Industrial Waterfront - Helmond

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

GRADUATION STUDIO RESEARCH INTRODUCTION LITERATURE HISTORY OBSERVATIONS

INTERVIEWS AND LYNCH-MAP EXCURSION

STRATEGIES AND MOTIVATIONS IN REUSE

VISION AND MASTERPLAN EPILOGUE

APPENDIX I ABSTRACTS OF ESSAYS

APPENDIX II ABSTRACT FOR EFLA CONFERENCE TALLINN

LIST OF LITERATURE

MASTERPROJECT INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONTS INTRODUCTION EXTERNAL CONTRIBUTIONS ERNA VAN HOLLAND

GIEL VAN HOOFF & JAN VAN DER HEIJDEN WILLEM VAN HALL PROJECTS CONNECT THE DOTS MIND THE GAP SHIFTING BORDER MERGING THE FRAGMENTS SENSES OF HELMOND

FINAL WORDS

5 5 11 12 16 22 26 32 36 46 51 52 62 66 70 71 72 73 77 87 97 107 117 128

FOREWORD

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book is the outcome of the master design studio ‘Industrial waterfronts’ and the graduation atelier ‘Industrial waterstreet’, both developed at the Faculty of Architecture at the TU/e. Students from this University and from the International Erasmus exchange program focused their work on the transformation of the Canal zone of Helmond, in The Netherlands.

The aim of both courses was the understanding of reuse of former industrial areas/buildings along canals and their heritage value, concluding in design proposals for sites specific.

Two are the methodologies adopted in the courses: one is based on a narrative approach, as in the graduation atelier that was conducted in collaboration with my colleague Gijs Wallis de Vries, and it combines user-oriented architectural interest with the imaginative attitude of writers; the other one is based on case studies, as in the master design studio that I conducted alone, and it emphasizes the relationship between phenomenon and context and focuses on detailed contextual analysis of situations or conditions, providing the basis for the application of design ideas.

The assignments of both courses and the methodologies adopted pursue the researches that the studio’s conductors are developing by the TU/e and are embedded in the research program of ‘The Architecture of the Living City’, chaired by prof. Van Wesemael and prof. Colenbrander.

Our personal appreciations go especially to all the students of both studios, for the intense work, enthusiasm and interest for the topic.

We appreciated your dedication, willingness to discover and to learn through the collaboration between the two courses. And thanks for making this book!

We would like to thank Willem van Hal, senior adviser from the Municipality of Helmond for giving us the insights to the local problems and demands and for the inspiring criticism during the studio presentations.

Many thanks also to Giel van Hoof and Jan van der Heijden from Erfgoed Helmond for inspiring us with the telling of the history and stories of Helmond.

Thanks to Erna van Holland from Cob-Web-advisors for her passionate criticism and contribution to the research; last but not least, thank you to the board of Vlisco’s factory that, exceptionally for us, have made possible the visit to their industrial terrain.

In this book, the material elaborated by both studios is organized as follows: Part 1: the research, which is carried out by the atelier ‘Industrial waterstreet’. It regards individual readings and essays related to the topic of reuse, concluding with a plan that expresses the group ‘design vision’ for future individual projects on the canal.

Part 2: the projects, carried out by the master students of ‘Industrial waterfronts’. It regards the definition, by the students in groups, of specific problems of the canal area as points of action, and through individual design proposals the validation of the solutions proposed to the specified problem.

I truly hope you will enjoy reading the book.

Irene Curulli

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GRADUATION STUDIO RESEARCH TUTORED BY: GIJS WALLIS DE VRIES + IRENE CURULLI MARCH 2011 - MARCH 2012 WWW.INDUSTRIALWATERSTREET.EU

The Graduation Studio of ‘Industrial Water Streets’ is organized in the unit AUDE (Architectural and Urban Design and Engineering), by Irene Curulli (Assistant Professor in the chair group of Architectural Engineering) and Gijs Wallis de Vries (Associate Professor in the chair group of Architectural History and Theory. The studio started in March 2011 and will end March 2012.

