The transformation of Amstelplein Shopping Centre is nearly complete. Last month, I created two time-lapse edits: one capturing the demolition of the old floor, and another documenting the pouring of the new sand-cement floor.
Together with Michel Rahn, I coordinated the recordings with the retailers and the contractors involved. The work was carried out at night so the stores could remain open to the public during the day.
Preparations for demolition work 00:00
Demolition work – start of time-lapse 00:20
Preparations for pouring the sand-cement floor 01:20
Pouring the sand-cement floor – start of time-lapse 01:38As a content creator, you want a compelling time-lapse edit from start to finish. Camera placement is crucial: we were looking for a viewpoint that offered a strong overview of the work—ideally showing an area where demolition had just begun and another where final preparations were still underway.
We therefore positioned the camera centrally in the shopping centre on the south side. Aiming toward the north side allowed us to clearly capture all activities that started on the east side (right side of the frame) and steadily progressed toward the west side of the centre. All the action from a single viewpoint.
That evening, Anton van Dijk from Woerden played the leading role. With a large team and impressive machinery, the entire shopping centre floor was demolished and removed in a single night. It became very dusty—but everything was thoroughly cleaned so the shops and the public could return the next morning.
After the demolition work, the shops reopened as planned the next morning. Cnstrct, a contractor specializing in retail projects, oversees the complete renovation of Amstelplein Shopping Centre and had the planning for these two nights perfectly organized. From late afternoon onwards, Cnstrct’s team carefully prepared the work for the following night: pouring the new sand-cement floor. This work was carried out by AKN Afdekvloeren from Bodegraven.
It’s not every day that you see a Bobcat or mini loader driving into a shopping centre. This prompted Michel and me to decide at the last moment to film some of the final preparations using our iPhones. We thought it might make a strong opening for the edit—and it turned out to be exactly that.
