Send Gift Baskets to Amsterdam-Zuidoost, Netherlands

Amsterdam-Zuidoost’s most prominent neighborhood is Bijlmermeer, designed in the 1960s according to the principles of Swiss architect Le Corbusier as a modern, functional ‘town of the future.’ The project would consist of 18,000 homes, 13,000 of which would be highrise tower blocks, many of which would be built together in a honeycomb pattern. Pedestrians, bicyclists, buses, and cars had separate routes along the elevated roads. Bijlmermeer was designed primarily by Siegfried Nassuth. In 1963, construction began on the Bijlmermeer. 1968 marked the completion of the first tower block, Hoogoord. 1975 marked the completion of the last 13,000 apartments. Amsterdam’s first metro line connected zuidoost to the city center and Amsterdam Centraal in 1977.

After its completion, the new neighborhood was unpopular due to its functional, monotonous highrise buildings. Underprivileged residents, including recently arrived migrant groups, moved to the area when rents dropped. Many Surinamese immigrants moved to Amsterdam after Suriname’s independence in 1975, making it the largest community of Surinamese descent in Amsterdam. As a result of high unemployment, the area gained a reputation for being a poor neighborhood. The site struggled with high crime rates and vandalism due to its tall, impersonal, and increasingly abandoned tower blocks.

As a result of an Israeli El Al airplane crash in 1992, the heart of the Bijlmermeer was struck by disaster. There were 43 people killed in the impact of El Al Flight 1862, including three Israeli pilots. A memorial marks the crash site.