Designing the SocialDesigning the Social

This large harbour complex, squatted for more than 20 years, has been transformed into a thriving, alternative free-zone and was home to more than 100 people.

The Amsterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij shipbuilding company was located in a large harbour west of Amsterdam. The site included an office building, a large warehouse and two piers. After the company's bankruptcy, the site was first squatted in 1987 and soon became home to about 100 residents and many creative businesses. In 1993 the site's inhabitants were evicted, yet it became a squat again after lying vacant for several years. However, due to the problematic relationship between the city and the new owner, an infamous real estate tycoon, ADM's occupants were never evicted.

After the owner's assassination in 2003, his heirs showed little interest in the property, allowing ADM to develop into one of the most important squats in Amsterdam. The occupants erected dozens of self-built homes and multipurpose structures and regularly organised free-spirited festivals, providing fresh impetus for new structures and developments on each occasion. In 2015, the owner's heirs began proceedings to clear the squat. ADM won multiple court cases, but the tide turned in 2018, resulting in their eviction in early 2019. Many of the more than 125 residents ended up at the 'Slibvelden' in Amsterdam-Noord, where they have continued their way of living and cultural activities but with no prospect of permanent residence.

Function: A large office building with a multifunctional space (stage, restaurant, bar) and diverse residential spaces, a large hangar, Suwanne's Clit Club open-air bar, many self-built houses, a variety of houseboats, and several multifunctional structures used mostly as festival stages.