Description
The Kromhouthal (De Kromhouthal) is a former marine-engine factory on the IJ in Amsterdam Noord that is now one of the city’s largest event venues. Its central hall covers 3,588 m² and holds up to 2,300 people, and the whole site, including break-out rooms, a small harbour and a waterside terrace, comes to more than 5,000 m². The venue doesn’t publish public opening hours, so you get inside when an event is on: a trade fair, design market, conference, exhibition or company party.
I came across the Kromhouthal on my last trip to Amsterdam, and what stayed with me was how the hall manages to feel raw and refined at once. The industrial bones are all still there, with concrete floors, steel structures, exposed brickwork and tall factory windows that pull in daylight, yet the space is clean and bright enough to host a polished conference one weekend and a vintage market the next.
Kromhouthal at a glance
| Address | Gedempt Hamerkanaal 231, 1021 KP Amsterdam (the hall stands directly opposite this navigation address) |
| Area | De Overkant, Amsterdam Noord, on the north bank of the IJ |
| Built | Engine works moved here in 1908; IJ side of the hall added in 1925, extended in 1930 |
| Central hall | 3,588 m², up to 2,300 people |
| Total venue | More than 5,000 m² |
| Nearest metro | Noorderpark (line 52), roughly 10 minutes on foot |
| Free ferry | F2 from behind Amsterdam Centraal to IJplein |
| Parking | 74 private spaces at the door; paid parking applies in the area |
| Public access | During events only; no public opening hours are published |
| Contact | +31 20 636 5250, [email protected], kromhouthal.com |
From engine factory to event hall
The name comes from kromhout, the naturally curved “knee” timber that 18th-century shipwrights used to build wooden hulls. The ‘t Kromhout shipyard in Amsterdam Oost, run by the Goedkoop family, started out building wooden sailing ships, moved on to iron steamers and later became famous for its Kromhout marine engines. Demand for those engines outgrew the old yard, so in 1908 the engine division moved across the IJ to the land now called De Overkant. The IJ-facing side of the hall followed in 1925, and the site was extended again in 1930.
Machine maker Stork, based on neighbouring Ketelstraat, took over Kromhout’s engine division in 1966. Engine production eventually wound down, and in 2009 housing association Eigen Haard bought the site with plans to turn the old industrial strip into a creative quarter. The hall has run as an event venue since around 2012, and it has since hosted names such as the Affordable Art Fair, Google Think, Emerce eDay and Dance4Life.
If the history grabs you, the original yard still survives in Amsterdam Oost as Museum ‘t Kromhout on Hoogte Kadijk, where the first Kromhout engines were built. It opens on Tuesdays from 09:30 to 15:30 and on the third Sunday of each month from 12:00 to 16:00, with entry at €10 for adults and €5 for children up to 12.
Key Features
Scale is the first thing you notice. The ceiling in the main hall rises to around 15 metres, which gives the room a grand, airy feel you rarely find in a city better known for narrow canal houses. The industrial past is left on show rather than hidden, and the building has been fitted out so organisers can use that height and length properly:
- Seven overhead cranes travel the full length of the hall and are used to rig lighting, drapes and decorations.
- Electric blinds on the IJ side of the roof let the hall be blacked out for shows and projections; the front can be darkened by hand.
- The central hall can be split into two or more areas with large drapes hung from the cranes.
- Three break-out rooms sit next to the main hall: Studio T02 (516 m², 250 people), Break-out North (177 m², 150 people) and Break-out South (203 m², 150 people). They can only be booked together with the central hall.
- A private jetty and inner courtyard on the IJ side (500 m², up to 800 people) allow guests to arrive by boat.
- The terrace (140 m², up to 250 people) looks out over the IJ towards the Amsterdam skyline.
- A 260 m² catering space with cold and freezer rooms supports in-house or outside caterers; the in-house menu is at least 50% vegetarian, with tap water and biodegradable disposables.
- Fibre wifi, a goods lift and space for large banners on the front and rear facades round out the practical side.
For visitors with limited mobility, the main hall is on one level, a lift serves the first-floor break-out rooms, and there is an accessible toilet. If you’re attending an event with specific access needs, contact the organiser or the venue ahead of time, since layouts change from event to event.
The setting matters as much as the building. The Kromhouthal sits in Amsterdam Noord, a former industrial district that has filled up with creative businesses, venues and waterfront restaurants, and the view across the IJ from the terrace is one of the better event backdrops in the city.
