Day 1: June 28, Rotterdam
Urban Regeneration
08:30 Meeting point: Bus station Rotterdam Central Station
– 9:00 – 10:30: Hoogvliet
Hoogvliet is known as the first Dutch New Town and was built in the 1960s to house the workers of Shell and the port of Rotterdam. Once built as an idyllic sleeping New Town, Hoogvliet had transformed into a ghetto towards the closing of the twentieth century. Only since 2010, the city has been modernized through substantial investments in education, housing and facilities. Examples of architectural projects are the School Campus (architect: Wiel Arets), the School Parasite and the Musicians’ cohousing complex, built by 24hr Architects with housing corporation Vestia. INTI director, Michelle Provoost will guide us past these projects.
Transport by bus to Spijkenisse
– 11:00 – 12:30: Spijkenisse
Spijkenisse is a New Town from the ‘70s close to Hoogvliet. Though for a long time, this city was known for its outdated city center, it has rapidly developed its cultural facilities over the past decennia. Mirjam Salet, Mayor of Spijkenisse, will guide us through the completely renewed city center and the public library, which was designed by MVRDV Architects.
Transport by bus to the Fenix Loods
– 13:00 – 13:30: Lunch at the Fenixloods
Lunch at the Fenix Loods, in the Katendrecht neighborhood of Rotterdam, of which a part has been transformed into a popular food market. This is also the location of the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR).
– 13:30 – 14:30: Tour of the IABR
The IABR-2016 opened in April and provides a rich program of events focusing on the relationships between spatial design and tomorrow’s economic changes. It offers a platform for discussion on the city that we want, advocating for a city that runs on clean energy, inclusive and productive – a city that centers on the public domain and on a solid social agenda. Michiel van Iersel, curator Team IABR2016, will introduce the theme of the biennale: The Next Economy.
Bus transport to the Schieblock
– 15:00 – 16:00: Schieblock
The ‘Schieblock’ has grown into an iconic part of central Rotterdam. What once was an empty office building has been transformed into a hub of creative activity, housing multiple architecture and design offices, concept store GROOS and ZUS, one of the two prime initiators of the overall project. ZUS will give a lecture on the emergence and functioning of the Schieblock.
A Short Walk over the ‘Luchtsingel’ to the Hofbogen
– 16:00 – 17:00: Hofbogen
From Schieblock it’s only a short walk to the Hofbogen, a former train viaduct which since 2011 is known as a cultural hotspot– a hub of concept stores, several modern coffee bars, restaurant De Jong and Jazz Café Bird. However, this nineteenth-century train viaduct has known different times: in the 1990s this building and the neighborhood around it, were in decay. Simone Rots, former director of Ltd. Hofbogen, will give a talk on the regeneration of this piece of urban fabric.
– 17:00: Drinks in Jazz Café Bird
Day 2: June 29, Amsterdam
Smart Society
– 8:30 Meeting point: at the Bus Station, in Ruyterkade 153, nearby Amsterdam Central Station
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9:00 – 10:00: AEB
AEB Amsterdam is a waste-to-energy company, owned by the City of Amsterdam. It is their mission to be the world leader in sustainable conversion of waste into energy and valuable, re-usable raw materials.
Evert Lichtenbelt, responsible for the International cooperations, will give a presentation and show the group around.
Bus transport to Amsterdam West
– 10:15 – 11:45: Urban regeneration in Amsterdam West
Amsterdam West is the largest urban expansion of Amsterdam in the 20th century, designed by CIAM planner Cornelis van Eesteren. Since the 1980s and 1990s, Amsterdam West saw its immigrant population rise substantively, but as we speak, this part of the city is cautiously undertaking a cultural turnaround. Maurits de Hoog, Director of the Department of Spatial Planning in Amsterdam, will give a lecture on the transformation and regeneration process taking place in this area.
– 12:00 – 13:30: Lunch at De School
‘De School’ is Amsterdam’s latest cultural hotspot, located in an old school building in the West of Amsterdam, just within the Ring. During lunch, we will attend a presentation of the many different projects of Amsterdam Smart City.
– 14:00 – 15:00 IJburg
‘IJburg’ is the name of a number of islands facilitating the growth of 18.000 houses in high densities. The concept of the islands enhances the feeling of living in, on and surrounded by water, which was necessary in order to control water flows, flood risk and nature compensation. The islands provide different housing concepts, mixed-use spaces and high quality urban public spaces. Architect and urbanist Alexander Mooi will provide a tour.
Transfer to Almere by bus
– 15:00 – 17:00 Almere
A bus tour in Almere Haven, the first realized neighborhood of Almere in the 70’s and the Homerus Quarter, a partially self-built neighborhood. The tour will end at the Almere city center, designed by OMA in 1997. Its multi-level design and winding streets, offering efficient organization as well as human scaled shopping streets, have provoked many discussions internationally. Tour by The Building Guide.
– 17:00 Drinks at the Brasserie La Maison
– 18:00 Dinner Talks at the ’Brasserie La Maison’, Belfort 8, 1315 VB Almere
Talks with Leen Verbeek, the Commissioner of the Dutch King, and Jannewietske de Vries, director of the Floriade 2022. They will elaborate on, respectively, the metropolitan region of Amsterdam and the preparations and goals of the Floriade 2022. Dinner will follow.
