From province to composer
The Drentestraat was roughly in the area where the KPN transmission tower now stands. You've probably seen it at some point, just south of the A10 ring road. The area where the street was, west of the Europaboulevard and bordering the De Boelegracht and the AFC football pitches, was once simply called Drentepark.
The Drentestraat was named after the province of the same name by council decision on 14 June 1961. In 2005, however, the whole district got a thorough makeover, including a new name: Vivaldi. The Drentestraat was renamed in sections as the Antonio Vivaldistraat and the Barbara Strozzilaan, in keeping with the musical street names of the new Zuidas business district. Vivaldi simply sounded a bit more international than Drenthe.
Gebouw Vivaldi as an anchor amid the change
At number 11 on the former Drentestraat, the striking Gebouw Vivaldi (Vivaldi Building) rose in the 1960s. A modernist building by Peter de Clercq Zubli and Piet Zanstra, which housed Philips-Duphar and Phonogram Records, among others. Mayor Ivo Samkalden opened the building in person.
Today it may stand out less among the giants, but anyone who looks closely can still see the echoes of another era. The name 'Gebouw Vivaldi', incidentally, only came along after the street name had been changed.
Another new street name
During the development of the Zuidas, more street names were changed. Among them the now so familiar Gustav Mahlerlaan, which got its name at that time. You can read that story here.
A surviving hint of Drente
Street names can be seen as silent archives. They tell you how a neighbourhood once began. The Drentestraat recalled a period when Buitenveldert was still under construction, a residential district with provincial flair. Now the area is a beating heart of the Zuidas, with international allure. Yet the name hasn't completely disappeared. There is still one place where Drente proudly appears on the sign: tram stop Drentepark. This stop, next to the turning loop of tram 4, is a small remnant of the past. A wink for those who pay attention, a quiet reminder for those in the know.
So no, the Drentestraat is no longer on the map. But as with so many vanished street names in Amsterdam: those who seek will always find a trace. In buildings, in stories, in a stray tram stop, or simply here with us at feitjes.amsterdam.
