The Public Domain on Den Brink as a Transitional Connection

Transcription

1 The Public Domain on Den Brink as a Transitional Connection Technische Universiteit Delft Faculty of Architecture Graduation Thesis RMIT Msc3, KEMA studio, Arnhem Educational counselling: L. Meiers

2 Colophon Graduation Thesis Plan Douwe Strating van Hasseltlaan HT Delft (+31)(0) Studie nummer: Faculty of Architecture TU Delft Datum:

3 Content Page 1. Personal motivation 2 2. Subject and context Problem definition 5 4. Reasearch- and sub-questions 6 5. Reasearch methododology 7 6. Societal and scientific relevance 8 7. Products 9 8. Used literature Planning 11 1

4 1. Personal motivation Starting off this article I d like to tell about my personal fascination with architecture and more particular the redevelopment of redundant buildings. It began at an early age while living with my parents. I used to draw a lot since my mother was an art class teacher. She was the one that inspired me to be involved with art and creation, always taking me to museums and galleries. Now, that does not necessarily mean one becomes interested with architecture but to me, most often, the museums were even more interesting than the art at display. For instance the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona designed by Richard Meier. The building site was chosen by Meier himself. He got the freedom from the municipality to pick a location suited for the new to build museum. Meier choose to locate his work of art in a less developed area of Barcelona. Once the new building was realised along with a big public urban space or square things started to happen. The neighbourhood went through a transformation reinvigorating the residents of said area. The economic development that came with the new museum mean that people found new possibilities to exploit that situation. Now the area is one of the more popular places in Barcelona, a tendency that started with the coming of the museum. To be fair, this was at a later age, after the period of my contemplations as a child. But when I think of it, it was the point that I said to myself, that this is what I wanted. Designing in such a way the intervention made is a real addition to the existing fabric, whether it is completely new build or a redevelopment. My involvement with Arnhem and the KEMA terrain go back in time. I was brought up in the vicinity of the city of Arnhem and in that way building up a close relationship with the ongoings in that part of The Netherlands. In contextual sense I was already familiar with the KEMA terrain. Yet, I had never visited it before the start of the graduation project. What struck me the most was the atmosphere present at the terrain. In particular the interaction between the buildings and the context. It is very special to say the least. The KEMA area is underdeveloped in a functional way. This will be explained in the context and subject elaboration. Now focusing on the refurbishment of the KEMA area. In the problem statement I will address the exact situation and challenges that are posed. First I would like to give my personal review on the area and the city of Arnhem. fig. 1: MACBA Barcelona; source: 2

