Gun carriage hall
Built in 1936 – 1941, national monument
Past
This is actually two buildings combined: building 290 and building 336. Here, the gun carriages were overhauled by Artillerie Inrichtingen, i.e. inspected and, if necessary, repaired. A gun carriage is a frame on which cannon or other heavy artillery were mounted. In 1973, after the company was split into Eurometaal N.V. and Gereedschapswerktuigen Industrie Hembrug, this became an assembly hall and welding shop for Machinefabriek Hembrug. The building has striking skylights on the roof and is made mainly from steel and concrete.
A former employee recalls: ‘Your wage was physically handed over to you […]. There was the artillery repair place and the gun carriage workshop. In the middle of one of those big huts was a man, sitting at a table. He paid you. I think he paid the wages based on a payslip. You had to say straight away if the amount wasn’t right. You couldn’t leave then come back, otherwise you’d be told: ‘You should’ve spoken up straight away.’ You all stood in a line, waiting until it was your turn. Then you had to state your name and number. To be fair to the guy, he did a great job keeping on top of it all.’
Present
The building now houses Viking Factory, a business centre for creative entrepreneurs including:
- Interiors consultancy Atelier 09. More information: https://atelier09.nl/
- Kantoor van Flinders, a home furnishings shop selling designer furniture and lighting. more information: https://www.flinders.nl/
- Occony, a maker of designer furniture made from healthy and recyclable materials.More information: https://occony.com/
- Rrevive SaaS platform. They support businesses with developing circular strategies and tracking products, and translate this into financial management information. More information: https://rrevive.io/
- Vitra Circle, a circle store selling items from exhibitions, trade fairs, and showroom displays. More information: https://zaandam.vitracircle.com/
More information: https://www.vikingfactory.nl/
Hundredth piece of artillery overhauled and modified by Artillerie Inrichtingen.
The Zaans Museum was founded in 1998 on the Zaanse Schans to guard and preserve the Zaan heritage.
The Hembrug Museum tells the story of the arms and ammunition factory that was located on the Hembrugterrein in Zaandam.
In 1697, the Russian Tsar Peter the Great stayed in this world-famous house in the center of Zaandam.