INDUSTRIAL WATER STREET Myrthe Buijs Dominique Geelen Milou Piethaan Cyriel Prinsen Rik Verhalle

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Fig. 0.1 Historic view of Helmond from ‘de Havendijk’

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INTRODUCTION TO THE GRADUATION STUDIO Industrial Water Street: Transforming the canal zone of Helmond Water street The studio ‘Industrial Water Street’ studies the transformation of former industrial canal zones.

As industries are shrinking or leaving and factories are abandoned, the distinctive character gets lost. The situation along water is targeted for new developments, the more so if it has become a central place in the consolidated urban growth.

What is the meaning of transformation? What can we learn from old buildings? What stories can be discovered when we read the sites? What is happening in comparative cases? All these issues are joined by the presence of water: static (mirror, image) or dynamic (movement, energy). The canal imparts order to the city and offers to architects a rich array of formal and functional qualities.

Canal zone Helmond The studio focuses on the Zuid-Willemsvaart in Helmond. It was opened in 1826 to stimulate the industrialisation of the South of the Netherlands.

In Helmond many industries settled along it. With a mix of eclectic and modern styles it makes for an impressive waterfront. Today Helmond is ‘twinning’ with Eindhoven to accommodate design industry and attract the young and creative. In this respect a ‘waterscape’ with a heritage reused with love, respect and inspiration forms an important asset. It should include imaginative programming that offers an alternative to market conform real estate developments. The challenge is to redesign the canal zone with respect for the innovative design of the past, while making sustainable use of water.

documenting architectural features (typology, details, atmosphere). The results are translated into a Masterplan, that outlines a vision of the canal zone, its position in the city, and the reuse of the factories. This plan is translated in individual architectural designs that challenge techniques and materials in dealing with old and new, and express a story of what could happen to the canal zone and its buildings in the future.

Narrative approach The assignment of ‘Industrial Water Street’ is part of the project ‘BrabantStad’ and ‘Industrial waterfronts: transformation of the Kanaalzones of B5’ by Irene Curulli, consistent with her research on the transformation of urban wastelands.

The studio pursues an approach that Gijs Wallis de Vries and Jacob Voorthuis developed in the graduation studio ‘Boundaries. The street’. This approach crosses the gaze of architects with that of writers in order to combine a user-oriented sense of reality and an imaginative sense of possibility. Studio results are presented in academic publications on various platforms, such as, for example, on the Conference “Mind the Gap. Landscapes for a new era”, organized by EFLA in Tallinn, 2 -4 November 2011 (see appendix).

Gijs Wallis de Vries and Irene Curulli

Masterplan and individual designs A study of the history of industrial typologies, and of theories about mapping the use and the experience of space, as well as an excursion to Milan, Turin, and Venice, to study different ways and motives in dealing with industrial and water related heritage, prepares the students for the case studies in Helmond. They combine narrative mapping (textual and visual) with 11.

1. LITERATURE In this research many subjects have been dealt with, such as the modern city, the narrative aspect of a site or building and much more. These initial subjects were formulated after the project’s kickoff. Since Industrial Water Streets takes place in the setting of a larger research, lead by dr. ing.

Irene Curulli, a list was already available with a coherent set of relevant books. All participants of the

project chose multiple books that suited personal interests. A few books that have been read: ‘The architectural uncanny’ by Anthony Vidler, ‘The Image of the city’ by David Lynch and ‘Psychogeography’

by Merlin Coverly. Later on, participants added books of their own choice to this list.

During regular meetings the information from these books was exchanged

The architectural uncanny Warped space Sense of the city The concise townscape

CRITIQUE ON THE MODERN CITY

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CITY

Writings on cities Drosscape Wasteland

Microhistory of the modern city The image of the city

REINTERPRETATION OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

From the critique of ideology to microhistories The practise of everyday life 12.

A mis-guide to anywhere Heterotopia and the city

between participants. Additionally, of all the books summaries have been made.

Finally, a web diagram has been made where the books are placed between themes. These themes are: ‘Critique on the modern city’, ‘reinterpretation of the built space’, ‘characteristics of the city’, ‘immersion’, ‘practical classification’ and finally ‘monuments’. A book often deals

with more than one theme. For example ‘psychogeography’ deals with both ‘Immersion’ and ‘characteristics of the city’ and is accordingly placed in between these two in the web diagram.

Books that have been read for the personal essays were not included in the web diagram.