Best Time to Visit
Plan around the event calendar rather than the season, because the inside of the hall is only open when something is on. As of September 2026, upcoming events include the Collectable World trading card fair on 10 and 11 October 2026, which uses 4,000 m² of floor space, and Design Icons Amsterdam, a vintage design fair on Sunday 8 November 2026 from 10:00 to 18:00. Check the organiser’s site for tickets and times before you travel, as dates can move.
If you want time on the terrace, late spring to early autumn gives you the best chance of sitting outside with a drink and watching the boats on the IJ. The terrace belongs to the venue, so it’s only open when an event uses it. Amsterdam weather changes quickly in any season, so bring a layer even in summer.
Indoor fairs and markets make the hall a solid rainy-day plan in autumn and winter, when there’s an event on. Big fairs tend to be busiest around opening time and early afternoon at weekends; arriving later in the day usually means more room to take in the size of the space.
No event on? You can still walk the waterfront at De Overkant and see the hall from outside, then build an afternoon in the area. On the Roof on nearby Johan van Hasseltweg runs rooftop concerts in summer, Museum Amsterdam Noord (MAN) on Zamenhofstraat covers the district’s history from Thursday to Sunday, and the Eye Film Museum is a short ride west along the IJ.
How to Get There
The Kromhouthal is at the far end of Gedempt Hamerkanaal in Amsterdam Noord. Use Gedempt Hamerkanaal 231 for navigation, but note that the venue says this is not its exact address: the hall is directly opposite. Metro 52 is the quickest route from the city centre, and the free F2 ferry is the most scenic.
By metro
Take metro 52 (the North-South line) to Noorderpark, the first stop north of Amsterdam Centraal. From Amsterdam Zuid the ride takes about 15 minutes, and trains run around 10 times an hour. From Noorderpark it’s roughly a 10-minute walk:
- Leave the station, turn right and follow Johan van Hasseltweg.
- At the roundabout, take the first exit on the right onto Meeuwenlaan.
- After about 150 metres, turn left past Pand Noord into Hamerstraat.
- Turn right at the first street onto Gedempt Hamerkanaal and follow it to the end.
By free ferry
GVB’s free F2 ferry to IJplein leaves from behind Amsterdam Centraal and is the easternmost of the Noord ferries, so it lands closest to the Kromhouthal. Departures are frequent during the day on weekdays and less frequent in the evening and at weekends, so check the GVB app for live times, especially for the return trip after a late event. From IJplein, follow the cycle path, turn right, then turn right again after the Dirk van den Broek supermarket.
Groups can also hire a private boat from Centraal Station to the venue’s own jetty, which is about a five-minute trip across the water. Arriving at an event by boat is hard to beat.
By bike
Cycling works well: GVB ferries take bikes for free, so you can ride to Centraal, cross on the F2 and cycle the short stretch from IJplein. Lock your bike to a fixed rack, as bike theft is common in Amsterdam.
By car
From the IJtunnel, take the first exit, keep left at the traffic lights, take the second exit at the roundabout onto Johan van Hasseltweg, then the second right onto Gedempt Hamerkanaal and follow it to the end. From the A10 ring, take exit S116, then the Noord 300-349 exit, and follow Johan van Hasseltweg to Gedempt Hamerkanaal. The hall has 74 private parking spaces out front, and paid parking applies across the surrounding streets. For large events, organisers can rent an extra 600-space car park about 100 metres away, but public transport is usually less hassle than driving through the city.
From Schiphol Airport
Take the train to Amsterdam Zuid or Amsterdam Centraal, then metro 52 to Noorderpark and walk the last stretch. If you have time and it’s a clear day, get off at Centraal and take the F2 ferry instead for a first look at the IJ. Coming for a multi-day fair? Our guide to where to stay in Amsterdam compares Noord with the other districts, and Noord tends to have lower hotel rates than the centre.
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit the Kromhouthal without an event ticket?
Not inside. The Kromhouthal is an event venue without published public opening hours, so you enter during a fair, market, conference or other event. You can see the building from the waterfront at De Overkant at any time.
What was the Kromhouthal originally?
It was the engine factory of the ‘t Kromhout shipyard. The engine division moved to this site in Amsterdam Noord in 1908, the IJ side of the hall was added in 1925, and Stork took over the engine business in 1966.
How many people does the Kromhouthal hold?
The central hall is 3,588 m² and holds up to 2,300 people. Including the break-out rooms, harbour and terrace, the venue covers more than 5,000 m².
Is the Kromhouthal wheelchair accessible?
Yes. The main hall is on one level, a lift serves the first-floor break-out rooms, and there is an accessible toilet. Check with the event organiser about seating and layout for your specific event.
