Design

For the type of intervention we were really inspired by the work of the artist Constant. His ideas about fl exible and creative growth of a city, described in his masterpiece New Babylon, thought to come to use in our plan.
The idea is that man in the future will lead a nomadic life without the need to do physical labour. This means that man can focus totally on ´the playful life´.

Our project is a kind of mix of the Constant’s utopia and the strong caracteristics of this site along the Spree. It’s a radical gesture which provide a multifonctionnal and public space opened up to the landscape of the Spree. Thus our proposal is to construct a platform over the Spree to facilitate first these different functions: expositions, markets, spectacles and an outdoor cinema. It´s secondary function is to connect, like a bridge, for slow traffic. It could function as a slow connection for slow traffic routes between Strausberger Platz and Kotbusser Tor.

The existing Kiki Blofeld club is incorporated in the design of the platform and can maintain it´s function, but now inside a public space. On the same side there´s an inbetween level,making the connection with the ground level easier and creating a restaurant space below. The platform connects on the north side with the frame and has a lift/storage building attached. On the platform are different holes in which the Spree can be extra experienced and some wood-made shelters offer a ponctual wind-protection.

Impression of the platform	Section	Area map with frame and platform

This 6000 square meter platform provides 2900 square meters of mulitfonctionnal area. The structure of this plate-form uses that of traditional bridges. The repartition of the pilars is assymetrical in order to take account of the contrast described before between the two sides.

Analysis

Different typologies in plan area	River Spree with it's 'space'

Our research concentrated on the question: where do you feel the presence of the Spree? With different experiments we’ve tried to defi ne the area belonging to the river. In these places you can feel the Spree, and thus in the other places you cannot see or feel the presence of the river. The feeling of the Spree is not always proportionnal to its closeness.

This research resulted in an interesting area of focus. Furthermore it raised some questions:
How to deal with this area?
Do we want to make it accessible?

In our area of research we have found interesting typology. Most of the buildings are relativly new, build after the Second World War based on modernistic principles. Most are free standing blocks in public space build in a pre fabricated method. These blocks are grouped in a way which creates an inside fi eld protected from the outside. Inside these blocks are small buildings found with functions like schools and leisure.

Methodology

Existing typology	Create a new frame	Connect the inside	Make deliberate entrances

The existing typology inspired us because it creates a field of interest inside. We have analysed this method and thought of a method to create this fi eld in our location. We call this principle 'jewel in a box'.

First, we define the field by making a frame around the area. This focusses the attention to the center of the inside fi eld, in this case the Spree river. On this point the location should also be connected to make it works like one fi eld. This point is also the best location for an intervention to exploit the focus. And then it the frame should be deliberately opened on desired points to make formal and clear entrances.

Design of the Vroesenpark in Rotterdam

In our park research we've discovered the characteristics of the Vroesenpark, lying at the 'entrance' of Rotterdam. It's location makes it a park of extremes, at one side it borders the city zoo Blijdorp and a nice residential quiet residential area. At the other side it is bordered by two very busy railway tracks and the A20-A13 connection called 'Kleinpolderplein'. This is the busiest highway crossing in Holland. The park is loved by it's users and even has it's own hyve on internet.

In our analysis we have found some aspects of the park we wanted to improve. Our plan is about enhancing the identity of the park by strengthening the connection with the zoo and improving the connectivity with an isolated district of Rotterdam: Overschie. With the new route drawn up this connection improves and give's the park a clear hierarchy and routing.
Part of the plan are view towers, a bridge over the A20, tennis courts between and under railway tracks and a zoo display window with live animals!

Analysis of parks in Utrecht

Mental map Park de Gagel	Mental map Griftpark	Mental map Wilhelminapark
Routing map Park de Gagel	Routing map Griftpark	Routing map Wilhelminapark

In our park analysis we have done research on three parks in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht. The aspects on which the research took place were:

• density, describing the amount of people living in the vicinity of the park;
• reach, how far the park attracts people;
• connectivity, three step analysis;
• accessibility, about physical and mental access to the park;
• unicity, how much competing parks are in the neighborhood;
• mixed functions, what kind of activity takes place in the context of the park;
• routing, what the amount of passing-through traffic in the park is;
• identity, the attraction of the park in terms of context, design and function.

My research was concentrated on the last two subjects: routing and identity. The routing methodology was about the making clear differences in the park in passing-through routes and destination traffic in the park. The identity subject was divided into physical and non-physical maps displaying the cognitive image people have of a park. This has to do with the context of the park: the characteristics of the urban design and the specific design of the park. But also of the function in the park which may represents the whole identity of the park.
On the research of this park we have derived starting points for our design proposal.

Atlas of the Landport region	Supernode perspective	Key project Huizen
	A semester of urban research, design and strategic planning in the Landport. We have developed a future image for the region between Amsterdam, Almere, Utrecht and Amersfoort in 2040. First stage of the project was to make spatial and social reviews and report them in an Atlas. After this we drew up a perspective and made it strategic through definition of key projects and ex-ante evaluation of effects. The products of this process are formed into booklets (above) and posters (right). - Perspective 'Pecha Kucha' presentation (in pdf) in Almere city hall on 11/01/2007 - Perspective end presentation in the Faculty of Architecture on 21/12/2006