From contrast to analogy

The invention of the historic monument

Between memory and history

MONUMENT

The collective memory Ruimten rondom Psychogeography

IMMERSION

The built, the unbuilt and the unbuildable

Indispensable eyesores

PRACTICAL CLASSIFICATION

Fig. 1.1 Diagram showing relation between the read literature

Microhistory Architecture reborn Habitats, tectonics, landscapes Building adaptation

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Fig. 1.2 Part of the cover of ‘The image of the city’

Fig. 1.3 Part of the cover of ‘Indispensable eyesores’

THE IMAGE OF THE CITY Kevin Lynch

INDISPENSABLE EYESORES Mélanie van der Hoorn

The book is a report of a five year study of collecting and ordering the spatial information of three cities: Boston, New Jersey and Los Angeles. People were interviewed and asked to draw mental maps of their city and explain what they find negative and positive in their city. The maps drawn are made up of several elements: paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks.

From these maps a new map is made in which the defects of a city are shown. The more people participate the more accurate the maps become.

Then, to improve a certain city, you should (also) improve her imageability. That means as much as improving her readability and recognisability for certain districts, streets, zones and what all not.

“The image of the city”can thus be interpreted as a study against blandness; areas, streets and other points of interest should have their own recognisable characteristics (in any form) so that an area can distinguish itself from the next and so create a city that is functioning at its full capacity.

‘Indispensable Eyesores’ is about buildings that people reject and about how people affect undesired architecture and vice versa. The book questions how indispensable undesired architecture actually is, and finally states that undesirability is no synonym for irrelevance, but that eyesores are indispensable despite and because they are rejected.

In the introduction Van der Hoorn discusses several eyesores and the stories about them. Part I consists of the theoretical background of the theme. In part II six eyesores are discussed. They are classified according to the degree of material intervention, ranging from elimination and destruction in conflict to recuperation, revaluation, dilapidation and unrealised proposals (which can also contribute to the fate of an eyesore). Part III discusses the lives after the death of eyesores. In part IV some concluding remarks are stated.

Particularly interesting are the three stages of rejection of eyesores that Van der Hoorn indicates.

The first stage is questioning the existence of the eyesore. The second stage is assessing its value and envisaging a material treatment. This stage is the most undetermined, ambiguous and transitory. The last stage is sealing the fate of the eyesore. The rejection of a building always oscillates between pragmatic clearance and pure iconoclasm.

Fig. 1.4 Part of the cover of ‘The invention of the historic monument’

Fig. 1.5 Part of the cover of ‘Drosscape’

THE INVENTION OF THE HISTORIC MONUMENT Francoise Choay

DROSSCAPE Alan Berger

A monument can be termed as any artifact erected by a community of individuals to commemorate or to recall for future generations individuals, events, sacrifices, practices or beliefs. The very essence of the monument lies in its relationship to lived time and to memory, in other words, in its anthropological function. The purpose of the monument is to bring to life a past engulfed by time.

The historic monument has a different relationship to living memory and to the passage of time.

On the one hand, it is simply constituted as an object of knowledge and integrated into a linear conception of time: in this case its cognitive value relegates it irrevocably to the past; on the other hand, as a work of art it can address itself to our artistic sensibility, to our ‘artistic will’; in this case it becomes a constituent part of the lived present, but without the mediation of memory or history.

Strategies regarding the development of the (historic) monuments are set out chronologically.

These strategies include anti-interventionists Ruskin and Morris, Interventionist Violet-le-Duc, Merimée, Boito, Riegl, Sitte and Giovannoni. The ideas behind these strategies are explained and the design approaches following these strategies are set out.

Drosscape defines and shows (part 2 of the book) the concept of “waste” landscape, in which he states that waste is a natural part in the process of our society. We cannot design and live without producing waste. In fact, waste can be an indicator of urban growth and social progress. It can come in many different forms like space in between buildings, areas and cities and residual space due to the changing industrialization. The latter can leave enormous gaps in the city centers. Thereby he states that we still have an economy that is based on the industry. “(..) one is to believe that the discontinuous city must be understood before it is completely filled in, the one needs to find ways to better understand and represent the voids, vacancies, inefficiencies, and fragments of landscape left over from development” Helmond For Helmond his approach can be used to get an indication of the waste space in the city in comparison to its surrounding villages. He uses a clear historical analysis and a general classification which can be applied to any other city. This indication can show the weaker spots in the center of Helmond which are related to the changing industrial functions.

