Collecting the City #4: Kazerne Reigersbos

An important place in Zuidoost

Reigersbos is a green neighbourhood in Amsterdam Zuidoost. Many parents with growing children live in the family homes with gardens, and the neighbourhood is also home to many creative young people. All enjoy living in this neighbourhood but, like the city council, they say there is also work to be done. The public green spaces, playgrounds and sports fields are in need of renewal and in some places they feel unsafe. There is also a shortage of housing for young people and the elderly, and facilities such as a meeting place for the youth and people from the neighbourhood are missing.

Meeting place

From that lack, the neighbourhood initiative Kazerne Reigersbos was born in 2020. A group of local residents were allowed by the city authorities to temporarily convert a former fire station into a place for the neighbourhood. This place has grown into a cultural centre and creative breeding ground. There are studios for entrepreneurs, artists and cultural organisations. There is also a music production space, neighbourhood workshop, (neighbourhood)stage, neighbourhood kitchen, coffee bar, gym and there are flexi-working spaces in the building.

Indispensable

According to the initiators, the place has become indispensable and they hope they will be allowed to stay.In this exhibition, they show why. A film shows why the Kazerne was founded and what role the place has come to play in the neighbourhood. The second room is a workspace for the project Future Tellers.For this project, a group of young creators from the Kazerne will work on an art installation over the next year.With it, they will share their future vision of their neighbourhood.