IMPROVISED HOMES IN AMSTERDAM INDUSTRIAL SQUATS

© DAVID CARR-SMITH 2005 : all images & text are copyrighted - please accredit text quotes - image reproduction must be negotiated via dave@artinst.entadsl.com

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BOOK: DAVID CARR-SMITH - IMPROVISED ARCHITECTURE IN AMSTERDAM INDUSTRIAL SQUATS & COLLECTIVES

"TETTERODE" SQUAT 1981-/COLLECTIVE 1986 to-- - p9(of 13)

RESIDENTIAL DOMAINS - BILDERDIJKSTRAAT BUILDINGS

< TETTERODE - p1: INTRODUCTION <
< TETTERODE - p2: PUBLIC-USE & WORK-SPACES <

< TETTERODE - p2-1: RESIDENTIAL DOMAINS <

< TETTERODE - p3: DACOSTAKADE BUILDINGS: MERKELBACH & HARTCAMP <

< TETTERODE - p4: DACOSTAKADE: MERKELBACH APTS <

< TETTERODE - p5: DACOSTAKADE: MERKELBACH APTS <

< TETTERODE - p5-1: DACOSTAKADE: MERKELBACH APTS <

< TETTERODE - p6: DACOSTAKADE: MERKELBACH APTS <

< TETTERODE - p7: DACOSTAKADE: HARTCAMP APTS <

< TETTERODE - p7-1: DACOSTAKADE: HARTCAMP APTS <

< TETTERODE - p8: DACOSTAKADE: HARTCAMP APTS <

< TETTERODE - p8-1: DACOSTAKADE: HARTCAMP APTS <

< TETTERODE - p8-2: DACOSTAKADE: HARTCAMP APTS <

TETTERODE - p9: BILDERDIJKSTRAAT BUILDINGS

> TETTERODE - p10: BILDERDIJKSTRAAT APTS >

> TETTERODE - p11: BILDERDIJKSTRAAT APTS >

> TETTERODE - p12: BILDERDIJKSTRAAT APTS >

> TETTERODE - p13: BILDERDIJKSTRAAT APTS >

THE BILDERDIJKSTRAAT BUILDINGS [bd: bd/bdN] .... in process

Building/Floor Location Codes (NB: these differ somewhat from those used by the Tetterode Vereniging):
dc = Dacostakade block - two buildings: mb = Dacostakade's Merkelbach building / hc = Dacostakade's Hartcamp building
Floor Levels are numbered from the ground up: L0, L1, L2; from the ground down: L01, , .
Additional code: e = entresol ( an intermediate-floor, a ‘½’ as it were), S = south / N = north (eg: 'bd-L1/eS' & 'bd-L1/eN' = the Bilderdijk building's south & north Entresols) // lm = "Lettermagazijn" (eg: 'bd-L1/elm' - an intermediate-floor enclave on the bd building's E side).

[written: late-2006 to 08]

The second large Tetterode block bounds the western side of the site, opening onto the busy Bilderdijkstraat; it includes six of Tetterode's most physically and socially various enclaves of living-/working-spaces.

The larger portion of the Bilderdijk block is Tetterode's oldest building (Hartcamp's 'model factory' built in 1901 and 1906 and added to and elaborated in 1921). Soon before 1908 a narrower building was added - a conventional housing block with street-level offices - that extended the old Bilderdijk street front to the north by another three bays. Its upper levels - probably originally occupied by Tetterode employees - are conventional private city apartments unconnected to Tetterode, however its street-level and part of its 1st-floor is occupied by the Tetterode Collective and constitutes an enclave of two live-work spaces and three studios: the "Woongroep". (NB: When I was recording Tetterode in the 1990s I was not able to access this enclave (nor the N-end workshops and kindergarten that backs it) - thus the info and pictures all date from 2006/08 and later.)

The old building has five enclaves of living-spaces. In the top half are two main floors spanning its 22m width; each a single 'village-like' enclave, larger than any on the Dacostakede side. The centre of the lower floor [bd-L2] (for convenience I call it the 'Glazed-Court') rises through the floor above to a glazed roof. Once open to the building's outer windows, this roof-lit centre is now walled with the facades of apts - a type of 'village square', and the floor above [bd-L3] is now a complex of apts grouped around this central light-well.

Below these levels the old building is divided along its centre and asymmetrical in cross-section. On the street side the four centre bays are occupied by the full-height 6.5m volume of the Ashenbach Gallery (once the Company's Showroom); to its north and south the height is split, and over a cafe, shop, hairdresser, and various entrances to Tetterode, are low "Entresol" apt floors [bd-L1/eS] and [bd-L1/eN] with 'domestically normal' 2m high rooms - indeed they were living-spaces for factory staff. On the inner Courtyard side the block is mainly divided into 2 levels: a large semi-basement rented by the "de Trut" night-club, and over it the "Lettermagazijn" (the type-foundry's 'letter-store') [bd-L1/elm], now an enclave of 3 magnificent living spaces and their shared kitchen; to the north of the Lettermagazijn the double-height pillared volume of the grand Company reception-hall [1] fills the rest of this old Bilderdijk block, but now hardly connects with it [2][3].

