oncepts
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P14_We love to build
An urban strategy on how the in-between-time of the transformation of an urban area can be used to develop an identity for this urban area.Rotterdam loves to build. In the former century Rotterdam could expand and built its housing demands on the unexploited areas or former industrial areas. Since the last decade these areas are harder to find. Now Rotterdam faces the transformation of existing housing areas, the time of designing starting from a tabula rasa is over and designing becomes working on a going engine.
‘We love to build’ is a strategy on how temporary functions and manifestations can keep an urban area part of the city in the in-between-time and how the temporary and long term functions and manifestations can support the identity of the new area.
This strategy is based on a toolbox with possible temporary and long term functions, differently depending on the scale of the area, the position of the area in the urban tissue and the functions the area will accommodate.
Next to the toolbox, the whole transformation process, starting from the intention of transformation until the final new use, has been catalogued and possible manifestations have been added. The strategy is the result of a design research of different transformation areas.
This urban strategy is part of the case studies that substantiate Festivalcity_Rotterdam, a strategy for the symbiotic collaboration of festivals and urban development, creating a strong identity for both.
Related projects: P11_Festivalcity_Rotterdam / P12_Caribbean Summer @ Afrikaanderwijk / P13_the Rotterdam urban theatre / P15_IFF@R'dam
2oo8, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
here
pdates
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You reach your destination!
What could be the role for the urban design and the designer now the long-term perspective seems to be under pressure by the focus on short time winnings?
For Plandag 2011, Planning of the future, David Dooghe wrote a paper on how the role of the urban design and designer is shifting.
The paper is published (in Dutch) in the book: Planning van de Toekomst, Plandag 2011, Redactie: Geiske Bouma, Friedle Filius, Elke Vanempten en Bas Waterhout. ISBN/EAN: 978-90-808545-0-5
The paper starts from 2 observations:
- Technology is developing at a speed limit and some of these implications of technology in products have mayor influence on the urban tissue. What is new today is old tomorrow, so how to create a long-term perspective of the design?
- Due to the end of the welfare state the government is redrawing. This creates a shift in the commissioning of the building projects from the public to the private sector. However, the private sector has different interests than the public sector. Next to the shift in commissioning there is a shift from supplier market to a demand market, giving more power to the future resident of the house. Where there used to be one strong commissioner, the public sector, there is now an abundance of parties, each with different interests. How will this influence the role of the urban designer in the design process?
At the moment the major part of the redevelopment projects in the Netherlands use the tubula rasa approach. First there are no more investments (public space and buildings) in the area. Because of this, people move out and the area gets a bad reputation, which finally results in the demolishing of the buildings.
To attract new buyers, a lot of money is invested in promotion, activities, ... with the goal to sell the houses and to start the rebuilding.
Within this tubula rasa approach there is no possibility to adjust to the external influences during the process, like technology or economy. Neither is the area inviting during the process, in order to more naturally attract future residents.
In the paper an alternative approach is given. By a strategic demolishing and rebuilding of the area in different parts and by the use of specific temporary functions, fitting for the new identity of the area, a more sustainable process is the result. By demolishing and rebuilding in parts, the adjustments, due to external influences, can be easier implemented. By use of specific temporary functions, the area stays more lively and therefor more inviting.
The urban plan should no longer focus on the final destination but on the steps needed to get there. The urban designer, as continuity in the process from drawing to rebuilding, takes care of the process and adjusts when necessary. By this the urban designer gets a central role in the process and the coalition of the different parties.
He/she does not focus as much on the final destination but on the steps how to get to that destination.
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Parfum de Coolsingel
On a warm summer day at the Coolsingel a presentation was given by David Dooghe about the design project: ‘the Rotterdam urban theatre’. This was a part of Parfum de Boem Boem, the artistic route alongside building plots.
After shortly introducing the Festivalcity strategy (P11), the redesign of the Coolsingel as the central trillzone of Rotterdam with the public space as the main stage and the buildings as the scenery was explained. Being on site gave an extra dimension to the photo impressions and there was the possibility to go more into detail about the project. The proposed lowered basin surprised and inspired the public. This basin could be utilized in daily use as a water element to relax by or play in or linger along or used as lowered festival street or seats of an open air theatre.
The main question in all the groups was when project could get built.
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Transformation as Inspiration @ PdBB o9
Transformation as Inspiration, the public space dance performances, was part of Parfum de Boem Boem. PdBB is tour along building plots, combining information and artistic performances. PdBB exposes the beauty of demolishing and building.
The improvisation-based dance performance was held in front of the building plot of Vopak, which is situated next to the park of Rotterdam.
The building plot showed a building stripped to its structural essence. This created the strong image of a wood of concrete trees with an interesting perspective and depth between the trees.
The audience was placed in the park, looking up to the building. The dancers were placed in different layers between the audience and the building, creating more depth and playing with perspective. Some dancers where asked to come in contact with the audience and end behind the audience. The building being stripped to its structural essence was the base for the dance movement. The dancers moved from out of their bones and junctions.
The dancers improvised with the materials around the plot and played with the sound these materials made and created a rhythm for the dance. The sounds of the materials created a working atmosphere, this in contrast of the sounds of nature coming from the park.
The performances where made at site, 2 hours before the performance.
Choreography David Dooghe, dancers Datah; Anuska Oosterhuis, Maartje Schuurmans, Annemarie De Vries, Else Marijn Kruijswijk, Sandra Ketterings
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Transformation as Inspiration @ MoMo o9
Transformation as Inspiration, the public space dance performances, was part of Motel Mozaique of 2oo9, the multidisciplinary art festival of Rotterdam.
The dance performance was held in front of the building plot of the Central Station of Rotterdam. The Delftse Poort, as a tall and light building and the Groothandelsgebouw, as a dense and heavy building were the inspiration for the dancers.
The dancers moved on the rhythm of the hammering, which sounded like the familiar Rotterdam sound of driving piles. The dancers ended by connecting and forming the identifiable form of the new station.
Choreography David Dooghe, Dancers Dattah: Jan Misker, David Dooghe.
rojects
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P14_We love to build
the toolbox
the transformation process