Palace on the IJ

The new Palace of Justice, which comprises two buildings, is part of IJdock. The master plan for IJdock was drawn up by Dick van Gameren and Bjarne Mastenbroek. The other three buildings in IJdock are a three hundred room hotel, an office building, which houses the river police, among other things, and an apartment complex with 59 luxury apartments. In addition, a marina is to be created between IJdock and Westerdoksdijk.

IJdock is the final piece in the redevelopment of the southern IJ waterfront, which has been in progress for some twenty years now. Urbanistically, it can be seen as a pendant to the ‘Muziekgebouw aan het IJ’. Sight lines connect these two projects. Other sight lines have been incorporated in the design for IJdock. From Bickerseiland, for example, there is a view between the building volumes of Westerdok and IJdock of the Shell Tower in Amsterdam Noord. Most striking of all, however, is the large V-shaped opening in the project. This so-called ‘Keizersgrachtsnede’ is precisely aligned with Keizersgracht and so establishes a connection with the historic ring of canals.

The judicial complex comprises two sections: a section with the offices of the Public Prosecutor and a section containing the court of justice and the law courts. An elevated walkway connects the two sections. Although the complex, with its various shades of white, looks colossal and imposing from the quayside, from the street called IJdok (without a c), which extends the entire length of the island, it looks far more slender and vertical. Moreover, with its numerous small windows, it appears to allude to the many cruise ships that pass by here during the high season, thereby further emphasizing the connection with the IJ. (ARCAM/RJ)