Java: post-modern canal Photo

Photographer’s Note

As explained in the note of the previous post, the Java-island is an element of the “Oostelijk Havengebied” of Amsterdam. The Java and the neighbour KNSM island are artificial. Firmly rooted in Dutch tradition, the islands are claimed from the water (the IJ river). They started their life as breakwaters parallel to the embankment and were extended to a regular island when the harbour wanted to expand. The first building was erected in 1907. It was from then to the mid 80s the home of the KNSM transatlantic shipping company. From then on to the mid 90s the island, with no official user, degraded rapidly. From the mid nineties on a transformation project started to convert the island to a high density housing area.
Sjoers Soeters’ was responsible for the urban planning and also acted as architectural supervisor. His starting points are the Amsterdam canals (grachten). These are characterized by an enormous variety of relative narrow houses. So diversity was important in the design.
Soeters projected 4 canals on the Jave island. These canals are concrete ducts measuring 4 meters wide and 1,5 meters deep. The canal houses were designed by 10 architects amongst them René van Zuuk en Bjarne Mastenbroek. The result is that nothing is the same: color, height, division, size. A very eclectic post modern ensemble.
The hand on the right is from a good friend. We make several architecture / urban planning trips a year. She points to a detail on the facades of the canal house. I like the effect is has on this compo so I didn’t post the version of the pic without it.

PS-E2 tech: cropped, levels adjusted (the whole pic and the sky), saturation (master) boosted, sharpened (the whole pic), gradient fill frame added to soften some highlights, frame layer added and saved for the web

Hanssie, Rinie_Hoff, mortijo, cmartos, nwoehnl, Tomernayer, veimann, Steely, jhm, carper, sunny, Jeppe, pamastro, Porteplume, Tue, sergio1 has marked this note useful

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Hanssie (9133) 2004-05-17 16:13

Modern ouderwets, zo een grachtje, grappige foto vind ik dit.
Ik ben eigenlijk nog nooit aan die zijde geweest, maar het ziet er wel mooi uit.
Later.....

Rinie_Hoff (9332) 2004-05-17 16:29

Hi Bertr, very nice and crisp picture of this canal. It's a very detailed shot, with a very good view on the separate houses. Also in Amsterdam they know quite a lot about new architecture! The colors are great, and I like it very much, that you were so lucky to have a blue sky. (reminds me of a street in Delft, BTW, all different houses). The hand is really nice! Terrific notes.

mortijo (12286) 2004-05-17 16:34

The note is great and so is the picture. Nice colors and composition. Beautiful fine hand.

cmartos (6086) 2004-05-17 16:45

Superlative note and picture Bert! These buildings are really unusual and all those architecture details are very well rendered. That's very interesting and surprising to see so many different textures and colours. A very good lighting you have here, I guess all buildings are in shadow without direct sunrays. But sky is grea and bright and yes, its reflected in all windows. Excellent and interesting, it must also be nice at night, as long as there is enough lights on obviously. An excellent shot again, very sharp and clean. Congratulations Bert, and thanks for sharing.

nwoehnl (120) 2004-05-17 16:48

You sure know how to take architecture shots, Bert. I like the subtly non-symmetric view here, and the buildings that your friend's hand (great compositional device!) is pointing at are surely interesting in their diversity and color. The canal in the middle is another great detail in this rich and crisp shot. Finally, your note leaves no questions open ;-)

Tomernayer (512) 2004-05-17 16:48

Wonderful photo Bert, i really use to the old tunnels, and to see one surrounded with modern houses is wonderful, great compostion!

veimann (1250) 2004-05-17 17:30

Way to the sky with scenery - the drawn small houses:) the Excellent shot, Bert)

Steely (895) 2004-05-17 21:57

I like that wavy facade too , looks very cool :) interesting how it was duplicated across the canal as well :)Both having a building with a protruding balcony next to it :O, I'm surprised

This is quite a tranquil shot:) nice one

jrj (34779) 2004-05-18 4:51

Many interesting details of this fine capture with the variations of archirechture. Good light setting suits this pix well. And yes, I think the pointing hand is a detail that fits in here.

jhm (82759) 2004-05-18 7:24

Wel Bert zo worden wij rondgeleid in Amsterdam, op deze plaats ben ik nog nooit geweest, wel mooi daar, voorbeeldige architecture, en de vinger die het aangeeft is wel het toetje op de taart. Ik heb vroeger met nederlandse architecten samen gewerkt het ligt toch iets anders dan bij ons in België.

carper (65106) 2004-05-18 7:26

Deze is echt prachtig Bert,
Het handje had niet eens nodig geweest, want kracht heeft deze foto al. Steen goede compositie, en prachtige kleuren, alsof alles geschilderd is, fantastische job, goed gedaan.

sunny (3068) 2004-05-18 12:00

Hehe, very creative idea to leave the pointing hand in the composition, Bert! ;-)) It looks to me as a bigger and colourful version of a pc-mouse cursor..:-D
You created a great opening with the channel, boats /!!!/, the colourful and elegant buildings on both sides and that perfect sky, beautified by white clouds. Great shot!

pamastro (7213) 2004-05-19 1:36

Nice colors and nice and crisp. I like the different facades. It's great variety. I see repetition in the pattern, too, but it's nice how it's offset and it really looks random and individual. Often they don't do that here in the U.S. The canal is nice, too. Nice perspective, too. I love how it looks so clean here. And almost uninhabited but taken care of. It's very neat architecture. The hand makes me think of the hand of God reaching out of the clouds in so many paintings. Good job.

Jeppe (18623) 2004-05-19 9:51

Surely an interesting place showing great and new styles of architecture - and yes - I can that even this houses new - theres still a lot of tradition in house-ends. Thanks for sharing Bert, the images and for the excellent note.

Porteplume (3255) 2004-05-22 10:16

At first it looks like a bit tilted because of all the facades being different by length and shapes, but then it looks OK, just like a 3D drawing and we could walk in the scene. Sharp, with a lot of depth and very interesting - as well as your notes, thank you!

* Yes, I think the hand oughts to be here, I would have done the same, pointing the houses and say: "Mais regarde!..." - but it's maybe because of my French enthousiasme? ;o)

coolmint (52) 2004-09-09 16:12 [Comment]

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Tue (25608) 2005-07-15 17:37

Hi Bert,
Naast je meest recente foto wilde ik ook deze nog becommentarieren, ik kwam hem vanmiddag tegen. Ik vind dit namelijk een erg leuke buurt en zoals je wel weet ben ik toch al dol op moderne architectuur. :-)
En een vriendin van mij woont hier op dit eiland en toen ik laatst bij haar op bezoek was, dacht ik dat ik hier ook maar eens moest fotograferen. Ik ben er nog niet aan toe gekomen, maar zag nu dat jij me voor bent geweest. ;-) Het is een erg mooie foto, vooral vanwege de verschillende gevels. Prima werk!
Groeten,
Lars

sergio1 (12150) 2006-03-08 5:01

Hi Bert
Very very nice shot and idea to the hand. The sharpenes and contrast are very goos. I like this shot and compo.
good job
PD: Interesting buildings
Regards