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2. HISTORY 1830

Fig. 2.1 Maps of the historical development of the city of Helmond

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Fig. 2.2 Picture showing mediaeval Helmond by Ludovico Guicciardinni

Early history till eighteenth century Looking at the present state of Helmond, one might not suspect the city has a long and interesting history. Nonetheless, the first farmers probably already inhabited the area before 1000 AD. Helmond’s first castle dates from the twelfth century, but a new castle was built from 1325 onward and still exists today. Helmond obtained city privileges (stadsrechten) in 1232 to stimulate trade in and around the city. Consequently, the city was an important trade centre in the region in the fourteenth century. The main products for regional trade were wool and linen.

The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were a difficult period for Helmond. The small city was positioned unfavourably during the war 16.

1945

between the Spanish King Philip II in the South and the Seven United Netherlands in the North and was struck by the plague in 1636. Many of the economic activities shifted towards Haarlem, which also was an important of linen.

31.560producer inwoners At the time, yarn was imported for Haarlem, processed in Helmond and brought back to Haarlem and exported as Haarlem linen. By the end of the eighteenth century, the production and trade of textiles became less dependent of Haarlem, because cheap labourers made Helmond attractive for the region.

4.088 inwoners

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Development into industrial 1925 city1975 1890

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In the early nineteenth century, the Netherlands dug in 1865 in addition to the first harbour that were joined to be a kingdom. King Willem I was situated at the present Havenplein. These founded the Nederlandse Handelsmaatschappij developments led to the growing of a metal (NHM, the Dutch trading company) and saw industry in Helmond. Besides the large textile and to the construction of many roads and canals. metal industries, Helmond also had a small food 31.560 inwoners 22.125 inwoners 61.856 inwoners inwoners 9.130 inwoners The Zuid-Willemsvaart was needed between 59.764industry at the time. Due to the growing industrial ‘s Hertogenbosch and Maastricht, because the activities, the first harbour became too small. The former route over the river Meuse was unsafe, harbour was filled up and a 3002005 meters long basalt 1945 and useless for seven months a year. The route of1985 embankment was constructed on the eastern side 1925 the Zuid-Willemsvaart was planned through the of the canal. valley of the river Aa, past Helmond, as proposed Working conditions inside the factories in by the influential Helmonder Carel Wesselman. Helmond at the time were very poor. Working days The canal was opened in 1826. were long, the wages were low and many children Many factories were built in Helmond along 31.560 the inwoners worked in the factories. The differences between 85.829 inwoners 22.125 inwoners canal, especially around the mid-nineteenth 61.856 theinwoners rich factory owners and their employees were century, when several forceful entrepreneurs came very large, and remained that way for a very long to the city. By 1866, there were ten textile factories time compared to other cities. The conservative 1945 with 214 employees and 24002005 in Helmond, clergy did not improve this situation. In order to workers at home. During the next ten years, most change the poor working conditions, the first of this domestic industry disappeared. Around labour union, called the ‘RK Werkliedenvereniging’, the same period the steam engine emerged and was founded in 1896, but it was still under control the railway line between Eindhoven and Venlo of the church. was constructed. This railway line opened in 1866 31.560 inwoners and was doubled in 1882. A second harbour was 85.829 inwoners

Fig. 2.3 Picture of boys working at the ‘Van Vlissingen’ factory at the end of the 19th century

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22.125 inwoners

18301945

31.560 inwoners 4.088 inwoners

4.088 inwoners

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18601955 2005

85.829 inwoners 5.934 inwoners 39.327 inwoners

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1860 Twentieth century and decline of industry 18901965

1975 At the beginning of the twentieth century, the municipalities by Helmond in 1968. industry was doing well. Houses were built for During the 1960s the industry in Helmond the large numbers of employees of the factories. collapsed. The main causes were the rising wages In 1928 one on four Helmonders worked in the and growing competition of low-wage countries. factories. But in the 1930s the industry reached Large city expansions in the 80s and 90s and the 45.411 inwoners 5.934 inwoners 59.764 inwoners in 1992 have 9.130 inwoners a low point, caused by the economic crisis.

