A’DAM Tower redevelopment plans announced

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The Overhoeks Tower, which previously served as a central Amsterdam office for Royal Dutch Shell, is to be transformed into the Amsterdam Dance and Music Tower – becoming more commonly known as the A’DAM Tower.

The leading parties behind the rebirth of this iconic waterside location made their plans public on 10 January
An iconic and inspiring development in the heart of Amsterdam

The Overhoeks Tower is an eye-catching office complex located opposite Station Amsterdam Central, directly across the River IJ. Built in 1969, the building is 80-metres tall and was designed by the architect Arthur Staal. Its renovation is set to begin in the summer of 2014 and it will eventually reopen as A’DAM at the end of 2015. The most spectacular plans for the building include the transformation of its upper floors into an observation deck that will turn, providing spectacular 360-degree views of the river, docklands and historic city centre.
Where work meets play

A’DAM will also be home to two nightclubs (‘Heaven’ and ‘Hell’), while the floors between the clubs will host a hotel, restaurants and office space. Creative industry titans such as Massive Music and ID&T are set to establish offices in A’DAM, and they will be joined by a medley of promising start-ups from the dance and music industry. Detailed plans for A’DAM are available on the project’s dedicated website.
Setting the tone for the dance music industry

With the Overhoeks Tower’s transformation into the A’DAM Tower, the electronic dance music industry will finally get its own identifiable business hub. Locating music and dance companies in the centre of Amsterdam makes sense because the city has long been at the heart of the Dutch dance music industry – most notably with leading events such as Sensation and the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). Indeed, the electronic dance music industry is valued at approximately $15-$20 billion annually and still growing.
A strengthening market

According to recent research by Massive Advisors, digital music revenues grew 9.8% in 2012. For festivals in the dance music scene the growth rates are even higher. The 2012 edition of ADE broke all previous records, reflecting both the global success of dance music and the importance of Dutch electronic music. It is expected to see another growth spurt this year.

Amsterdam makes its mark on the international scene
Amsterdam-based ID&T is the mastermind behind popular events and festivals such as Sensation and Mysteryland, as well as co-hosting the Amsterdam Music Festival and DJ Mag Top 100 Awards Show. According to founder Duncan Stutterheim, Amsterdam Dance Event is important for the entire industry since a lot of business is done at the festival. He adds, “People love to come to Amsterdam and the atmosphere is so relaxed that business kind of happens naturally.” ID&T was founded in Amsterdam in 1992 and is now active in 22 countries around the globe.{jcomments on}