Winterworkshop 2011 - A stroll in the air
Deltapoort by bike: a performative study curated by Jeanne van Heeswijk
Why Deltapoort?
As the region surrounding the port and city of Rotterdam, Deltapoort is a prominent area for the Netherlands. Home to some 260,000 people, it comprises the open area between Barendrecht, Zwijndrecht, Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht and Ridderkerk, and between the large waterways through Dordrecht and Rotterdam South. The area is one of the buffer zones earmarked by the government. It is also considered to be one of the most cluttered areas along the southern wing of the Randstad. Partly owing to the dominance of the industrial port, the area has developed in a one-sided way in recent decades. Large-scale works of infrastructure bisect the area. Because of this, Deltapoort mainly fulfils a function that extends beyond the immediate region. Strong pressure is being exerted on the coherence of the landscape and the quality of the residential environment. The differences between polder landscape and infrastructure, between village and city, are big.
Changing Reality, the project by students Esther, Stefan, Wesley and Semiha
From buffer zone to culture zone
The assignment is to study whether the area offers possibilities that could stimulate regional use, so that the buffer zone no longer separates areas from one another but connects the surrounding towns and the national landscapes (Green Heart, Biesbosch, Hoekse Waard) to one another. How can we create a new urban landscape that encourages functional, recreational and alternative uses? The government?s focus here lies on access to the area and connections with the surrounding towns with a network of cycle paths. Access for local traffic currently leaves much to be desired, and cyclists end up hopelessly lost. We will study the potential of the bike as a tool for accessing the area in relation to the themes of sustainability, health, and the environment, with the goal of enhancing the quality of the experience. The cycle path and the bike are considered here as metaphors for a new urban culture.
Moving Landscape, the project by students Michiel, Niek and Julien
Performative study
By means of an exploration of the area in the form of a performative study on location, we will try to strengthen the way the area is experienced by people. We will do this by literally capturing the area by bike and forcing new connections. To this end we will make temporary interventions that improve access to the area and stimulate other forms of use. The results of this research studio will not culminate in a new master plan or vision but in a concrete toolkit that forms an initial impetus for this new urban culture.
The Millers, the project by students Amy, Ramon and Chiel
Institute: Amsterdam Academy of Architecture
Curator: Jeanne van Heeswijk, Artist in Residence 2010-2011
Period: Winter workshop January 7th - 14th 2011
Take 5, part of the project by students Jaap, Nanna and Lars