Experimental antidote to Amsterdam's clubs upsets its neighbours

Amsterdam may be famous for its nightlife, but now a planned multi-storey building that will be home to a club, cafe and apartments has become a flashpoint in the battle between preserving heritage buildings and rowdy entertainment.

- Senay Boztas

In the latest urban planning tussle to hit one of Europe's most densely populated countries, neighbours of Amsterdam's planned "institute for night culture" (INC) fear it will shake their foundations.

Last week the Council of State, the Netherlands' highest administrative court, granted planning permission for the project despite residents' concerns about lost sunlight, increased bike traffic and potential damage to historic buildings.

When the INC, a non-profit initiative, was announced last October, the architect David Mulder van der Vegt said it would be "this hidden place, this underworld where all kinds of people... will meet". The city gave it a €50,000 (£43,000) subsidy and the deputy mayor, Touria Meliani, said it would be an experimental antidote to a growing "monoculture" in the city's nightlife.