Vendors at the weekly Book Market and Sunday Art Market on the Spui face potential displacement starting in January. The square has been earmarked as a staging area for large-scale renovation work on the neighbouring Kalverstraat.
The shopping street and nearby roads require extensive maintenance after years of heavy foot traffic, alongside full replacements of underground sewers, cables, and pipes. The municipality expects the work to take two years, leaving contractors in need of nearby space to store materials.
Vendors fear losing loyal crowds
The Book Market has operated on the Spui every Friday for 35 years. Stallholders say leaving the square, or shrinking down to fit alongside a construction depot, would cause severe damage to their livelihoods.
Board chairman Axe van Maanen warned that regular visitors rely on finding the stalls during routine walks through the centre. Without that footfall, he expects the market would disappear entirely.
Jos van Alphen of the Amsterdam International Artists Foundation expressed similar worries for the Sunday Art Market. He noted that the square served briefly as a materials depot earlier this year, which badly harmed foot traffic and the overall atmosphere.
Discussions over the square continue
The Central District confirmed that using the Spui as a depot is one of the main options under review. Officials are talking with market representatives to decide whether a reduced layout can coexist with building supplies.
A district spokesperson said the project plan is still being finalized. The municipality intends to share a firm decision once the precise construction timetable is confirmed.
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