Amsterdam's soil is made up of clay and peat, not solid ground to build a metropolis on. Yet it is. hundreds of thousands of wooden piles keep the city centre and the 19th-century belt upright. Not only houses, but also bridges, quay walls and sewers are founded on wooden piles. Not for nothing is Amsterdam's soil compared to a dense forest. And to this day, we have to reckon with subsidence and damage due to ageing foundations and as a result of human activity.

This evening, Amsterdam restoration architect Ernst de Beaufort will introduce you to Amsterdam's foundation history, how it began, how it developed and its current state. The situation of the old quay walls and bridges will also be covered.