From Pontsteiger to NDSM Wharf

Amsterdam ferries are a free service, recom­mended if you want to get some air and space and feel the wind in your hair after walking in the city. Amsterdam Ferry F7 runs from the Pont­steiger building to the former NDSM-wharf in Amsterdam-Noord, crossing the IJ in about 6 minutes. At the edge of the Zee­helden­buurt and Oude Hout­haven (Old Wood Harbor), the Pont­steiger is part of the develop­ment area of Nieuwe Hout­havens (New Wood Harbor), more to the west.

Pontsteiger seen from Van Diemen­kade (July 2022).

Pontsteiger

The 26 story iconic Pont­steiger building was built between 2015 and 2018, designed by architects Arons and Gelauff. The complex has apartments, shops, a hotel and restau­rants and it is named after the dock which it is located next to. Directly on the water of the IJ, it has 28 mooring spaces surroun­ding it. The 25th floor has a large pent­house of 1440 m² (1574 yd²), sold for € 16 million in 2016, later divided into four parts and the parts sold several times with quite a profit.

The towers rest on 45 m (148 ft) long piles, driven until the stable third sand layer below the peat to carry the weight. From the dock next to it (created in 1957) on the Tasman­straat two ferries go to Amster­dam-Noord, one to the former NDSM-wharf and one to the Distel­weg (Ferry F6). Ferry F5 runs from behind the Central Station to NDSM.

View from NDSM-quay towards the Pont­steiger building (July 2022).

NDSM terrain

The NDSM-terrain, usually just called NDSM, was the former NDSM wharf (Neder­landsche Dok en Scheeps­bouw Maat­schappij). It is an area in the Amsterdam-Noord (Amsterdam-North) district, across the IJ, about ten foot­ball fields large. This former ship­yard has become a bustling cultural venue, with a big artist community, festivals, exhi­bitions, dance parties and a variety of bars and restaurants. Once a year theater festival “Over het IJ” (Across the IJ) takes place here. A big crane was converted into a special hotel in 2013. There is also an impres­sive Street Art Museum.

History of the NDSM

In 1919 the Neder­landsche Scheeps­bouw Maat­schappij (Dutch Ship­building Company, NSM) started on a terrain on the northern IJ shore, to be able to build bigger ships than were possible on Oosten­burg. The foundry and carpentry work­shop were moved to the new wharf. The old NSM-wharf on Oosten­burg island was destroyed by fire in 1925.

NDSM square with “Naald van Goedkoop” (Goedkoop’s Needle) (July 2022).

Daniel Goedkoop Jr. (1850-1929) was the owner of wharf Kromhout on Kadijks­eiland (near the Scheep­vaart­museum). In 1894 he was asked to take charge of a new wharf, the NSM, which operated until 1984. At the 50th anni­versary of the wharf in 1944 this commemo­rative needle, with a portrait of its first manager, was placed here by the wharf’s workers.

In 1920 a repair wharf of the Neder­landsche Dok Maat­schappij (Dutch Dock Company, NDM) was founded, northwest of the NSM wharf. During the Second World War both wharfs were heavily damaged. In 1946 NSM and NDM merged to become NDSM and their joint terrain covered almost 60 ha (148 ac). They mostly built large freighters and tankers, but during the 1970s compe­tition in ship­building was fierce and in 1985 the descendants of the NDSM went bankrupt.

Some parts of the terrain are still in use by ship­builders today. Four buildings on the terrain have been desig­nated as national monuments in 2007. Empty buildings were soon occupied by squatters and city nomads, followed by many artists, craftsmen and small businesses. Since 2002 there are also a number of old tram wagons on the terrain, used by various artists. In 2012 a marina was constructed here, together with a 600 m (656 yd) long break­water in the IJ.

View from the NDSM marina (September 2021).

Veronica & Pollux

On the pier next to the NDSM quay two ships are moored: Veronica and Pollux. Radio Veronica was a pirate radio ship which trans­mitted from the North Sea from 1960 until 1974. They later got official status as a private broad­caster. The ship, officially called the Norderney, became a floating disco for private parties. Since November 2013 it is moored here.

The ship Pollux dates from 1940. It is a replica of a three-masted barque from around 1850. From 1940 until 1984 it was moored at the Ooster­dok, serving as a training ship for sailors until 1989. In 2012 it returned from IJmuiden to Amsterdam after restoration, now moored at the former NDSM. It housed restaurants for a while, but they closed in 2020.

Gallery of Pont­steiger to NDSM (July 2022)

Website of the NDSM: https://www.ndsm.nl/en/programme/