Fort Diemerdam

The Diemerdam Fortress is part of the ‘Stelling of Amsterdam’. This historical defence line was recently put on the UNESCO world heritage list. This ignited a re-development plan for Fort Diemerdam to make it accessible to visitors. The existing bunkers and fortress guardian house have been restored and the original plan of slopes and strongholds is restored. Emma architects has designed a new pavilion in which and from which puur produkties revives the fortress again with events, tours and catering.

Now, how to create something new in a place where it is fixed that the old is protected? Emma started looking for ways to simultaneously convey both an air of positive futurism, as well as a strong sense of the past. They found leads in the history of the fort and in the special landscape that surrounds her.

In and around the fort site the kringenwet (‘law of circles’) applied. This required that all buildings within the firing range of the guns must be constructed out of wood on a stone plinth of 60 cm. Emma brought the exact footprint of a former soldiers shelter, which emerged in an archaeological research, into the design. The historical plan is pushed 60 cm into the ground. Visitors will sit slightly lowered, sheltered in the fortress grounds. A wooden wall curves up around this base plan to protect the site and encompass the required spatial program.

Assignment

Public building in a fortress. Redevelopment of the terrain, design of building

Client

Stadsherstel N.V. Amsterdam

Design

2007-2011

Status

Realised 2012

Team Emma

  • Marten de Jong
  • Jurg Hertog
  • Janneke van der Velden
  • Gerdo Weltevreden
  • Rob Bakker

Advisor construction

Breed integrated design, Den Haag

Advisor installations

Ingenieursbureau Linssen, Amsterdam

Restoration architect

Rob Witsel, Amsterdam

Advisor landscape

Norbert Daemen, Amsterdam

Main Contractor

JC Nieuwenhuizen

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