In the first half of the Twentieth Century the popularity of the automobile increased rapidly. Next to major changes to the country’s road network this growth also accelerated the demand for service and support for motorcar users. Already existing garages in sheds and former forges, often located on through-roads, were replaced by larger properties. In the province of Groningen, in the 1920s and 1930s, these building were often built in the architectual style of the Amsterdamse School movement.

To relieve towns and villages, the past few decades traffic has been diverted from the old main roads. Garages and service stations have moved to areas on the edge of towns and villages, leaving the old properties behind. If redevelopment does not follow and the building is not a listed monument, decay or demolition lie in wait.

This ongoing series aims to capture the surviving garages in the north of The Netherlands (the provinces of Drenthe, Friesland and Groningen). Some are still functioning garages but most of them have found a new use. Abandoned, decaying, as a residence, company, storage facility or even as a bicycle museum, they will all be included in this project.