their time at the café and keep coming back.
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Grand Café 1884 De Ruijterkade 105 +31(0)20 846 74 18 www.grandcafe1884.nl
History of the building The building ‘De Zeevaart’ was designed by the Friesian architect IJme Gerardus Bijvoets Gzn. (1837-1901), who registered in Amsterdam in 1866 as an architect. ‘De Zeevaart’ was a mixed-use building where people worked and lived. On the ground floor there was a depot with a workshop and a well-insulated ice cellar where ice was stored in the winter so meat and fish could be stored longer in the other seasons. On the ground floor there was a depot with a workshop. In 1924, ‘De Zeevaart’ was bought by the Shipping and Coal Company who transformed the building into offices. In later years, the ground floor served, among other things, as a garage, workshop, travel agent, café/restaurant and bicycle repair shop. And in 2017 Grand Café 1884 was opened.
Based on guest reviews, Grand Cafe 1884 was chosen as one of the winners during National Restaurant Week 2018.
Smoked salmon with pickled vegetables, cream of cauliflower, lime mayonnaise and black olive crumbs Smoked salmon: • 1 side of salmon about 1,200 gr • 300 gr brown sugar • 600 gr coarse sea salt • 100 gr smoking chips Lime mayonnaise: • 40 gr egg whites • 45 gr yoghurt • 25 gr lime juice • 30 gr rice vinegar • 375 gr sunflower oil Pickled vegetables: • 200 gr sugar • 200 gr white vinegar • 200 ml water • 1 chili pepper • 30 gr ginger • 1 stalk of lemongrass • 1 cucumber • 1 chioggia beet • 1 yellow beet Black olive crumbs: • 200 gr olives Cauliflower cream: • 400 gr cauliflower • 10 gr lemon juice • 40 gr butter
Preparation: Smoked salmon: Brine the skinless side of the salmon with sea salt and brown sugar. Refrigerate for 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove the salmon from the refrigerator and carefully rinse and dry it. Smoke the salmon cold so it doesn’t cook. Cut the salmon into thin slices. Lime mayonnaise: Mix the egg white, yoghurt, lime juice and rice vinegar with a whisk or mixer until all ingredients are well combined. Mix in the sunflower oil drop by drop. Pickled vegetables: Bring the sugar, vinegar, water, ginger, lemongrass and chili pepper to a boil in a pan, then strain the spices from the pickling liquid and put half the liquid in the refrigerator. Cut the beets into thin slices and cook them for 2 minutes in the pickling liquid. Start with the yellow beets and then add the chiogga beets. Use an apple corer to make rings. Use a Parisian scoop to make cucumber balls and marinate them in the cold pickling liquid. Black olive crumbs: Pit the olives and dry them in a 90 degree oven for 3 hours. Chop the olives in a food chopper. Dry the crumbs in an 80 degree oven until crispy. Cauliflower cream: Chop the cauliflower into big pieces and cook for 10 minutes in a pot with water and lemon juice with the lid on. Drain the cauliflower and let it cool down in a colander. Finely chop the cauliflower in a kitchen machine and add the butter. Presentation: Serve on a round plate. Use a squeeze bottle or piping bag to drizzle the cauliflower cream around the plate. Place the pickled vegetables against the cauliflower and lime mayonnaise. Place the salmon in the middle of the plate and scatter the olive crumbs around it.
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Covered and free space for 1,600 bicycles!
ODE to cyclists
The new underground bicycle parking facility on Oosterdokseiland in the basement between the Albert Heijn supermarket and TrainMore opened in January 2018. The parking facility provides space for approximately 1,600 bicycles and was officially opened in the winter by Boudewijn Oranje, chairman of the board of the Centrum executive committee of the city of Amsterdam. Cyclists can now easily store their bicycles for free in a dry place. The parking facility is guarded and accessible around the clock. The city of Amsterdam and the area developer of the new building on Oosterdokseiland had previously agreed to increase the number of bicycle parking spaces on Oosterdokseiland to 2,500 to reduce the number of bicycles in the public space. Nine hundred parking spaces had already been built underneath the
MacBike, the oldest bike rental company in Amsterdam opened a new branch in the parking facility. With the Public Bike partner programme, hotels, museums, companies, festivals and event agencies can offer their guests and employees a MacBike bike to explore Amsterdam or to get around quickly and easily.