5 2. Subject and context Arnhem is situated on the border of one of the biggest national parks in the Netherlands. It is fair to say the national park reaches into the city, but it is better to put it the other way around. The city grew into the green. From the beginning of the19th century on wealthy people resided on the boundaries of Arnhem. It is here where they made large estates. The defensive city walls were demolished and opportunities rose to exploit the archaic landscape close to the Veluwe. The geographical characteristics of Arnhem are quite special to the Netherlands. Great height differentiation -almost 100 meters- is present in the North of the city, created in the last ice age. When the cold resided, so did the ice and large ice-pushed-ridges were left behind. These features were popular with the new inhabitants. It referred to the fashion of the Napoleonitic time. Large English garden style landscapes with moderate height fluctuations. In the South of the city a whole different landscape is present. The city is crossed by the river Rhine. It is at this division that the river landscape begins. The Rhine and also the Ijssel were forced to find new ways because of the new formed hill landscape. This landscape is characterised by a flat land formed by sedimentation deposits left there by the rivers. It is at this meeting point of these two typical landscapes, that the KEMA site is located. Figure 2 depicts the city fabric in the present day. It is clear to see that the city expanded at the cost of ecological structure. The city grew into the green, but in a very clever way, preserved the cultivated early 19th century estates. Once these estates were opened to the public, the park-like gardens were transformed into city parks. Arnhem is now famous for these ecological veins reaching into the city centre. They ensure a very healthy environment, not only by having an ecological valuable space next to residential areas, but also through other means. The parks serve as recreational spaces with numerous activities held by the residents and the municipality. Permanent art exhibitions, sports activities and leisure functions ensure a lively area. The KEMA site was developed on one of these valued ecological veins. The KEMA site is situated right next to the city centre in the West of Arnhem. Lying on the border of two municipalities, namely Renkum in the West and Arnhem in the East. Due to this fact KEMA has difficulties deciding what side to pick. In early days this was not a problem. KEMA was a very well established firm clearly belonging to Arnhem and its residents. This manifested in the way the company represented itself to the outside world. Workers were proud to work for KEMA Arnhem and the site had a clear identity. This was one of a secret nature. Due to the way KEMA approached -or in a way did not approach- the public, people knew it was one entity. The site also has a rich history even before KEMA decided to make it its headquarters in The location, as figure 3 shows, is at the end of one of the green areas entering the city. Or the other way around. Who knows? KEMA became an established firm in Arnhem in 1937 when the first testing facilities were finished at the Den Brink site. It soon became one of the biggest players in the business of testing and developing big electronic appliances. From this period on, KEMA expanded greatly building new additions until the 1970 s. Then this tendency of growth stagnated and the company focussed more on innovation and outsourcing. Yet, still new buildings were build but in a different style and also in different areas. (Kooger 1987) KEMA now focuses its business more on the global market, increasing its interest in other company s and decreasing the activities at the headquarters in Arnhem. Slowly but surely the old testing buildings and office spaces are traded for a new headquarter leaving these valued monumental buildings redundant. These buildings are mainly located on the Den Brink area. This implies that this will become a -somewhat- deserted area from 2015 onwards. The challenge of the design will be to activate this site again so that it will matter to the surrounding area and Arnhem. 3

6 The KEMA site has some characteristics that need to be mentioned. It has a close relation to the railway lines which divide the areas significantly. In the 20th century when the testing facilities were still active, heavy machinery would have been transported from Germany and Rotterdam to KEMA for testing. Traces of this transportation and testing are clearly visible in the terrain and buildings. This is manifested through physical railway connections, but also building sequence according to the testing process. All in all the site has historical significance to Arnhem and also industrial cultural value as an ensemble. The buildings really are connected through history because they can be seen as one testing and research chain. When thinking of redeveloping the KEMA area one must consider using this historical background to think of new solutions. The building I chose to redevelop is the High voltage laboratory close to the middle of the site. It has an interesting relation with the context. This is manifested by special landscape features such as meadows, great height difference and an abundance of trees close to the building. The laboratory itself was used in prior times as a testing laboratory for large power transformers. It mainly consists of one big open factory floor. Surrounding this space small offices and less important rooms are situated. The reason for this building choice was not a rational one. I did not try to find a building which would be suited through a balanced picking process. I chose the building because it appealed to me in a non-rational way. To me it looks like an abandoned church. A church with an unconventional religion. 4 Mariendaal Sonsbeek fig. 2: City fabric reaching into nature fig. 3: KEMA site Klarenbeek

