Clutching your camera, imagine you’re a Dutch soldier in 1899. You’re stationed at Fort bij Vijfhuizen, a brand-new concrete fortress. It’s part of the Stelling van Amsterdam, a 135-kilometer ring of defenses protecting the capital. Fort bij Vijfhuizen is one of the first forts made of concrete, a response to the destructive power of new weaponry. It guards the Ringvaart canal and the Haarlemmermeer Polder dike. It boasts a unique feature: a double moat. This was essential because, during flooding, a higher strip along the Ringdijk would remain dry. The fort stands on a hill, created with sand excavated from the IJmuiden sluice-gate project.
Fort bij Vijfhuizen played a crucial experimental role, deviating from later fort designs in several ways. Unlike other forts, this one wasn’t built underground. Instead, peat was removed down to the clay layer and replaced with the sand from IJmuiden. To avoid weakening the foundation, water reservoirs were placed outside, not underneath. The gun turrets, initially planned to connect with side wings, became separate structures at the corners of the front wall. This change influenced subsequent fort designs.
In 1943, tragedy struck. A British Lockheed Ventura bomber, part of a raid targeting an Amsterdam power station, crashed into the fort’s moat. Pilot Jack Sharp miraculously survived, only to be captured. His crewmates perished. One body, recovered a week later, lay in the fort’s Genieloods, a unique metal artillery shed. Locals paid their respects to the New Zealand airman. He was later buried in Hoofddorp with his comrades. Sharp returned to Vijfhuizen multiple times, his life intertwined with the fort’s history.
After falling into disrepair, Fort bij Vijfhuizen found new life as Kunstfort. The fort now houses artist studios and a restaurant. The metal Genieloods, also restored, stands as a provincial monument. It hosts art events and community gatherings. The surrounding area, once bare, is now dotted with wooden houses, inspired by old regulations requiring easily demolished structures for clear firing lines. Fort bij Vijfhuizen stands today as a testament to Dutch ingenuity and resilience, transformed from a military stronghold to a creative haven. Its concrete walls echo with stories of war and art, a unique blend of heritage and imagination.