Contractor Smits Bouwbedrijf built the bicycle parking facility on behalf of BPD Ontwikkeling, which remains the owner of the new parking facility. Vervoerregio Amsterdam contributed to the building of the bicycle parking facility in the form of a subsidy.
public library (OBA). Since the completion of the new underground and public bicycle parking facilities, the individual bike racks along Oosterdokskade have been removed by Stadsdeel Centrum, creating additional walking space on the island, a better view of Oosterdok and more space to dwell. Stadsdeel Centrum used ‘bicycle coaches’ to actively inform cyclists of the new underground parking facility in order to stimulate its use.
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This modern underground parking facility has an automatic wheel ramp with a ‘tyre-cleaning function’ and VelowUp! bicycle racks.
Rederij Lampedusa is an initiative of artist Teun Castelein. Rederij Lampedusa was established in collaboration with Lauren Dyer, Abebe Kaysay Beyene, Fix & Foxy Theater, Zep Theater Productions, Het Invindersgilde and Mediamatic and made possible by The Art of Impact, Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, Danish Art Foundation and the Italian Republic.
Rederij Lampedusa
refugee boat in pleasure boating Amsterdam has a new shipping company: Rederij Lampedusa, in Mediamatic’s marina. The shipping company’s fleet consists of two North-African boats that refugees used to cross the Mediterranean to Lampedusa. The boats are special gifts from the Italian authorities. Rederij Lampedusa organises alternative tours and cruises in and around Amsterdam. You can choose between a canal cruise during which the captains – a colourful crew from the Netherlands, Syria, Ethiopia and Eritrea – talk about how immigration has shaped the city, and the Friday cruise on Meneer Vrijdag. The home base of the project and the boats’ home port is Mediamatic, Dijksgracht 6. This is where each cruise starts and ends. Canal tour During summer, the canal cruise will depart every Saturday at 11.00 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. The crew will tell stories of immigrants past and present. For example, how newcomers have shaped Amsterdam for centuries – and still do
today – and how important the city’s open and tolerant attitude is to its future. Because without immigrants Amsterdam would simply not and could not exist. Become a friend Rederij Lampedusa sails with a mission. The mission is to improve the perception of newcomers and facilitate the integration process.
In order to continue our mission, we are looking for friends who would like to support our initiative. Friends that keep the boats afloat. Interested in becoming a friend? Email or call and ask for Mohammed. The contact information is on the website. Mohammed will explain in detail what the benefits are of our friend programme. www.rederijlampedusa.nl
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“ I came to check out the Maritime Museum, but have been sitting here all morning drinking coffee and watching the world go by. It reminds me of home in New York, but without all the noise!”
insta ODE
This place is very dynamic. My family and I love it. The view is great and the people are so friendly! Luther Thompson, a pastor in New York Javid from Mexico is on vacation with his family
‘I live in Amsterdam and Floor lives in Haarlem and we are students at UVA University. We just caught up with each other at Hannekes Boom and wanted to go for a tour on the water. The architecture here is beautiful. A nice combination of old and new.’
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Billie and Floor study at UVA, University of Amsterdam
‘We like coming to Oosterdokseiland during exam time to study together and drink coffee. We usually go to the OBA, but today we chose the Coffee Company.’ Juliette and Moira are in high school
Rogier and Luc work on Oosterdokseiland at &samhoud
Today is my first day of work at &samhoud. Rogier is showing me around. So far, so good. Oosterdokseiland is very lively, everyone is going somewhere. It’s vibrant!
‘I really like how Oosterdoksstraat is so different from Oosterdokskade.
Marcia Portier, project manager at OBA public library
Oosterdoksstraat is still very quiet and non-touristy compared with Oosterdokskade. One side has a lot of sun, the other a lot of shade. I like that contrast.’
Dave from Hannover, one day in Amsterdam
I’m from Hannover and visiting my girlfriend in Amsterdam. My train leaves in two hours so I am just relaxing here by the water. Cool place, totally different from the city centre. Very modern.
