New book: Metro Oostlijn Amsterdam – Designing the system

The renovation of the metro Oostlijn in Amsterdam between 2009 and 2019 has been beautifully put into words and images in a new book! Metro Oostlijn Amsterdam takes the reader on a journey along the prize-winning renovation of the Metro Oostlijn: from history to future, from vision to strategy, from drawing to production and from sketch to reality.

The Metro Oostlijn in Amsterdam has embarked on a new life. A series of five underground and eleven above-ground stations underwent major renovation between 2009 and 2019, leading to a metro line worthy of the Dutch capital: clear, comfortable and modern, with an eye for historical qualities.

Architecture firm GROUP A and strategic design agency Fabrique joined forces to take on this dream commission. They took the original brutalist architecture as their starting point and made intelligent use of the serial nature of the metro as a coherent system. They tackled furniture, lighting, advertising and signage systematically, and their architectural adaptations elevated the routing, safety and appearance to a higher level. Tile tableaux and a number of special interventions enhanced the relationship among the stations and the unique character of the Metro Oostlijn. The result is a reborn Oostlijn that embraces the past while looking to the future.

Authors Maarten van Bremen, Jeroen van Erp, Maarten Lever and author-editor Catja Edens spent the past year working on the realisation of this book. The book, published by Lecturis, can be ordered online. Tip: Keep an eye on bookshop Atheneum’s shop window in Amsterdam!