Architecture of Appropriation
This large harbor complex, squatted for more than 20 years, has been transformed into a thriving, alternative free-zone, home to more than 100 people.
The Amsterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij, a shipbuilding company, once occupied a large harbor to the west of Amsterdam, including an office building, a large warehouse, and two piers. After the company's bankruptcy it was first squatted in 1987 and soon became home to about 100 squatters and many creative businesses. In 1993 the site's inhabitants were evicted, yet after lying vacant for several years it was squatted again. Due to the problematic relationship between the city and the new owner, the infamous real estate tycoon Bertus Lüske, ADM were never evicted.
After Lüske was assassinated in 2003 his heirs showed little interest in the property, allowing ADM to develop into one of the most important squats in Amsterdam. Dozens of self-built homes and multipurpose structures were erected giving shape to an alternative micro-society and a permaculture haven. Free-thinking festivals, among them the famous Robodock Festival, were periodically organized and attracted many people to the site, providing fresh impetus for new structures and developments on each occasion. Since 2015 the Lüske heirs have tried to clear the squat, and after ADM winning multiple court cases the tide turned in 2018, resulting in its eviction in early 2019.