Four new canals were built on Java Island in Amsterdam, and 19 young architects were given the opportunity to design houses to be built on these canals. The goal was to explore contemporary interpretations of the tranditional Amsterdam canal houses. Each home was given a plot of land 4.5 meters wide, and was to be either 4 or 5 stories high.

The result is a delightful and chaotic mix of materials and styles of the facades. Nonetheless there is a unity among the homes, due to their similar proportions, and the canals that tie them together. They also have a unity due to the fact that no one home out-competes the others for the public's attention; they are all equally unique.

Architects selected for the project included Rene van Zuuk and Bjarne Mastenbroek. The canals are tied together by 9 pedestrian / bicycle bridges designed by artists Guy Rombouts and Monika Droste.