t A’DAM Toren dominates the skyline of Noord and overlooks the river IJ
t A’DAM Toren dominates the skyline of Noord and overlooks the river IJ
Experience Noord
Shipbuilders seeking space to build steel-hulled vessels moved to the north shore of the IJ river in the early decades of the 20th century. In 1946, two of the largest naval engineering companies merged to create Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij (NDSM)– the world’s biggest shipbuilding yard. Assembling cargo ships and giant tankers for oil companies, NDSM prospered until the recession of the 1970s, when demand for its ships vanished. The company went out of business in 1984, and, in the 1990s, artists squatted in the abandoned buildings. Made cool by this artistic occupation, media and creative industries, including MTV Europe, moved north of the IJ and the former NDSM site is now the anchor of a district that is rapidly becoming an exciting new cultural hub. Nearby, the former Amsterdam headquarters of the Shell oil company – now known as A’DAM Toren – houses bars, restaurants and hotels with unparalleled views across the IJ.