Foot-Note :

Now this hall is simply a voluminous portion of a corridor that cuts across the whole width of Tetterode from west to east - from the Bilderdijkstraat Co. entrance [165B] to the Dacostakade residential entry [158]. A place where - in a corridor-directed journey across the site - one is becalmed in a sudden huge dark silent space, and must rediscover ones direction to the noisy street!

Though this is part of one of Tetterode's two main circulation routes, and though the Company's main entry and reception-hall occupies a portion of the Bilderdijk block, it offers no direct access to Bilderdijk's enclaves and apts, and is therefore shown only on the Tetterode Introduction page [TET-1 INTRO].
Only the street-front Art Gallery can (redundantly) access this vast and empty hall through its 'back-door' (once the Company's admin entry into its street-front Showroom).

BILDERDIJK NORTH & OLD BUILDINGS: W-FACADE

(pic 17-4-08 / to EES)

Unlike the Da Costakade side where the Tetterode Collective is presented in the simple form of two large joined buildings ...on the Bilderdijk side the Collective spreads through a medly of four adjacent buildings. At the south end the original Tetterode factory block is fully occupied. Its 3-arched office and residential extension to the north (added by the Company shortly before 1908) and the two adjacent office/residential buildings [left of pic], are only partly occupied by the Collective: a small live/work enclave (Bilderdijk's sixth) extends through their ground-level offices plus the first-level of the two north-end buildings.

BILDERDIJK OLD BUILDING: W-FACADE

(pic 9-95 / to NE)

The Bilderdijk old building's ground level street front is given over to shops, cafe, art gallery; an entry to a night-club in its east-side semi-basement, and 3 entries into the Collective.
At each end of its facade a row of small L1 windows indicate the shallow entresol floors.

The two upper big-windowed levels [L2 / L3] are Bilderdijk's most populous floors.

BILDERDIJK OLD BUILDING: E-FACADE

(pic 19-4-08 / to SW)

Bilderdijk's courtyard facade and its two bridges to Dacostakade (from the Merkelbach roof).

The lowest level walls a semi-basement used by an external night-club.

The first row of windows belong to bd-L1/lm enclave [the "Lettermagazijn"].

The second row of windows belong to bd-L2 enclave [the 'Glazed-Court'].

The top row of windows belong to bd-L3 enclave.


BILDERDIJK NORTH BUILDINGS: E-FACADE (pic 19-4-08 / to W) The N-end workshops and Kindergarten join with this pre-1908 Bilderdijk-north building at its lowest levels; its upper floors are now private flats. Its street-level and entresol former offices were squatted in 1988/89 [Ref: bdN buildings and "Woongroep" enclave]	BILDERDIJK OLD BUILDING (bd) (Architect-Drawing: 19## / Section WWS to EEN) This is a section through the old building's central 4 bays - here its west street-level half is a single full-height volume and its east half is horizontally divided. Summary: L0 west-half (left): Art Gallery or large shop. L0 east-half (right) semi-basement: night-club "De Trut". L1 east-half (right) entresol: "Lettermagazijn" enclave. L2: enclave 'Glazed-Court' (with roof-lit centre). L3: enclave (surrounds L2 light-well) Note: North and south of its four centre bays the building's west half includes shallow L1 entresol floors, but its east half is more complex: north of centre is the Company's full height entry-hall, south is a clutch of L1 rooms [presently included in the "South Entresol" enclave].	BILDERDIJK NORTH BUILDING (bdN) (Architect-Drawing: 19## / Section WWS to EEN) This is a section through the Company's pre-1908 north-extension office/apartment building. Its 4 upper levels were homes for Tetterode workers and are now completely seperate from the Collective. Its lower portion was occupied by members of the Collective in 1988/89. This cross-section cuts through the northmost of its three street-front office-spaces, the central corridor, and (what is now) the enclave's double-height display/store-space with its rear projection into the N-end workshop zone.

