Tuindorpen Amsterdam, garden suburbs in the polder

The area that historically fell under the jurisdiction of the city of Amsterdam was limited. North of the IJ (also written as Y) the Volewijck (or Volewijk) peninsula fell to the city in 1393. The IJ was a broad sea inlet of the Zuiderzee (Southern Sea). This large saltwater bay was created by a disastrous floods in 1170, 1196, 1282 and 1287 that broke through the northern dunes and swept away the peat soils of Friesland, merging the large inland lakes, broad rivers and sea inlets into a 4 meter deep body of water. This cleared the way (literally) for the growth of Amsterdam by opening up a direct sea route to the Baltic via this Zuiderzee.

West of the Volewijck, where the gallows stood, lay a shallow bay of the IJ called the Buiksloterham. Shortly after 1800 the slurry that was dredges from the IJ was being piled here. In 1832 the city elders decided a wicker dyke should be constructed around the Buiksloterham to prevent the slurry from sliding into the shipping channel and the adjoining Noordhollandsch Kanaal (the North Holland Canal completed in 1824). Slush dredged from the harbours and shipping channels was subsequently deposited behind this wicker dyke until in 1851 the land was brought up to a level above the water level of the IJ. A dyke was constructed around this new polder: the Buiksloterhampolder. By the same process of infilling the polder Nieuwendammerham east of Volewijck was closed off in 1879. Some people tried their hand at farming on the new land, but mostly failed so the two polders remained a wasteland used a s a deposit for dredging slush.

Amsterdam showed little interest in its new land, until the rapid growth in inhabitants led to a shortage in land available for housing and factories during the 1870s. This coincided with some major changes on the north side of the city. To further improve the connection of the Amsterdam harbour with the North Sea it had been decided to dig a new shipping channel to relieve the narrow North Holland Canal. This new canal was to be dug through the dunes at Velsen. Digging started on 8 March 1865 at the Breesaap sand dunes at the narrowest point of Holland. This North Sea Canal was built by digging a channel lined with dikes through the old IJ and locks at the mouth and on the side of the Zuiderzee. The land between the new canal dikes and the old sea dikes were reclaimed as polders. To accommodate shipping and ensure drainage tributaries of the IJ like the rivers Zaan and Spaarne were connected to the new canal by canal links (Zijkanalen) named A through I. This new land up to the old sea dike (Waterlandse Zeedijk) was added to the territory of the city in 1877.

In 1903 a rapport was published on the possibilities of the vast area of land north of the North Sea Canal, the so-called Northern IJ-polders. The low land values and good connections by water made this area attractive to private enterprise and was designated as an industrial area by the city. The city council wished to ban factories and dangerous industrial activity from inner-city areas and also create new possibilities for nautical industry. Johan van Hasselt, the director of Public Works, even included a new main shipping channel to connect Volewijk to the old city by a new bridge.

The municipal Department for Housing and Construction (Bouw- en Woningdienst) sought to break away from the usual way of housing workers. Inspired by the ideas of the Garden City Movement the department wanted to create new village-like satellites near the areas designated for industry. These garden villages were planned all around Amsterdam, but especially in the IJ-polders to the north and the Watergraafsmeer-polder to the east. The first housing was erected by building societies in the Buiksloterham and Niewendammerham polders respectively. Later municipal housing would be built in between the housing provided by building societies.

The old city of Amsterdam lay safely behind the dikes (Zeedijk) shown below with a broad green line on each side of the IJ. The land was mostly covered in pat that sank with use as farmland so an intricate system of inner polders (Binnenpolders) was set up. True polders though are land reclamations, mostly of lakes and in some cases of alluvial land. These polders are shown with narrow green lines. Some were small like the Durgerdammer Diepolder (DD), Blijkmeerpolder (Bp) and Burkmeerpolder (BP). Other reclaimed lakes were much larger: Buikslotermeerpolder (BS), Noordmeerpolder (NM), Monnikenmeerpolder (MM), Broekermeerpolder (BR), Watergraafsmeer or Diemermeerpolder (WM) and Bijlmermeerpolder (BM). The largest of these polders is the Haarlemmermeerpolder (HM).  

