Den Texstraat 5 III, Amsterdam

Den Texstraat 5 III – Amsterdam

The Den Texstraat in Amsterdam offers a fascinating insight into the history of urban development and social change. The street symbolises the broader processes of urbanisation, modernisation, and gentrification that have shaped the city of Amsterdam.

Amsterdam expanded in the late nineteenth century in a manner unseen for two centuries. Along the line of the old defensive walls, a city ring was constructed with a metropolitan character: the Weteringschans and the Sarphatistraat, lined with stately residences, parks, and grand hotels such as the Amstel Hotel.

At the site where Den Texstraat, Nicolaas Witsenstraat, and Pieter Pauwstraat are now located, there was a gasworks, the Hollandsche Gazfabriek, between 1845 and 1885. From 1890 onwards, houses were built there.

The street is part of the new residential areas developed around the Paleis voor Volksvlijt at Frederiksplein, completed in 1864. The Paleis voor Volksvlijt was a large glass exhibition building at Frederiksplein in Amsterdam, situated precisely where the building of De Nederlandsche Bank now stands. It was built by the Vereeniging voor Volksvlijt between 1859 and 1864. In April 1929, the Paleis voor Volksvlijt was destroyed by fire (1).

Den Texstraat was named in honour of Cornelis den Tex, the Mayor of Amsterdam from 1868 to 1880. Den Tex was a prominent figure in urban planning and the development of infrastructure in Amsterdam and played a crucial role in facilitating the expansion of the city beyond its historical boundaries. His name is associated with the beginning of Amsterdam’s modernisation, where urban planning became central to shaping new urban areas.

On the third floor of a building dating from 1891, there is a two-bedroom apartment with a roof terrace. At the front of the apartment is a bright living room with a modern, fully equipped stainless steel kitchen, including a newly installed combi-boiler and dishwasher. The bedroom at the rear features a spacious built-in wardrobe and offers a beautiful view of the inner gardens. The second bedroom is multifunctional, thanks to a newly installed fold-out bed, making it ideal as an office, children’s room, or guest room. The bathroom is equipped with a bathtub.

The apartment covers 66 square metres, measured according to the NEN 2580 standard, and is located on the third floor. A striking feature of this apartment is a roof terrace of 34 square metres, where one can enjoy the sun all day. The permit for the roof terrace was granted in 2006.

In 2006, the relatively wide Den Texstraat was chosen by readers of Het Parool as one of the most beloved streets in Amsterdam. Thanks to the beautiful Oriental plane trees, Den Texstraat is an exceptionally green street that ends in the Weteringsplantsoen. Here, too, it is pleasant to linger under the monumental Canadian poplars and white horse chestnuts, recognised as monumental trees by the National Tree Foundation (3).

Den Texstraat is located in the quiet of the centre and borders De Pijp: a stone’s throw from the Museumplein and the Grachtengordel on the one hand, and within walking distance of Utrechtsestraat, the Amstel, and the Plantagebuurt on the other. A more central location is hard to imagine. Den Texstraat is a parallel street between the Weteringschans and the Stadhouderskade, in the Centrum district.

The location offers exceptionally central accessibility to all corners of Amsterdam and beyond. With the Noord/Zuidlijn metro station and tram lines 1, 4, 7, 19, and 24 just 200/300 metres away, as well as quick access to the highway, this location is one of the most central spots in Amsterdam, whether by public transport, car, bicycle, or on foot.

Specifications:

Net floor area: 66 square metres, in accordance with NEN 2580 standards
Size of roof terrace: 34 square metres, in accordance with NEN 2580 standards
New combi-boiler

References:

(1) t.B., ‘Amsterdam 650 jaar’, Propria Cures, 19 september 1925 (De Propria Curesartikelen 1923-1925, 309-310).

(2) H. Brugmans, Geschiedenis van Amsterdam, Deel VIII, 411.

(3) Landelijk Register van Monumentale Bomen, Bomenstichting Amsterdam.

Text: Joep Hoogerwerf
Photography: Marie-José van den Ende

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