citylikeyou — Volkskrant Buiding — Amsterdam by Simon Wald-Lasowski

A few years ago, the Volkskrant (one of the countries biggest newspaper) moved office to a new location. Their old headquarter now houses hundreds of artists and musician; along with dance studios, a bar/club with panorama over the city, a dreadlock ‘doctor’, a Russian cultural centre, a cyberpunk gallery and my photo studio on the 4th floor. It was a conscious choice by the founders to create a total melting pot. In the basement for example, 3 doors away from our music studio, you will find some cheerful weed smoking hiphop producers from the Bijlmer (the ‘ghetto’ of Amsterdam); an ex-yougoslavian hardcore drummer with a full analogue recording studio and a ballet school run by an obese woman in her 70’s. Ok, it might seem artificial, but it really is quite magical!

Website
volkskrantgebouw.nl

Address
Volkskrant Buiding, Volkskrant buiding, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Photographer Art Director

Current city: Amsterdam

simonwaldlasowski.com

Simon Wald-Lasowski (Paris, 1980) is a freelance photographer and art director. He makes colorful, fun, twisted work by use of bricolage, word play and ‘cliché bending’. Lighthearted at first sight, his images often reveal a certain depth on second inspection. His approach is always very personal, which blur the boundaries between autonomous and commissioned work. He lives in Amsterdam and graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 2004 as a graphic designer. Occasionally he also works as a Wedding MC.

More Places in Amsterdam 100

Amsterdam / Restaurant

We love having ramen here - it's a beautiful space, feels a bit like being back in NYC, and the food is incredible. There are two locations, the one in De Pijp is bigger, so easier to get a table, but the other location is very cosy, so get there early if you go to that location.

Amsterdam / Bar

Jenever is a traditional Dutch spirit, sometimes called Dutch gin or wodka in English. Wynand Fockink has a distillery and tasting house right at the very hart of Amsterdam. This place is frequented by locals and tourist alike because of their delicious jenever. Be sure to try a glass of Wynand Fockink Superior. If they empty the bottle while filling your glass you're entitled to a so-called 'Amsterdammertje'; you'll have to drink your glass in one gulp and then you get a free refill.

Amsterdam / Theatre

A theatre hidden in the man made forest on the outskirts of Amsterdam. An impressive setting with impressive shows. Watching an interesting piece under the stars is quite a memorable experience. Further more it's a nice bike ride leading you past rowing waters, fields to play picnic in or a pancake house if you feel like something warm and sweet.

Amsterdam / Place

My studio is situated on top of a Fifties concrete modernist apartment building in the Rivierenbuurt in the south of Amsterdam. The best thing is that my building is just one floor higher then the rest of the houses in the neighborhood so I get a good view of the city and the ever changing Dutch skies. What makes my view really special is the view from the balcony on an inaccessible inner garden. The garden is made on the roof of a parking garage of an office building and nobody can go there since there are no stairs or entrance. Once a year the gardeners come with a tall ladder. They are the only ones that enter the garden ever. The nice thing is that still there is a winding path in the middle of the garden for only your eye to trace it.

Amsterdam / Nature

To get out of the hustle of the city, my husband and I love to bike down to Amsterdam's Forest to see the goat farm, or picnic in the sun. There are also little spots to swim :)