The city blocks of the Spaarndammerbuurt are cut by the railroad tracks running towards Amsterdam’s central station, creating a series of small triangular squares. They are marked by corner buildings in different architectural styles, from Dutch Classicism to Rationalism and Amsterdamse School, and function as gateway and meeting point to the neighbourhood behind.
The evolution of the square at the junction of Zaanstraat and Wormerveerstraat is symbolic for the degradation and gradual revitalisation of the streetscape of the city over the last century. From lively streets with an abundance of public functions on the ground floors in the 1920’s to boarded up street windows in the 1970’s, leading up to the destruction and mutilation of many buildings in the 1980’s.
