Berlagebrug

Berlagebrug
The bridge in 2016
Coordinates	52°20′50″N 4°54′46″E
Crosses	Amstel
Locale	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Named for	Hendrikus Petrus Berlage
Heritage status	Rijksmonument
Characteristics
Total length	100+ m
Width	24 m
History
Architect	H. P. Berlage, C. Biemond
Construction start	1926
Construction end	1931
Inaugurated	28 May 1932
Location

The Berlagebrug (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbɛrlaːɣəˌbrʏx]; English: Berlage Bridge) is a bascule bridge over the river Amstel in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The bridge was commissioned by the Amsterdam municipality and designed by engineer Cornelis Biemond (1899-1980) and architect Hendrikus Petrus Berlage (1856–1934); it was named after the latter.. It was constructed from 1926 to 1931 and officially opened on 28 May 1932. It has been designated as a Rijksmonument (National Heritage Site) since 11 May 2008. The bridgekeeper's house carries the address Amsteldijk 134.

Official opening of the bridge on 28 May 1932

History

In 1925 the main thoroughfare of the new Plan Zuid city district, the Amstellaan (later renamed Stalinlaan, then renamed Vrijheidslaan again in 1956), was completed. The newly designed district and its Rivierenbuurt neighbourhood was not yet directly connected to the eastern part of the city, seperated from it by the Amstel River. A bridge across the Amstel had been planned ever since Berlage's original plan for Plan Zuid in 1915. Further need for this bridge was accelerated by the construction of the Transvaalbuurt and Betondorp on the opposite banks of the Amstel. Untill the construction of the Berlagebrug Nieuwe Amstelbrug (also known as Ceintuurbaanbrug) further north was the closest river connection, with a small ferry connecting the banks. In 1911 the Zuidergasfabriek operated their own seperate ferry further south of the Amstellaan, which was taken over as a municipal service in 1927.

The design of the bridge was split between the aesthetic architectural design and the technical engineering. Initially Piet Kramer was considered by the city to design the architectural portion of the bridge that would become the Berlagebrug. However, the work of lobbyists within city council, primarily Zeeger Gulden who worked with H.P. Berlage on the Mercatorplein square before, managed to promote Berlage to the position. Berlage was chosen over Kramer out of dissatisfaction for Kramer's previous work in the Amsterdam School style of architecture and as a reward for Berlage's accomplishments to the city. With Berlage being chosen as the aesthetic architect, he was initially joined by Wichert Arend de Graaf of the Municipal Works, then later by Cornelis Biemond, lead designer on bridges at the Municipal Works. Sculptor Hildo Krop would further provide ornamentation for the bridge in the form of the Genius van Amsterdam sculpture.

The team was confronted with three main design challenges: the requirement that the Amstel channel could not be closed to ship traffic during construction; the over 100 meter long span of the bridge; and the height difference between the raised neighbourhoods of the Western river bank and the lower levels on the eastern river bank. The bridge was designed as a bascule bridge to allow both electric tram traffic and tall ships to cross; the tram tracks however would not be taken into service until 1939. Costs for construction were estimated at 1.6 million Dutch guilders, but already with the caveat that the bridge was unlikely to be completed on time by 1928.

Though the design was complete by 1928, unfavourable soil conditions prevented the bridge from being constructed immediately. In 1929 the soil was strengthened on the western bank, with the eastern bank following soon after. After that construction was started. A small sand deposit site in between the Berlagebrug site and Schollenbrug saw some popularity with Amsterdam residents as an urban beach during this time. On the 28th of May 1932, the Berlagebrug was formally opened in a ceremony, where thousands of residents withnessed the bridge closing for the first time to let the crowd cross. Mayor Willen de Vlugt spoke during the ceremony:

Though she (the Berlagebrug) may have been completed during times of depression, she stands there as a sign that Amsterdam does not shirk its duties. Even in trying times, we remain faithful to the noble tradition of our people to complete the job we started.

At the time of the opening, a further road from the bridge to Amsterdam Oost wasn't opened yet, and the bridge only connected to the Weesperzijde street. Still, immediately after opening traffic already noticably improved on the nearby Amstelbrug that the Berlagebrug was meant to relieve. On October 15th 1939 the connection over the Mr. Treublaan was opened, cementing the bridge's use in connecting the Rivierenbuurt and the Amstel railway station.

External links

• Media related to Brug 423, Berlagebrug at Wikimedia Commons