History
The Tollensstraat Depot, originally known as the Westelijke Tramremise, was established in 1902 and served as a depot for the Amsterdam Municipal Tramway, later known as GVB since 1943. In addition to housing electric tramcars, the complex also functioned as a central workshop and maintenance facility for Amsterdam's buses.
After the tram depot and bus maintenance were relocated to other sites, the Tollensstraat Depot continued to operate solely as a workshop. However, in 1996, this changed when GVB opened its new main workshop in Diemen-Zuid. From that moment onwards, the Amsterdam Public Transport Museum's (AOM) museum trams found shelter in the tram depot, along with several small creative businesses.
In 2005, the complex was evacuated under the authority of the then Oud-West district. Plans were swiftly set in motion to convert it into a cultural center called De Hallen for Amsterdam-West, including a theater and library. Despite these plans, the complex remained vacant for seven years, and squatters found shelter there until the renovation of De Hallen began in early 2013.
The Passage (main hall)
The lifeline of De Hallen is the Passage, connecting Bilderdijkkade and Ten Katemarkt. The Passage consists of two sections. The first, larger part runs from Ten Katemarkt to Tollensstraat. The second, smaller section is located in Hall 17, the former horse tram depot, and stretches from Tollensstraat to Bilderdijkkade.
The major Passage houses the entrances of nearly all the users of De Hallen, except for Hotel de Hallen and Kindercentrum Wereldkids. Given its public function, the Passage is the ideal location for special markets like Indie Brands, exhibitions, red carpet events for Filmhallen, or catwalks during fashion shows.
Who are there?
De Hallen Studio’s accommodates a wide range of users, showcasing a great diversity of activities within its premises. During the space allocation process, careful consideration was given to the intended functions, with the aim of preserving the original state of this National Monument as much as possible.
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