The garden villages around Amsterdam were all constructed between 1918 and 1953. Tuindorp Oostzaan (1) was built between 1919 and 1939 in two building campaigns. Tuindorp Buiksloterham (2) in the polder Buiksloterham (BH) consist of three parts: Disteldorp (1918), Van der Pekbuurt (1919) and Floradorp (1927). On the Volewijk peninsula (V) the Tuindorp Buiksloot (3) was built in 1930. In the polder Nieuwendammerham (NH) two garden villages were built: Vogeldorp (4) and Tuindorp Nieuwendam (5). Vogeldorp was built in three campaigns in  1910-'16, 1917-'19 and 1920-'23. Tuindorp Niewendam also consists of three parts: Tuindorp (1924-'27), Schellinkwouderbuurt (1930-'34) and Westwijk (1948-'50).The Noth Sea Canal (N) with the harbour is easily recognisable. Further south we find Tuindorp Oost (6) built in the 1930s and Betondorp (7) built between 1923-'25. The red outline shows the limits of the city around 1900.

The flood surge of 1916 devastated large areas of Waterland north of Amsterdam. The Waterlandse Zeedijk was breached and the small villages and towns behind it had no means of repairing the damage. As a result the municipalities of Buiksloot, Nieuwendam and Ransdorp as well as the Watergraafsmeer were finally annexed by Amsterdam in 1921. The result is a series of garden villages that wrap around the city; starting with Tuindorp Oostzaan in the northwest, via Tuindorp Buiksloterham, Disteldorp, Vogeldorp, Tuindorp Buiksloot and Tuindorp Nieuwendam to Tuindorp Watergraafsmeer and Betondorp in the east. Beyond these garden villages and in the west and south large housing estates were constructed along the lines of the famous AUP-plan. This CIAM-housing is known as Amsterdam-Noord , Amsterdam-Zuidoost and Amsterdam Nieuw-West.

Tubers, Bulbs and Corms

I have been so busy that I almost forgot about my bulbs. Most are left in the ground, but some are lifted every year. The Dahlia tubers (L) have been recently dug up and will be stored in a cool place over winter. These Daffodils (M) grace the pots on the terrace, and should have been planted already as they have started growing. Normally I don't take out the bulbs of Daffodils, but I have found that the ones in pots are best lifted in spring and replanted at the onset of winter. The corms of the Voodoo Lily (R) are also showing their vigor. I ordered them a while back and the noses are already showing. Time to get digging!

Elm Park Court: American style decorative architecture

This large oriental style gate forms the main entrance to the secluded world of the Elm Park Court. Behind it one catches a glimpse of the large apartment blocks that make up this Garden Court (or Gartenhof).

The side entrance (right) is located on West End Lane and consists of a small version of the large oriental gate on the main entrance. Behind it a path leads along courtyard gardens and garages. The design of the backside of the apartment blocks (left) is consistent with the front facades, but less ornamental and more practical. Only look at the downpipes in the striking green colour.

The three linked apartment blocks are arranged around one large park like courtyard garden, that is now dominated by a large car park. On the sides there are still large expanses of lawn with trees. The development was aimed at car users (something that was fast developing in the 1930s), hence the lockup garages behind the apartment blocks. A central parking lot that emphasizes the central axis seems to go beyond what was aimed for here.

The windows are all executed in metal painted in a bottle green colour. The same colour is used to pick up building details, for instance the supports of the balconies. The chimneys form part of the overall design. They have a distinct  cubist shape. Also note the black trim at the foot of the white facade. The balconies provide rhythm and add a secondary shapely element with their distinct design. The windows on each storey have been delicately emphasized by a thin protruding band in the facade.

The apartment blocks cradle the central courtyard and also maximize the use of the available space for dwellings with their kinked outline. This way the complex

The entrances have been emphasized by extending the black bottom trim as a door surround and by the long windows that cut through the dominant horizontal lines of the architecture by adding a distinct vertical line. Small covered alleyways link up the courtyard gardens on either side of the apartment buildings.

