project13:NDSM ECOSYSTEM
NDSM Ecosystem
The design project for the Msc1 studio hyperbody is situated in the northern part of Amsterdam, on the upper side of the IJ. This was also the area where the former NDSM Company was located. NDSM was a shipping wharf where ships where repaired and produced as well. Nowadays the remaining ramps and cranes remind of one of the largest shipyards in the world of its time. Besides the appearance and functions on the NDSM, the ecosystem also changed with the times. After the many warehouses in the area became empty and unused, it was an area where many artists found their salvation. The warehouses offered an opportunity for artists to retreat into their 'own' place, away from civilization.
People
Most artists are housed in the NDSM-warehouse, the Kunststad, and in the spaces below the ramps . Within these places many creative initiatives and collaborations raises. The popular creative atmosphere at the NDSM shipyard causes an increase of numbers of other profession groups conquering the area. The creative sector in the wharf has been a pioneer for further development of the NDSM and the establishment of headquarters of major companies such as MTV and Hema. These companies, for their part, contribute to further development of the NDSM by attracting more creative people. Besides the people who reside and work on the NDSM, passers are an important target group for the wharf (results from NDSM Development Research). On daily base thousands of people pass through the wharf as a connection to Amsterdam center or to the neighborhoods next to NDSM in Amsterdam-Noord. When having a look at the Research again we see all those people taking similar routes over the area. Besides the fact these passers sometimes drink or eat at NDSM, there is little or none interaction between the different target groups in the area. In addition, the various groups hardly know what the others are doing on NDSM.
Area
NDSM is noted for its characteristic area. As described previously the historic elements, such as warehouses, tramways and cranes, remember to the glorious past of the former company. The location of the area, the separation between water and land, also takes an important place in the perception of NDSM. Many old warehouses have been conquered by creative people, while the open spaces make room for new buildings, containing new businesses. All these elements together form the image for a creative ecosystem, which completes itself with new, modern components. The sentence “Noord used to be to Amsterdam what Australia used to be to England” (Keulemans, 2011) says enough about the previous situation of Amsterdam-Noord. Due to the poor accessibility of the district, Noord was not very popular in the rest of Amsterdam. Actually, Amsterdam-Noord is quite well comparable with Rotterdam-Zuid. Because of ever-better connection to the rest of the city, the development of the neglected part of the city constantly increases. These compounds also play an important role in the dependency on the surroundings. Within the creative sector itself the NDSM-area is self-contained. There are plenty of possibilities for inspiration and collaborations with other artists. External issues such as food and supplies are hardly not available at NDSM. In this way the area is dependent on Amsterdam-Noord, or even on the other side of the IJ.
Sources:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304569504576405690067730056.html#articleTabs%3Darticle
