On November 18th 2024, the municipality of Amsterdam granted an irrevocable permit to build a basement under the Gashouder. This will bring numerous benefits. Currently, many external tents are required on the Klönneplein to accommodate all the necessary components and production facilities. These include an entrance area for visitor screening, cloakrooms, dressing rooms, production space, and much more. Not only does this take up public space and cause disorder, but it also creates a lot of traffic in the park. Additionally, it is a costly and inefficient way for Westergas and its partners to organize events. 

With the addition of a basement under the Gashouder, these temporary tent structures will soon be a thing of the past. The new underground floor (also accessible to visitors with wheelchairs) will permanently house all the facilities currently located in the tents. This will not increase the current visitor capacity but will move the activity indoors. As a result, the Klönneplein will be freed up, and the appearance of the monument will be restored. 

In addition to the removal of the tents, the Gashouder will also undergo significant sound insulation, and we will take the next step in managing public flows in the public space. 

Below is a representation of the current situation and the post-renovation scenario. 

Construction work will begin in early 2025 and last approximately a year and a half. Westergas will use the BouwApp, an app where interested parties can closely follow the construction process and where planned activities will be listed. Additionally, Westergas will organize a monthly walk-in consultation about the construction, where people can come by with questions. Keep an eye on this site for further information about the BouwApp and the walk-in consultation. Do you have questions already? Send them to: communicatie@westergas.nl. 

Westergas offers a stage with the Gashouder where experimentation is encouraged and where there is room for creative development, innovation, and growth. 

The five pillars on which the program of Westergas as a Cultural Village and the Gashouder as a Cultural Stage are based are: Art, Theater & Performance, Food & Drink, Film & Photography, and Music. Examples of well-known events in the Gashouder include art fairs like Unseen and Unfair, music from the Concertgebouworkest, various concerts and Awakenings, theater and performance from Holland Festival, and 3×3 Basketball.