Tuindorp Oostzaan
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tuindorp Oostzaan is a garden village in Amsterdam-North next to the NDSM wharf and has a lot of beautiful architecture from the Amsterdam School movement.
| Garden City Type: | Mixed (housing association / municipality / other) |
| Country: | Netherlands |
| City: | Amsterdam |
| Address: | Zonneplein and surrounding area |
| Years of construction: |
1919 Start construction 1924 Completion
|
| Initiator/client: | Gemeentelijke Woningdienst Amsterdam |
| Architect or related: |
Berend Boeyinga Berend Tobia Boeyinga (1886-1969) was a Dutch architect. Mainly known for his (Amsterdam School) churches, he also designed houses. Besides Tuindorp Oostzaan, he was also instrumental in the design of Vogeldorp and Tuindorp Nieuwendam. Berend Boeyinga on Platform Wendingen [in Dutch] |
| Heritage status: | Yes |
| General condition of Garden City: | Recently renovated |
General description
Tuindorp Oostzaan is a true garden village at the North bank of Amsterdam. It was one of the garden villages that was developed in Amsterdam-North between the first and second World Wars to alleviate the impoverished working-class neighborhoods in the city center. These garden villages, like Nieuwendam, Buiksloot, Volewijck, Vogeldorp and Disteldorp, are realised thanks to the social ideals of city councilers Floor Wibaut and Monne de Miranda, and the director of the Municipal Housing Service Amsterdam, Arie Keppler. They wanted to accommodate the growing group of workers from the new industries and shipbuilding on the north bank of the IJ close to their work, in order to avoid the need for an expensive connection between the city center and Amsterdam-North.
Architecture / Urban planning
After Berend Boeyinga's critical remarks about the quality of the expansions in Amsterdam North with Tuindorp Oostzaan that had started in 1920, Keppler invited him to work for the Municipal Housing Service. After his employment with the municipality in 1921, Boeyinga would put an explicit stamp on the plans of the housing service for this district.
The urban plan of Tuindorp Oostzaan was made by Boeyinga and J.H.(Jo) Mulder. They also designed Vogeldorp, Disteldorp, Tuindorp Nieuwendam and Floradorp. While Mulder was already working on the design of the first garden villages in Noord, Boeyinga was still working for Michel de Klerk as a construction supervisor at the second housing block on the Spaarndammerplantsoen. The buildings of Tuindorp Oostzaan are in style of the Amsterdam School, albeit in a rural variant.
Originally, about 1000 workers' houses were built for Tuindorp Oostzaan. In addition to developing the urban plan, Boeyinga also designed a number of residential blocks himself, including Zonneplein. Characteristic of the side streets are the gatehouses that span the streets. Necessary facilities such as schools and shops also had to be built in the new residential areas.
Zonneplein was the center of garden village Oostzaan. This is accentuated by adding an extra floor on the buildings at the square, which also creates full-fledged homes above the shops but also giving it a somewhat fortress-like appearance. The gate on the side of the Zonneweg reinforces this
Residents and the Community
Nowadays there is a fast ferry connection but Tuindorp Oostzaan has been (partly) self-contained and quite an isolated village for many years. Therefore the habitants of Tuindorp Oostzaan were a strong community and living in Tuindorp Oostzaan was a strong part of your identity!
Recent developments
The houses in Tuindorp Oostzaan are owned by housing corporations Ymere and Stadgenoot.