7 3. Problem definition As posed in the subject elaboration, there are some site characteristics that are troublesome for the redesign. These conditions are of a physical spatial nature, but also have to do with functional mismanagement. The redevelopment of the site is currently led by a redevelopment company called TCN, whom have bought the site from KEMA a few years ago. They plan on redeveloping the area by finding new owners for the separate buildings. These would mainly be of a business nature but also trying to place dwelling typologies in some of the buildings. This is part of the problem with the redevelopment of the area. There is not an integral plan that deals with redevelopment over time and small scale interventions. These would in my opinion- be favourable as I will explain later on. Furthermore, the site is disconnected from its surroundings. This is mainly due to physical separations that cut off KEMA from the residential and ecological context. These are the railway lines and access motorways. They not only make sure the site is not relating to the context but also make the different plots divided amongst themselves. Once in time the green vein entering the city was a continuous one with no interruptions. With the coming of the railway, Mariendaal which was connected to Den Brink, was separated. This meant the two areas developed in different ways over time. Mariendaal remained true to its origins. Though it was already a cultivated type of nature, the paths and undergrowth remained somewhat untouched and more rural. A clear distinction was made between the old estate (which decreased in size) and Mariendaal (Veluwes doorstep). This division was not so clear and more vague before that. Then KEMA came and further cultivated the estate leaving little of the estately values intact. Yes, it still has a pleasant atmosphere but it is very different from what it was. When continuing on the values that are present, one must conclude that they are not within reach of residents living very close to the park. When visiting the terrain, one is constantly asked by people what the nature of business is on which you are there. Other than the nice surroundings there is in fact no reason why one would be on the terrain. All the visitors present have a good excuse to be there. And they are few. The place is deserted with little to no life other than the -though abundant- birds. There is a lot of potential in the characteristics of the terrain and its buildings. The recreational values of the green zones entering the city have been proven, as seen in the Sonsbeek and Klarenbeek city parks. The municipality of Arnhem has put out incentives to the citizens of the city, to exploit these areas with small initiatives. Rather than putting out large restructuring plans, the development takes place over a longer period of time. For developers like TCN this sounds less attractive because the monetary aspects are drawn away from them. Opening the park up to the residents and small-scale initiatives might sound less favourable at first. But with the communal aspects that will come- new incentives will appear as well. Mariendaal Den Brink/estate Residents fig. 4: Cut-off 5

8 4. Research- and sub questions Research question: Which interventions are needed for the Den Brink buildings and terrain to make a transition and connection between the Veluwe and the residential areas of Arnhem and Renkum? Urbanism sub-questions: What physical urban intervention will ensure a transition between the different areas? What is a physical transition? What is the present connection from Den Brink to the context? What is the nature of the different areas in terms of atmosphere? Which characteristics of the terrain can be exploited to develop recreational qualities? How can the historic background be used to increase activity on Den Brink? How can the present ecological structure be used in recreational activities? What interventions have to be made to the building(s) to make them suited to new functions? How can the building characteristics play a role in the redevelopment? How does the High Voltage Laboratory currently relate to its surroundings, and how will the design and urban interventions react on this? Sub-questions answered with a literature study: What is a physical transition? How can the historic background be used to increase activity on Den Brink Can communal functions and spaces be seen as transitional spaces? What is the nature of transitional spaces from building to surroundings? Architecture sub-questions: What functional interventions will restructure the Den Brink area increasing the activity and interaction in the High Voltage Laboratory and the surrounding buildings? What is the nature of a transitional space between private and more public functions within the restructured building(s)? Can communal functions and spaces be seen as transitional spaces? What is the nature of transitional spaces from building to surroundings? fig. 5: High Voltage Laboratory; source: Arnhems Stadsarchief 6

9 5. Research methodology When it comes to defining the problem one must consider adopting an already proven research methodology. Not only will this make the process of analysing more fluent. It also ensures no important steps in the process are left out. Now to be honest, I started this process with no such plan, doing the analysis the way that I saw fit. This meant visiting the site and buildings extensively, and in that way coming up with ways to tackle the problem. That way of researching was sufficient for the first steps of the process. Now when I have picked my location and design parameters the conclusions that resulted in a value-assessment should be put to the test by a sturdy research method. To answer the research- and sub questions in a proper way this will be my way to go. Still I think the method of research by design should not be set aside. They may coexist and in that way let the element of surprise still be present. I also set up a few questions which have to be answered by a literature study. This will be a supplement to the design process. For the next steps of the analysing I considered using the method of research by design, which I used before in projects. While this is one of the more natural ways of working, it is less tangible compared to for instance what RMIT offers. I think it is necessary to adopt a new method of designing because we never had to consider this much parameters in a single project. Now, this report leads up to the conceptual stage of the plan. My intent with this report is to get a firm grip on what the main question posed is, and how to solve it. In a way this thesis plan is the beginning of my research methodology. The parameters that have been explored have led up to this plan, clarifying my intents and further exploration. I looked at the ABCD method (Zijlstra 2009), and found interesting approaches on how to thoroughly quantify the subject and the conclusions drawn from the analysis. To start off one must collect all the relevant information and draw conclusions from that based on the different periods the building went through. This means quantifying what did happen at point of creation or erection; its former existence and decay; and the continued or ongoing existence. The method provides a good way to structure the obtained info. Also the interpretation of this obtained information is signified. 7