BILDERDIJK NORTH & OLD BUILDINGS: PLAN - LEVEL 0 (GROUND) (Architect-Drawing 1986 / top is EEN) ... in process [all plans 237K]	BILDERDIJK NORTH & OLD BUILDINGS: PLAN - LEVEL 1 ("ENTRESOLS") (Architect-Drawing 1986 / top is EEN) ... in process [all plans 237K]	BILDERDIJK OLD BUILDING: PLAN - LEVEL 2 (Architect-Drawing 1986 / top is EEN) ... in process [all plans 237K]

BILDERDIJK OLD BUILDING: PLAN - LEVEL 3 (Architect-Drawing 1986 / top is EEN) ... in process [all plans 237K]

BILDERDIJK BUILDINGS' ACCESS AND CIRCULATION ... in process [add bdN]

Tetterode's Bilderdijk old building is complex - after Dacostakade's central access to standardised stacked floors it can seem a frustrating maze terminated by locked enclaves with no bells. One may reach the apartment levels through various routes from inside and outside Tetterode. Both upper floors have three entrances: stairs at each end, and (the most visible and energetic route) access via the two bridges from Dacostakade's central stair. Visiting the beautiful "Lettermagazijn" is a special problem - its entrances are especially hidden; as is the "South Entresol" enclave, concealed by the ordinariness of a common little 'single-apt-like' entry-door. There are also two 'free-floating' apts independent of enclaves.

In this section we enter Bilderdijk via its south (167) and north (163) street doors [1] and follow its south and north stairs to all its living-space locations [Ref: Tetterode Entrances]. We then cross its two bridges, which are single-destination 'cul-de-sacs' branching from the 'trunk' of the Dacostakade central stair and terminating, if one can access their locked doors, inside Bilderdijk's L2 and L3 enclaves.

Foot-Note :

The old Bilderdijk block's middle street door 165B [Ref: Tetterode Entrances] was the Tetterode Company's 1921 entry into its grand reception-hall, ante-space to its admin and directorate's offices, etc.. This is now a strange becalmed functionless space, a vastly swollen portion of a passage that crosses the entire site from Bilderdijkstraat to Dacostakade, serving north-end workspaces, the rear exits of Courtyard and Merkelbach workshops, and linking Tetterode's two street fronts and potentially all its inner locations. Since however, it provides no immediate ingress to the interior of the old Bilderdijk block it is shown in the Tetterode Introduction rather than here [Ref: TET- INTRO]

STREET ENTRY 167 AND OLD BUILDING'S SOUTH-STAIR


BILDERDIJK ENTRY 167 & PASSAGE TO THE SOUTH-STAIR & COURTYARD (pic 9-93 / to WWS) This is a residents entry to the S-stair that serves all Bilderdijk's living-space locations (except the "North-Entresol" apt). This passage cuts a straight slot through the building's width from street to Tetterode's Courtyard; narrowed for most of its length by a board 'box' that isolates a public entry (165E) to the night-club "De Trut". Looking back towards the Bilderdijkstraat door from near the Courtyard end. The entry to the S-stair is on the left.	BILDERDIJK ENTRY 167 PASSAGE TO THE COURTYARD WITH SOUTH-STAIR ENTRY (pic 27-10-06 / to E) After the 200# clean-up and repaint. The S-passage east-end exit to the Courtyard and the entry to the S-stair.	BILDERDIJK S-STAIR: L1 LANDING WITH THE "SOUTH-ENTRESOL" ENTRY (pic 27-10-06 / to SW) After the 200# clean-up and repaint. Inside the S-Entresol's hallway is the Lettermagazijn's locked south entry.

BILDERDIJK S-STAIR: L1 TO L2 HALF-LANDING WALL (pic 8-93 / to NW) Tetterode was re-piped for gas in 19## - there was dissatisfaction.	BILDERDIJK S-STAIR: L2 LANDING (pic 8-90 / to WWS) Up to L2 landing where on the left is a door to an isolated apt, then a door to Tetterode's radio-station; on the right (beyond the cupboard) is the s-entry into the 'Glazed-Court' enclave. Rising at the rear is the stair to the L3 enclave.	BILDERDIJK S-STAIR: L2 TO L3 HALF-LANDING (pic 27-10-06 / to EEN) After the 200# clean-up and repaint. View down to bd-L2 and up to bd-L3.

BILDERDIJK S-STAIR: L2 TO L3 HALF-LANDING (pic 27-10-06 / to EEN) After the 200# clean-up and repaint. View up to bd-L3 south entry-door in its glazed enclosure

STREET ENTRY 163 - TO THE OLD BUILDING'S NORTH-STAIR AND THE bdN "WOONGROEP" ENCLAVE


BILDERDIJK ENTRY 163: ENTRY DOOR WINDOW (vid-frame 8-93 / to WWS) Street-view throught the round window of the recon door.	BILDERDIJK ENTRY 163: PASSAGE TO THE NORTH-STAIR (vid-frame 8-93 / to EEN) The most northerly of the old building's Bilderdijkstraat doors opens onto this initially straight, then tortuous, dark and encumbered passage, that via 3 tight right-angles plus a second door reaches the Old Building's N-stair.	BILDERDIJK ENTRY 163: PASSAGE TO THE OLD BUILDING NORTH-STAIR & THE "WOONGROEP" ENCLAVE ENTRY (vid-frame 8-93 / to EEN) The door on the left opens into the adjoining north enclave, that occupies the lower part of Bilderdijk's north extension apartment-building [recorded in 2008 etc].

