The secret years inside Amsterdam's Silos

Before the Plans, There Was Silence

The three Silos on Zeeburgereiland once stored wastewater. When that system shut down in the late 1980s, they were left behind — 25 meters of empty concrete. For years, they stood still. No people, no light, no sound. Just the wind, the seagulls, and the city growing around them.

Locals got used to the sight. They were part of the landscape. Solid. Unmoved. Waiting.

The Artists Who Came Anyway

In the 1990s and 2000s, a new type of visitor showed up. Graffiti artists and urban explorers started climbing inside. The walls were raw and curved — perfect for paint. They brought colour to the silence. Layers of names, shapes and symbols slowly filled the concrete. It wasn’t official. It wasn’t legal. But it was real. The Silos became a hidden gallery — one that almost nobody saw, but everyone who entered remembered.

A Different Kind of Foundation

When the new development started, traces of that graffiti were still there — faded paint, ghostly letters, small reminders of that time. The teams working on the new Silos recognised it for what it was: proof that creativity had always been part of this place. The new Silos are being built with that same energy — honest, hands-on, and human. Turning waste into wonder is more than a line; it’s what’s happening right now.

What Comes Next

Construction is in full motion. By 2026, the Silos will open as a new kind of landmark — where work, life and culture come together.

But the soul of the place was shaped long before the first steel beam went in. The Silos have always attracted people who do things differently. That part isn’t changing.

The graffiti is gone, but its message remains: creativity always finds a way in.