Campus Square
Image section Then-Now
Ab Flipse: "From the moment VU Amsterdam decided in the 1950s to concentrate all its activities on a campus in the yet-to-be-built Buitenveldert district, plans were made for a pleasant, green outdoor space. But for just as long as these plans have existed, numerous 'laws and practical objections' have thrown a spanner in the works of their realisation.
The photo from 1976 shows how the 'courtyard', for which a beautiful design had been made in conjunction with the surrounding buildings, is littered with all kinds of temporary buildings, cars and building materials. Planned buildings had, for various reasons, not yet been realised, but due to a severe lack of space, all sorts of temporary structures were put up. One such 'temporary' building was the large Provisorium I (in the middle of the photo), on the spot where 'the Red Pipit', the OZW building, now stands. It was intended to be used for ten years but was finally demolished in 2002. The 'courtyard' never became particularly pleasant in the seventies and eighties. Even so, such a messy environment did offer numerous opportunities for students, such as for the SRVU, which for a long time was based in its 'own' temporary building."
"Since then, plans have continually been made to transform the site into either a green oasis or a square with Southern European allure. But just as often, the plans were not realised, or an attractive improvement was spoiled by a new building, such as the Initium in 2011 (on the site of a pond and green side entrance to the square), or the temporary buildings Bellevue and TenT that have been there since 2003.
Recently, the campus square has finally become somewhat nicer. It has been transformed into the 'vibrant heart of the campus'. There is more greenery, which allows for all kinds of activities, there is liveliness around the picnic tables and the terrace, and people play volleyball, basketball and do calisthenics. However, the question remains: how long will it stay nice this time?"
Ab Flipse has been a university historian since 2014. His mission is to research the history of VU Amsterdam and keep it alive for a wide audience. Although he is stationed at Humanities, he serves the entire university. He also teaches at various faculties, conducts research and supervises theses. On geheugenvandevu.nl, he talks about the history of VU Amsterdam.
magazine for social sciences and humanities alumni december 2025