Directly in front of you, you’ll spot Carolina MacGillavrylaan by its striking cluster of modern tower blocks and glassy buildings lining the wide avenue-just look straight ahead down the street, and you can’t miss those bold, angular façades rising up on both sides.
Alright, now that you’re here: let me tell you the tale of this remarkable street. Imagine walking through a land not of canal houses and cobblestones, but of cutting-edge architecture-towers of glass and stone basking in the Amsterdam sunshine, their walls reflecting the blue sky and the bustle of students hurrying to class. Welcome to the heart of Science Park, and the story of Carolina MacGillavrylaan, a name as unique as the street itself.
It all began with a big decision in September 2004, when the street was officially named after one of the Netherlands’ brightest minds: Carolina Henriette MacGillavry. She wasn’t just any scientist-she was a wizard with crystals, a professor of chemistry and crystallography at the University of Amsterdam from 1957 to 1972. And no, she didn’t actually live here; her home was in the Concertgebouw area, closer to where classical music takes center stage than where science reigns supreme! But her legacy? That’s right here.
MacGillavrylaan zigzags out from Molukkenstraat, running like a stubborn leg of a triangle, gradually pulling away from the old canal. As you stroll down this road, you’re basically walking beside centuries of history-the ancient Kruislaan of Watergraafsmeer runs right through here! And yet, the laan itself ends quite abruptly, just by the Watergraafsmeer junction, as if the scientists building it suddenly decided to go for a coffee and never came back.
This street holds secrets in the shapes above you-look around and see the playful mix of high-rise towers and 4-5 story blocks. The names of the buildings? They’re a breeze from the Greek isles: Samos (nicknamed “The Twins”), Milos, Andros, KEA-and no, there’s no secret summer ferry, though wouldn’t that be something? Samos, Milos, and KEA are award-winning creations, especially Milos, which once went by “The Castle” and scooped up the Zuiderkerk Prize. Stand by KEA, and you’re beside a skyscraper built especially for Science Park students and young locals-22 floors up, with 152 apartments!
There’s also Meander, a zigzagging wonder built for around 750 students, its winding walls creating hidden courtyards where laughter bounces alongside textbooks. Don’t forget the mint-green Science Park II tower or the CPO Science Park-where even the sun has clever shortcuts to shine on every floor.
You might spot the famous physics institutes, AMOLF and Nikhef, standing to the east, buzzing with experiments and fresh ideas. And if you hear a distant rumble, that’s probably a sprinter train pulling into Science Park station above Kruislaan-it’s been zipping people to Weesp and beyond since 2009. Or maybe it’s the sound of a bus on line 40, connecting science, city, and adventure.
So, whether you’re here for brainpower or just to marvel at modern architecture, Carolina MacGillavrylaan is where old Amsterdam and the future tangle together. Just keep your eyes peeled-you never know what new discovery might be hiding behind all this glass and stone!
