Proposed Amsterdam nightclub at centre of planning row with local residents

Plans to build a new nightclub in Amsterdam are currently at the centre of a debate amidst calls to protect historical buildings from entertainment and residential developments in the Netherlands.

Proposals were submitted by non-profit firm Institute for Night Culture (INC) in October 2024 to transform Amsterdam's Halvemaansteeg, AKA Half Moon Alley, into a multi-storey complex featuring a nightclub, cafe and apartments.

According to The Guardian, Amsterdam officials granted the INC €50,000 for the project, with hopes to rejuvenate the area - which neighbours the city's infamous Red Light District - into a "26-metre high building with three rooms to house 650 people and 1,000 square metres of freedom and fun."

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The Netherlands' administrative body, the Council of State, has approved the plans despite protests from residents over fears it could cause damage to neighbouring buildings. 

Architecture historian and secretary of the Friends of Amsterdam City Centre (VVAB) Walther Schoonenberg told The Guardian that plans for construction in the development's cellars have been a particular worry, with subsidence being a huge issue for homeowners in the Netherlands.

“Very little is known about the state of the foundations and every time digging starts, it turns out they are in poor condition,” he says. “There are a number of risks, but the Council of State has set them aside.”

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However, INC argues that its method for building within the basement of the building has been "successfully used in recent years in other projects in the historic centre of Amsterdam".

In a statement to The Guardian, an INC spokesperson said: “External experts have confirmed in a second opinion that with the proposed construction method, potential risks can be managed well.”

[Via: The Guardian]

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter