Cracked
Tetterode van de Bilderdijkstraat finally left. “The building was made for a letter foundry,” says Henk Gianotten. “We knew that Gieten would stop at some point, that happened in 1981. We therefore wanted a more efficient building. Then another building became available at Willem de Zwijgerlaan.”
The building on the Bilderdijkstraat was sold to a project developer who did not understand what he bought.
“The building had very thick floors, on which casting machines had to be placed. The plan was actually to demolish the building and to make all homes. That turned out not to be possible because the demolition would be expensive. It then stood empty and eventually squatted.
For five years, the squatters fought to stay, which ultimately succeeded. Since that time it has been a unique living workplace for artists and small companies.
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