These oriental gates link the apartment blocks forming a large secluded residential complex. These gates that link the back block to the two side blocks create an enormous sense of depth. At the far end one can see one of the garages that are located on the edges of this Gartenhof.

There is great consistency in the design. The whole feel is thoroughly modern, airy and light. The introduction of an oriental style element sets this complex in Pinner apart from similar continental projects in de cubist modernist style. Ornament is added similar to the American Decorative architecture and doesn't merely rely on constructive elements such as windows, railings, doorframes, facades and so on.

Pinner Court is very similar in appearance to Elm Park Court. These two L-shaped apartment blocks are set back from the road. The less ornate buildings are surrounded by private park-like gardens.

These details show that Pinner Court is much more akin to continental modernism than Elm Park Court. Especially the treatment of windows and balconies is very reminiscent New Objective architecture. The hipped roofs and ornamental chimneys connect this complex to the decorative tradition so well expressed by Elm Park Court.

Capel Gardens adjacent to Pinner Court is a similar project, but with a more open structure of 4 apartment blocks. The architecture is equal to that of Pinner Court. The decorative entrances with their half-hipped roofs are clearly visible in this picture. 

Elm Park Court, Pinner

Pinner, formerly a small town in Middlesex, was changed beyond recognition after the arrival of the railways, especially the Metropolitan Railway. In 1880 the railway was driven through the middle of the medieval town centre and a station was erected. It remained a rural halt until 1900 when the Metropolitan Railway Company started building houses on the grounds of the former Rugby House Estate. The growth of Pinner as part of Metro-land didn't kick off until after the Great War. Like most parts of Metro-land the town expanded rapidly between 1923 and '39. Most of these houses built, were the semidetached Mock Tudor buildings that dominate the Middlesex-suburbs. Three housing projects consisting of up-market apartments in their own grounds stand out. These are the Pinner Garden Courts: Pinner Court, Capel Gardens and Elm Park Court.

The first two are located near Pinner New Cemetery. Elm Park Court is located on Elm Park Road between Pinner town and Pinner Green. This complex reminiscent of the German and Austrian Gartenhof comprises of three apartment blocks linked by elaborate gates and lockup garages in the same style. All three complexes are characterized by white rendered walls, hipped roofs with wide eaves, metal windows in bottle green and green glazed roof tiles. Of the three Elm Park Court has the most elaborate design. This complex was designed by H.V. Webb around 1936 with eye-catching balconies and entrances and three gates modeled on Japanese style Moon gates. The hipped roofs are also reminiscent of pagodas and tea houses.  

The Elm Park Court is clearly inspired by modernist Austrian Garden Courts. It consists of three linked buildings with courtyard gardens and garages as part of the complex. The main entrance is on Elm Park Road, with a back entrance on West End Lane. Both have gates in an oriental style. On Hazeldene Drive a service entrance with more garages is located. The building on the street is very different from the complex and seems a later addition, or it has been seriously altered.

The secluded inner world of this Garden Court combined with the oriental design esthetic sets it apart from the other examples in Pinner. The style is often described as Art Deco. It is very much American Decorative Architecture and not so much Art Deco as this is understood in continental Europe. There it is an eclectic style that is basically modernist, combining expressionism, cubism, functionalism and geometric constructivism. The design esthetic within Art Deco differs greatly, but is always a reaction to the organic ornamentation of Austro-German Jugendstil and Franco-Belgian Art Nouveau. The name is derived from the 1925 World Exhibition in Paris named: Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (international exposition of modern industrial and decorative art). In architecture Art Deco is mostly incorporated into other styles, except for the Anglo-Saxon countries where all veins of modernist architecture of the 1920s and 30s -especially the kind that doesn't shy away from decorative elements- are lumped under "deco". In continental Europe the distinctive style of Elm Park Court would be called expressionist architecture.

Elm Park Court is in essence a glamorous Hollywood dream of  a secluded and private life in exotic luxury. And what a magnificent dream it is! The whole complex is listed. The same goes for the Garden Court complexes of Pinner Court and Capel Gardens.