A 1:3,000 scale model isn’t something you come across very often, but Arcam has one that shows the entire Haven-Stad area at a glance. That area stretches from Sloterdijk to Westerpark, and in Noord, from the Cornelis Douwe site to the Noorder IJ-plas. It is the largest inner-city development project in the Netherlands, and the city’s largest expansion since IJburg. Looking at the model, you can immediately see why: the area is enormous, and between 40,000 and 70,000 homes are ultimately set to be built there.
The installation was created by a handful of creators, each of whom contributed their own part. Jorgen Karskens, project manager for the Transition-Scapes research project at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, outlined the conceptual framework. Studio Transue built the large scale model and the six sub-area models. Shosho designed the digital layer and the introductory video, and Tess Videoproductions produced the remaining video content. Together, they created an exhibition that isn’t complete the moment you walk in, but will continue to evolve through December 31, 2028.
In addition to the large overview model, there are six detailed models on a scale of 1:1000, each focusing on a specific part of Haven-Stad: Hemknoop, Zaanstraat Emplacement, Cornelis Douwesterrein, Docks in Noord, a bridge abutment, and the Houtveemloods. This scale is large enough to see details: where a bridge will land, how an old warehouse will be repurposed, and how a railroad yard will make way for housing. The installation has a modular design, which means that new insights are continuously added as plans change.
What sets this exhibition apart from a typical presentation is the research station. It features student proposals, entrepreneurs’ stories, historical maps, and international references, and visitors are invited to contribute their own ideas. Unresolved issues—such as how bridges should connect to land, how new neighborhoods integrate with existing ones, and what happens to industrial heritage—are literally on the table. In addition, the Myquette section explores how residents’ ideas are actually incorporated into the design process.
Construction in Sloterdijk has already begun, but building in other parts of Haven-Stad won’t be able to start until 2029. That makes this exhibition at Arcam, on Prins Hendrikkade, perfectly timed: you can already see where the city is headed in the coming decades, even before the first cranes are in place.