In this video, you stand with Bob Maas at Uilenburg Island, at a spot where two narrow streets once stood. In the early 20th century, they were notoriously bad condition.

Uilenburg Shul

“If you stand here behind the Uilenburgersjoel,” says Bob Maas, “you can see that some of the buildings are not on the same building line as the rest. That's because they were built on the line of streets that no longer exist: the Uilenburgerstraat and the Bataviadwarsstraat.”

In the early 20th century, this part of the city was in poor condition. Dilapidated houses, narrow alleys and poor facilities dominated the streetscape. The neighbourhood was known to be unhealthy and unsafe.

Amsterdam's first urban renewal project

This changed with urban renewal in the 1980s. Uilenburgerstraat and Bataviadwarsstraat disappeared from the map, making way for new buildings and wider streets. It became Amsterdam's first official urban renewal project.

Amsterdam School in the streetscape

In the new building, much of the architecture is inspired by the Amsterdam School. This 1920s style is characterised by expressive brickwork, decorated facades and robust forms. ’Look at that old school building over there,“ Bob points out. ”Typical Amsterdam School: decorative and with great attention to detail.“

Although renovations later simplified much, the original shapes and lines are still clearly recognisable in some places.

In the previous episode, Bob talked about Amsterdam's first private power plant, located in the Krasnapolsky Hotel. Watch here episode 8!