BILDERDIJK ENTRY 163: PASSAGE TO THE NORTH-STAIR (vid-frame 8-93 / to EEN) "IS THE DOOR SHUT?" - a common warning near external doors.	BILDERDIJK ENTRY 163: PASSAGE TO THE NORTH-STAIR - STAIR-ENTRY DOOR (vid-frame 8-93 / to EES) Squeezed in a short cul-de-sac arm of the passage a glazed door offers a possibility of spatial release, an escape from dark tunneling. Opened, it offers a tiny dirty stair lobby.	BILDERDIJK N-STAIR LOBBY: L0 (paste-up: x2 vid-frames 8-93 / to NE) The little lobby of the N-stair where some recent 'decor-improvement' is in progress. The addition of an ironic image casually 'enlarging' a location is a feature of the N-stair - here the space/scale shock of a construction-site photo opens a vast illusory pit at the floor's edge.

BILDERDIJK N-STAIR: L0 (vid-frame 8-93 / to NNW) The awkward squeezing continues as one enters the stair - spatial relief seems possible only when one rounds the corner and sees the stair-ramp to the upper light! In fact the stair continues confined narrow and zigzagging. Only if one enters an enclave does the space expand (though crowded with apts that block all outside views). Unlike Dacostakade with its big-windowed stair, flying-bridges, penthouse terraces, little 'lookout-room' and easy access to the roofs, the common-spaces of Bilderdijk look inwards and only living-spaces see outside the building.	BILDERDIJK N-STAIR: L0-1 (vid-frame 8-93 / to )	BILDERDIJK N-STAIR: L0-1-2 (vid-frame 8-93 / to SSE)

BILDERDIJK N-STAIR: L1-2 (vid-frame 8-93 / to SSE) Small signs of domesticity appear outside the "N-Entresol" apt's entry.	BILDERDIJK N-STAIR: L1 (vid-frame 8-93 / to S)	BILDERDIJK N-STAIR: L1-2 (vid-frame 8-93 / to S)

BILDERDIJK N-STAIR: L2 to L3 (vid-frame 8-93 / to S)	BILDERDIJK N-STAIR: L2 'GLAZED-COURT' NORTH-DOOR (vid-frame 8-93 / to S)	BILDERDIJK N-STAIR: L2-3 HALF-LANDING (pic 8-93 / to N)

BILDERDIJK N-STAIR: L3 LANDING AND STAIR TO bd ROOF (pic 8-93 / to NW) Arrival at the final living-level is signed by a huge 'collage/portrait' facing the L3 enclave's S-entry (here seen through the open N-door of the enclave). The stair continues (almost as a ladder!) to the bd roof.

BRIDGES FROM DACOSTAKADE L2 AND L3 TO THE OLD BUILDING


BILDERDIJK L2 BRIDGE TO bd-L2 ENCLAVE ('GLAZED-COURT') (vid-frame 8-93 / to WWS) Entry to the lower bridge from Dacostacade's centre stair L2 landing.	BILDERDIJK L2 BRIDGE TO bd-L2 ENCLAVE ('GLAZED-COURT') (pic 12-4-06 / to WWS) After the 200# clean-up and repaint.	BILDERDIJK L2 BRIDGE TO bd-L2 ENCLAVE ('GLAZED-COURT') (vid-frame 8-93 / to WWS)

BILDERDIJK L2 BRIDGE TO bd-L2 ENCLAVE ('GLAZED-COURT') - ENCLAVE ENTRY-DOORS (vid-frame 8-93 / to WWS)

BILDERDIJK L3 BRIDGE TO bd-L3 ENCLAVE (vid-frame 8-93 / to WWS) From near the east-end of the upper bridge.	BILDERDIJK L3 BRIDGE TO bd-L3 ENCLAVE (vid-frame 8-93 / to SW)	BILDERDIJK L3 BRIDGE TO bd-L3 ENCLAVE (vid-frame 8-93 / to WWS)

The following four pages will show 6 enclaves and 2 independent apartments, comprising 27 of Bilderdijk's living-/work-spaces.

bd-L1/lm - the "LETTERMAGAZIJN" enclave.
bd-L1/eS - the "SOUTH-ENTRESOL" enclave.
bd-L1/eN - the "NORTH-ENTRESOL" - an independent large apt.
bd-L2 - an independent apt and the 'GLAZED-COURT' enclave.
bd-L3 - enclave
bdN-L0+L1 - "the WOONGROEP" enclave

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