The Spaarndammerbuurt district is characterised by expressionist buildings of the Amsterdam School. While elsewhere the wealthy were building their villas, in Amsterdam a group of visionary architects, employed by forward-thinking housing associations, were creating ‘palaces for the people’. One hundred years later, they serve as inspiration for new buildings and areas in the neighbouring Houthaven. In the 1920s, workers’ housing was one of the main challenges in Amsterdam. Ambitious young architects built “palaces for the working classes” in Spaarndammerbuurt, including the iconic Het Schip complex. Recently, a new housing block has been inserted into this area which aims to transport the ideals of the 1920s into the 2020s. A few hundred metres north lies the former woodshipping harbour, one of the main new housing districts in Amsterdam. Seven man-made, car-free peninsulas form a ridge structure, lined with a total of 2700 flats, including 20% social rental housing.