From Westerplantsoen to Westerpark Up until the early seventeenth century, the Haarlemmerdijk (also called Spaarndammerdijk) constitutes the only connection between Haarlem and Amsterdam. The dike serves as protection against the IJ, but is subject to breakthroughs and floods. At the north of the dike lies a
polder, which is the location of today's Westerpark. Its name, Overbraker Binnenpolder, probably refers to its frequent floods. A few farms are built along this dike between Amsterdam and Sloterdijk, then the first village on the road to Haarlem. In the mid-19th century,
Amsterdam struggles with the consequences of the Industrial revolution and the growth of its population. The increasing pollution and deteriorating hygiene conditions lead the city to consider the creation of parks and gardens around the city center. In 1845, Amsterdam's first municipal park, the Westerplantsoen (Western Garden), is created on the Overbraker Binnenpolder. This first park is appreciated by the local population. Ton Heijdra notes: The experience, however, is short-lived: in 1869, the park is eliminated to make way for the railroads and canals, most notably the Westerkanaal that connects the Singelgracht and the Haarlemmertrekvaart to the
IJ.
Conception of the park In October 1866, city engineer Jacob van Niftrik submitted his expansion plan for Amsterdam to the alderman for Public Works. This plan recommends the creation of several major parks around the city, but does not include the future Westerpark. This plan is deemed too ambitious and costly and is rejected by the city council. As a result, the city's director of works, Jan Kalff, is asked to propose a more pragmatic plan, that would "synthesize developments that were underway, rather than steer developments itself".
Construction of the Westergasfabriek In 1883, the city grants a concession to the Imperial Continental Gas Association to create a plant that would produce town gas for
street lighting. The buildings are designed by architect Isaac Gosschalk in the then-popular Dutch neo-renaissance style The gas produced from coal is stored in large gas containers, two of which are still visible today The city puts an end to the concession in 1898, taking over the plant and added an additional coke gas plant.
Partial destruction of the gas plant and transformation of the park After the second world war, the plant become gradually unnecessary with the extraction of natural gas in the North sea and the discovery of the Groningen gas field. While the city initially considers scrapping the remaining brownfield buildings to make space for the park, it decides in the early 90s to adopt a creative master plan prepared by American landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson. Gustafson proposes to integrate these buildings and reuse them as cultural centres or cafés, along with elements of rural polders, wetland and pools. In 1991, the entire Westergasfabriek complex is designated as a National Monument. The park is finally opened to the public in 2003.
Train accident On 21 April 2012, two trains are involved in a
head-on collision at Westerpark, near Sloterdijk. Approximately 117 people were injured, one of whom later died in the hospital. ==Current buildings and equipments==