NDSM (Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij) was one of the largest shipbuilding and repair companies in Europe. In NDSM, in the massive hanger called the Scheepsbouwloods, thousands of parts were fabricated for freighters, oil tankers and luxury passenger ships.

When NDSM and its supporting industries closed in 1984, the surrounding neighborhoods underwent a time of financial and social decline, with squatters taking over the abandoned factories and warehouses.

In the early 2000s, NDSM underwent a period of urban renewal. Previously an economically significant shipbuilding yard, NDSM was re-imagined as an incubator and cultural arts district.

The Scheepsbouwloods ( now called NDSM Loods) is now a national monument with a community of makers. It is part cultural hall and part manufacturing and workshop hub.

The vast spaces of NDSM are dotted with many remnants of industrial architecture. These factories, warehouses and utility buildings are now museums, art galleries and exhibition spaces. The restaurants and bars have moved in. NDSM also programs and hosts rotating festivals, performances and concerts, flea markets and an open air cinema.

The factories and warehouses, previously places of making for heavy industry, are now studios and workshops for small maker businesses, craftspeople and artisans. NDSM Loods aims to provide affordable workspace close to Amsterdam’s city center, so its creative workforce is still able to be part of the city.

The municipality has big plans for NDSM-Werf. There are currently several hotels on site and a plethora of mixed-use buildings under construction. The ambition is for an energetic maker district — a crucial component of this vision includes live and make spaces in close proximity, with multiple city parks, commercial areas and cultural facilities. In NDSM’s maker district, live and make co-exist to help create a unique and vibrant neighbourhood.