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Amsterdam’s public workshop Create, test, apply. Those are the key words at the Marineterrein. Because continuing to do this is the best way of preparing yourself for the future, says Liesbeth Jansen, director of Bureau Marineterrein Amsterdam. Once upon a time, the VOC war ships slipped off the shipyard and the ‘camel’ was invented. The camel enabled ships to sail through shallow water. Yes, innovation has always been the strength of the Marineterrein. Liesbeth Jansen knows this like no other. Understanding the identity of this special place was the first thing she did when she started her job as director. ‘I started by looking for the area’s DNA and soon ended up with create, test and apply because that’s what’s been happening here for centuries.’ Jansen suggested continuing to build on that DNA, because creating, learning and applying are also very important skills in the 21st century.
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‘That’s why the Marineterrein strengthens the innovative economy. This is the criterion on which we selected the first generation of startups that established themselves here. Startups that work on innovative solutions to climate change as well as startups that do research into virtual reality or new forms of mobility such as autonomous boats. Summer Camp Oosterdok Jansen did have one condition: the research projects at the Marineterrein, for example, those involving water, living, mobility and health, must be open to the public. ‘What happens here has to add value to society. Everyone must benefit. We are not an ivory tower, we want to connect with our environment.’ In the meantime, the world is changing faster and faster, she says. Which is why it’s important that young and old continue to learn how best to deal with it.
‘How do you process all of the new technological knowledge, how do you acquire new digital skills? It doesn’t happen by itself, you have to be trained. That’s why new ways of learning are the foundation of everything we do here. Because continuing to learn is the best way of preparing yourself for the future.’ Summer Camp Oosterdok, which will take place this year (23 to 26 July 2018) at the Marineterrein, is a great example of this. ‘That’s four days of technology, games, discovery and sports for youths aged 12 to 15. You can learn how to programme, do 3D printing, make games and create your own fashion using new ways of working. Youths learn about the skills of the future in a safe and fun way.’ A lot of institutions and companies around Oosterdok will be taking part. ‘Employees of NEMO and the National Maritime Museum will be giving workshops, and youths will be offered breakfast at companies such as TomTom. It’s a playful way for them to become acquainted with the world of high-tech.
CODAM On 1 September 2018, two new renters will be moving into the Marineterrein: the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions (AMS) and Coding College Amsterdam (CODAM). AMS offers a post-graduate course for research and solutions to metropolitan issues in the area of mobility, climate, water and renewable energy. ‘It fits in perfectly with our goals.’ At CODAM, young adults aged 18 to 30 can following a programming course without having to have any preliminary training, for free. ‘The special thing about CODAM is that it’s peer-to-peer learning without teachers. Young adults learn from each other, as well as through internships and teaching commitments. These are also new ways of learning that prepare youths for the future.’ Jansen follows the developments at Oosterdok very closely. She is co-initiator of Expeditie Oosterdok [see article elsewhere in the ODE magazine]. ‘The people at Oosterdok mainly looked westward, towards the city centre. It made sense; the Marineterrein was a closed area. But that has since changed. More and more people living and working on Oosterdok are finding their way to the Marineterrein, for example, to do sports. We have a fitness garden and you can run around Oosterdok. The loop is currently 2.2 km but when the area is finished, it will be extended to 5 km. I’m confident that a lot of Oosterdok’s athletes will come our way. We’ll be here to welcome them.’
‘Creating, testing and applying ideas is part of the area’s DNA.’
