allard architecture is very proud to have one of its buildings considered as part of the new culture boom in the IJ area of amsterdam, stated in the national newspaper, nrc next. the article, titled ‘culture bordering  Het IJ' presents 17 buildings in the area which are forming a new cultural backdrop to the city, including the 'nieuwe dakota', a project we collaborated in with Hugo Timmermans from Optic.

the banks of het IJ, which run along the north of amsterdam are undergoing a spectacular transformation. while the southern bank is nearing completion, the north end is excitedly seeing preparations for upcoming contractions. 200 projects of the area are brought forth sabine lebesque’s book ‘het IJ rondom’.

amsterdam’s abandoned buildings still house the administrators of other creative sectors, leaving stage set designers or fashion designers anonymous in the industry. however, more and more buildings are rising with cultural aspirations like the 'national maritime museum' and the new 'eye film museum', currently under construction.

up until the end of august, 'uitgeverij' is organizing a weekly cultural event called IJ-sunday, to visit a few of the area’s cultural landmarks, like the vibrantly coloured container student accommodation and 'de overkant', previously known as the 'storkterrein', which is now a new hub for creative and traditional entrepreneurs.