Destabilized seventeenth-century housing ready for occupancy

AMSTERDAM – The monumental homes on the Amsterdam Vijzelstraat, which had been seriously damaged when the foundation shifted as a result of the city’s tunneling for a new underground commuter line, are inhabitable again following a major construction upgrade. In September 2008, ten adjoining properties registered a drop of up to 23 centimetres, when tunneling caused a leak to undermine the foundation of the properties. The city purchased four of the uninhabitable properties, which now have been declared ready for occupation. The seventeenth-century housing units were originally specifically built for people engaged in the weaving trade, then a home occupation, and are known as the ‘Wevershuisjes.’