The diverting of the Zuid-Willemsvaart unemployment was high, 43 percent in the textile radically changed Helmond into the city it is today. industry and 64 percent in the metal industry.

1890 1985 19251975 During the Second World War various bridges along the canal were ruined by the German occupiers.

Nevertheless, the industry still did quite well for a short time after the war. Important developments in the following years were the construction of the fly-over Traverse through Helmond’s city centre in 59.764 inwoners 9.130 inwoners 22.125 inwoners 61.856 inwoners the 1950s and the incorporation of neighbouring 1925

22.125 inwoners

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2005

19451985

31.560 inwoners 61.856 inwoners

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Vlisco

One of the last remaining industrial companies in the centre of Helmond is Vlisco: a successful textile industry which researches and produces textiles which are mainly exported to West-Africa.

It started in the beginning of the 19th century when Jan Willem Sutorius came to Helmond and started a small textile business. From that moment on, 85.829 inwoners the company started to grow. First with several clients in Amsterdam and later on their contacts extended all the way to West-Africa. Especially since there was no export possible during the Second World War, Vlisco became more than just a producing factory: they focused on research and development. Vlisco developed unique textile printing and patterns which are still one of a kind in the world. After 1981 Vlisco just focused on producing and developing for West-Africa.

2005

Fig. 2.4 The main building and building 1911 in the early 20th century

45.411 inwoners 9.130 inwoners

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inwoners 22.125 59.764 inwoners

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The1945 canal 1985

2005 For Helmond, the construction of the canal through the city centre appeared to be of great importance for the further advancement of the city and their industrial development. The placement of the canal through the city centre 85.829 inwoners inwoners 61.856 inwoners became31.560more problematic when the intensity and the sizes of the ships grew. The borders of the canal were replete with buildings, so the canal could not2005 be broadened, and the many sluices and bridges made it harder for ships to reach the harbor. At first it led to the replacement of the harbor, but eventually it was put out of duty. In 1982 a bypass was constructed to lead the ships around the city. Nowadays the canal area has no inwoners link with the85.829 industrial past; it is used as a place for Fig. 2.5 leisure with terraces and fountains.

Picture of the canal near the Begemann factory around 1900

Havenplein

Fig. 2.6 Picture of the harbor in the city centre around 1880

The name of the Havenplein refers to its former function: the first harbour of Helmond. It was placed on that exact position due to the fact that, before the Zuid-Willemsvaart was constructed, there was a small town-canal present that widened the valley of the river Aa. The harbour was used for sixty years until the municipality of Helmond decided to fill it up. The decision was made since a desired expansion of the harbour was impossible due to the buildings around it. In 1884, the harbor was transformed into a triangular shaped square where goods could temporarily be stored, and has not been changed ever since. Several of the typical warehouse buildings are still present, although they are now used to store and sell booze and beer to thirsty customers that come to have a drink in one of the many cafĂŠs and restaurants.

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N Fig. 2.7 Red buildings indicate location of buildings below

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Fig. 2.8 Picture of the main entrance of the Nedschroef building

Fig. 2.9 Picture of the Bots factory with a florist on the ground floor

Nedschroef

Bots

Nedschroef originates from the factories of Hendrik van Thiel, which were located along another part of the canal, but are now torn down.

The company of Van Thiel split up in 1890. Part of the company remained at the old location under the old name, another part was established at the present location.

The most characteristic building on the terrain of Nedschroef is the main building along the canal.

It was built in 1918, but has since been partly demolished. The originally symmetrical building was partly destroyed in a fire, and only the south part reflects the former character. In this part of the building, a wainscoated boardroom was preserved.

The Bots factory was built in 1840 along the part of the canal opposite the present Havenplein.

The building was built and originally owned by the Bots family, but taken over later by the family Raymakers. It has been used as (part of) a textile factory for most of its life, but it has also been used for many other functions. The building is rectangular, with its longest side parallel to the canal, and has three storeys and a shed roof. An additional part of the building was added later and has a sawtooth roof. The facade is made of brick, and elegantly decorated on especially the shortest side of the building. The windows are divided and have round arches. The door on one of the higher floors and the hoisting beam give away part of the industrial typology of the building.