10 6. Societal and scientific relevance of the study In order to have a relevant research in the end, my proposal and design will not only focus on the task at hand, but also look at tendencies that are derived from the present time. To answer to these movements one must adopt a sociological analytical view. What is going on right now and what will happen next?! Maybe the latter is more important because we build and design for future use. Furthermore, the relevance of the design study is determined by its sustainable overall image. Technological design in this decade should be shaped by a sustainable architect. This means it will also influence the aesthetical design. The two are intertwined in such a way the sustainable factors are leading, yet this does not mean things will become more ugly. Beautiful designs in my opinion do not exist without a sustainable plan, for then the societal and moral relevance is lost. An urbanistic typology similar to these aspirations would be the American campus as such described in (Koetter 1997). In the introduction a description is made about the Harvard campus. The Harvard campus, for example, forms its quadrangles and passages almost entirely with freestanding pavilion-like building elements. This then relates very much to the pavillion structure which is present in Den Brink The distinction between private and public life on campus is not as clear when looking at other urban typologies and this then might be a lead for the study on public spaces. Regarding other scientific relevance, my research will emphasize on the nature of public space and public life. The public sphere can only exist if there is also private space. I m very much interested in the transitional space in between these two bodies. In my opinion there is not really a hard dividing line between them, so what is this transit space? One might say this could be considered as communal space. The next question then would be what function(s) benefit from this transition space? The search for the definition of this space is not only of scientific relevance. It is also -very much- of societal relevance. I think the integration of functions will change in the coming years. The division of functions is already getting more vague in present times and buildings are no longer regarded as static bound to function- entities. The choice of function for the old buildings is thus more society oriented instead of according to size and fitting. 8

11 7. Products The intended final products are all quantified in the process planning. However, the elaboration of these products may differ according to my liking. Maybe some products will not be as much described as others. The point is, I will make the products which I feel are needed. This means during the design process some products are more needed for the research than others. I do not want to restrict myself at this time in the process. Yet, when I need some of structure and support I will turn to the planning which is based on the graduation manual supplied by the studio. 9

12 8. Used literature Zijlstra, H. (2009). Analyzing Buildings from Context to Detail in time. ABCD research method. Amsterdam, Amsterdam IOS Press. Koetter, F., Plattus, A., Rowe, C. (1997). Koetter Kim and Associates; place, time. New York, Rizzoli. Kooger, H. (1987). Rondom Den Brink, zwerven door West-Arnhem. Arnhem, KEMA. Literature I plan on using: Coenen, J. M. J. (2010). Noties. Amsterdam, SUN Hendriks, L. (2009). Richtlijnen Bouwhistorisch Onderzoek. Den Haag, RGD. Voordt, T. v. d., Zijlstra, H., Dobbelsteen, A. van den, Dorst, M. van (2007). Integrale Plananalyse van Gebouwen. Doel, methoden en analysekader. Delft, VSSD en auteurs Roos, J. (2007). De ontdekking van de opgave. Delft, VSSD. Stokroos, M. (2006). Wat je altijd al wilde weten over monumenten en bouwstijlen. Utrecht, TOHT. Vredenberg, J. (2003). Trotse kastelen en lichtende hallen, architectuur van elektriciteitsbedrijven in Nederland tot Utrecht, Matrijs. Mann, W., Gerets, K., Vandermarliere, K. (1997). Op zoek naar openbare ruimte; In search of public space. Groningen, desingel. Provoost, M. (1995). Nieuwe ontwerpen voor oude gebouwen. Rotterdam, 010 uitgevers. 10