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ODE to the builders
2,300,000 man hours – 450 workers on the construction site at peak times – 5 tower cranes – 1100 piles
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51,000 m3 of concrete – 6,000 tons of steel construction – 40,000 m pipework – 100,000 m 230V cable
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ERIC VÖKEL AMSTERDAM SUITES The Dane Eric Vökel has a huge passion for architecture and design, Mediterranean lifestyle and travelling. He has brought these passions together in his unique flats: Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments. Following projects in Barcelona and Madrid, Vökel opened an apartment building in Amsterdam in 2016: Eric Vökel Amsterdam Suites, on De Ruijterkade 127. Each of the apartments was designed and furnished by the Dane himself. Vökel combines the functionality of Scandinavian design with Mediterranean creativity and spontaneity. Why be happy with a hotel room when you can have a whole apartment? That’s the thought behind Vökel’s concept. More space and the ability to cook if you want to. But also the service and facilities of a hotel. All of Eric Vökel’s buildings have a front desk for personal service, you can book a free breakfast kit, and in ‘Eric’s Corner’ you’ll find free coffee, tea and dishwashing liquid or tablets. Eric Vökel Amsterdam Suites are on De Ruijterkade on the quiet side of Oosterdokseiland a stone’s throw away from Centraal Station and the city centre. The designer apartments have 1 to 3 rooms and a beautiful view of IJ. WWW.ERICVOKEL.COM
ODE neighbours DE PLANCKEN VLOER De Plancken Vloer on De Ruijterkade 107 is a familyowned business that specialises in wooden floors. ‘We sell wood; that’s what we’re good at. We don’t sell laminate, just wood, that’s our thing,’ says Greet Bal, who started the company 25 years ago with her husband. De Plancken Vloer opened 20 years ago in Amsterdam where most of its customers are from. They also do repairs for insurance companies. In a year, their son Jan Jr will be taking over the business. ‘But I’ll still be around; I’ll miss it too much otherwise. I have only one hobby and it’s work,’ says Greet. She will also miss the great location on the IJ. ‘It’s great here. I hear that a lot from customers too. We have a quiet and cosy showroom. It’s literally our second home and the view is beautiful. The whole area has improved by the way. Twenty years ago prostitutes paraded in front of the door; it’s different now. Only the signage could be better because De Ruijterkade is really hard to find. Even for people with a satnav, and that with TomTom right around the corner.’ WWW.DEPLANCKENVLOER.NL
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STARBIKES RENTAL What better way to see Amsterdam than…on a bicycle?! You can hire a bike from Starbikes Rental, next to Centraal Station on De Ruijterkade 143. A nice, quiet place according to owner Linda Pluimers, who started the company 13 years ago. ‘It’s easy to cycle into town from here, as well as to Broek in Waterland or the recreational area Het Twiske. Our advantage is that we’re in a quiet area. People who want to practise before they head out really like that.’ Starbikes Rental doesn’t only hire traditional granny bikes (Sparta granny), but it is also one of the few companies to hire adapted bikes and wheelchairs for the disabled. ‘They’re a lot more work than normal bikes, but they bring so much joy and people are so thankful,’ says Linda. ‘We’re even increasing our inventory.’ In addition to hiring bikes, Starbikes Rental also serves coffee, soup, smoothies and even Australian burgers. A lot of the local employees know how to find Starbikes’ lunchroom. ‘Someone recently called it the “decompression room”. Because it really is a place where you can sit back and relax.’ WWW.STARBIKESRENTAL.COM
The face of ODE
2nd half of 2018
ODE agenda 1-5 august 2018
Traffic controller Marlon Proeger Traffic controllers are often used to direct traffic during work along through and public roads. Like at the construction site at Oosterdok. Competent traffic controllers make sure (construction) traffic flows smoothly and safely so that road users, residents and the occasional passer-by are inconvenienced as little as possible. Marlon is one of these traffic controllers. He is the regular face at the entry gates to the construction site and Villa ODE on De Ruijterkade/Oosterdokskade. ‘Strict and yet fair’ is how he does his job and always greets visitors and passers-by with a smile. He has that same smile when he talks about his job: ‘I like being here. No two days or situations are the same and I see a lot of different people. But also a lot of the same people. They recognise me and greet me. That’s what makes my job nice.’ Did you know? Traffic controllers have legal authority. You are obliged to follow their instructions. To guarantee the quality of the traffic controllers, the government put laws in place that regulate their training, employment, certification and equipment.
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july
t/m 5
august
24-26 august
29 tot 20
november january ’19
2018 2019
top tip!
Dekmantel Festival MUZIE KGE BOUW A AN ‘T IJ
Amsterdam Gay Pride 2018 A MSTER DA M C ITY C EN TER
Uitmarkt O OSTER DO KS EILA N D
Amsterdam Light Festival ROU TE A LO NG O OSTER DO KSEILA N D
Haeckel scavenger hunt STA RT: MEDIA MATIC
Canal Parade 2018 SATER DAY 4 AUGUST F RO M 1 2. 3 0 A . M. TO 5. 0 0 P. M.
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Small island, great place
oosterdokseiland.nl