Fig. 2.12 Historic picture of the Nedschroef factory area in 1928

Fig. 2.13 Historic picture of the Bots factory around 1880

Fig. 2.10 Picture of building 1911 of Vlisco

Fig. 2.11 Picture of the Cacaofabriek that will be reused in the near future

Vlisco - 1911

Cacaofabriek

Building 1911 is located along the canal on the terrain of textile factory Vlisco, close to the railway.

It is now used as storage space for the factory.

The most important items stored in this building are the rolls used for the printing of textile. The building has also been used for other purposes, such as production and offices. The building is large and almost rectangular. It has three layers, a concrete construction and a non-bearing white facade. Its large, square, divided windows and the sawtooth roof make Building 1911 look typically industrial. The building has a strong identity, is one of the most characteristic industrial buildings along the canal, and very important for the image of the industrial areas in Helmond.

The Cacaofabriek was built in 1895 and was used for only 37 years. The factory has been rebuilt in 1919-1920 which lead to the removal of the roof and renewal of the façades. The brick facade was painted over, but the divided windows with arched top seem to be original. The construction of this building consists of cast-iron columns and steel girders, but the interior has been changed.

The factory was placed out of duty in 1932. Up until now the building has housed some smaller functions, like a school for Vlisco, storage room and now it houses an art foundation called the ‘Stichting Beeldende Kunstenaars Kring Helmond’.

Nowadays the Cacaofabriek is part of new urban development in which the building houses a new cultural centre is placed.

Fig. 2.14 Historic picture of building 1911

Fig. 2.15 Historic picture of the Cacaofabriek

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3. OBSERVATIONS One of the research objectives is to obtain an image of the city of Helmond. An image which is based on our own observations as architecture students, combined with the personal stories of people of Helmond, the narratives. This part is about our own observations.

Our method was to observe specific points in the city by describing them in five different ways, all

Photographs The photographic visualization of a certain node.

Pictures are taken to show the node as a whole, but also a site’ specific detail. This approach gives a good overview of what can be expected to be seen on a specific location.

Notation of Activity By notating the numbers of people using and/or crossing the node, an objective summary of usage of a specific location can be given. Combined with the time period of notating, this becomes an objective model that can be used to compare different nodes.

Documentary By filming the surrounding a general overview of the activity is captured. It gives a clear overview of the activity on a specific location during a time period.

Notation of Sounds Sounds are perceived and noted in words. This method is a way of communicating the subjective on a specific location on a specific moment. This method is not used for every node.

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within a certain range of subjectiveness, which finally comes together in an objective description.

The locations which are analyzed are all strategic places in the city, either because of an interesting place within the urban plan or because of a high level of activity. The nodes were chosen by taking three different routes, on three different days and timeslots, through the city centre. The first was

through the shopping heart of the centre, lead by the sound of the ongoing carnival. The second route came along the most important squares along the centre and the third was along the canal. Along this route, these interesting nodes were chosen to do this cluster of approaches. The different approaches are further explained below in fig. 3.1. The approaches combine a general

overview with detailed information and subjective experience of all the nodes. That way we can make degrees in describing the nodes in detail but also compare them when you zoom out to the level of the city.

Sections The section give an impression of the height and the relation between actor and scene. Combined with the map, the two give a subjective indication of the three-dimensional feeling of a specific location.

Map The definition of the places of activities on a specific location on a specific moment. The map indicates relations between buildings, streets, sidewalks and objects and actors present on this specific location. It is both an objective way by noting what happens, and a subjective way by the interpretation of space and distances.

Subjective Story The writing down of the feeling and emotion that were present at the time the observations took place. It is a very subjective way of describing the actions that took place on a specific location on a specific moment to indicate how a node is used.

Fig. 3.1 Excluded example showing one of the observed nodes

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From these observations we created a summary document indicating “where”, “when”, “who” and “what” for each individual node observed on a specific moment in time. An example of these situational descriptions is shown below in fig.

3.2. The information has been derived by filtering the objective information through the different observations.

Fig. 3.2 Excluded example showing the situational description of the example in fig. 3.1

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These situational descriptions are a useful tool for the objective comparison of different nodes.

From this comparison the map shown in fig 3.3 was drawn, showing the relation between the nodes and their location within the city centre.

The size of the nodes is determined by the level of influence the node has, according to our own interpretation, on the city structure.

The comparison of the objective data with the subjective narrative of both the students and the inhabitants of Helmond is described in the next chapter.

The digital database can be found in prezi, using the following link: prezi.com/woneukmju64s/ observationmap-industrial-waterstreets/

Observations - conclusions The results of this mixed observational analysis on the city, are the map, which in shown in fig 3.3, and the collection of subjective data, which is stored in an online databank. From the databank we can always retrieve a certain story of a place on a certain moment. The map gives us some idea of how the city centre functions: where one can find important and busy places, how certain areas function within the city and we can see the influence of the canal within the urban structure.

The map shows that most of the activity is clustered near the Middle-Eastern side map, on the right border of the canal. It appears that the nodes alongside the canal are perceived by us as less influential within the city centre. Except for the area in the middle; there one can find some place where the city interacts with the water.

These places are around the so called ‘Havenplein’, a triangular shaped square containing loads of terraces and bars. Together with the largest circle, which stands for the ‘Markt’, this area marks the heart of the cities’ activity. Here we found the most crowded places, the most different actors, different activities and all on different moments in time.

The conclusions that have been drawn are used to formulate the design strategy which can be found later on in this booklet.

Fig. 3.3 Screenshot of the overview of the databank which forms a map

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4. INTERVIEWS AND LYNCH-MAP There are factories along side the canal (“Would you like to have factories? Then there are factories”).

Woman, Caddy Master Marshall, 1936

Fig. 4.1 Translated quotes from interviews with inhabitants

In order to obtain a complete mental image of Helmond, it would not suffice to take only the observations into account, the mindset of the inhabitants is at least as important. This mindset of the people of Helmond is incorporated through the use of a method developed by Kevin Lynch. We have decided to imply this method of research, because Lynch’s method has proven its worth over the last fifty years in the field of architectural mental maps. It is a well tested and well used research method to create an ‘as objective as possible’ map of subjective opinions.

According to Lynch, all inhabitants have a mental map of the city. The clearer a city is, the more precise the mental map of that city becomes. To understand a city in relation to its inhabitants, Lynch designed an interview accompanied by a method to draw personal mental maps. The personal maps can be combined in one overall mental map, the ‘Lynch map’.

A Lynch-map consists of several elements: paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks. Firstly, a path is a line between two elements of importance to the city according to inhabitants. Whereas edges are the linear elements not considered paths: they are usually, but not always, the boundaries between two kind of areas. Districts are relatively large city areas which have a common character.

Nodes are strategic foci into which the observer can enter, typically either junctions of paths or concentrations of one or multiple characteristics.

Then there are landmarks, which may vary widely in scale. All these elements together form a Lynchmap which shows how the city is experienced by its inhabitants.

An interview according to the Lynch method was conducted for the city of Helmond. From the information required in the interviews and from the maps drawn by the interviewed, a Lynch-map was derived.

The interviews contain a general part and a mapping part. The general part gathers information about the interviewed persons and 26.

the view of that person on the city of Helmond.

The drawing of the map is guided by questions asked by the interviewers. First the Markt is drawn, as it is a central point in the city. From this point on, four routes are drawn generally covering the area of the city centre. The detailing of the route is encouraged by questions asked, such as “If you walk from the Markt to the train station, which elements do you pass?”. The experience of the route is clearly addressed in the interview and of great importance for the drawing of the Lynch-map of the city of Helmond. To gain a better insight in the encompassed emotions, questions such as: “How do you feel about this route? (Is it a pleasant route?)” were answered.

The answers acquired by the interviews differ strongly from one another. The central starting point, the Markt, was drawn differently by everyone. Some people drew it as specific as possible, while others drew an abstract figure like a circle or a square as a representative of the Markt. The routes were drawn different as well: different levels of detail and different points of interest were only two of the variations.

In figures 4.2 and 4.3 two examples can be seen of maps drawn by the interviewed. The upper one shows a fully detailed map in which even the works of art have been pointed out. In contrast, the lower one only shows the outlines of the city, drawn by a high school student, except for the area most important to the subject, namely the bar area.

In the bar above the pages, translated quotes from the interviews are displayed.

The canal is very beautifull with its fountains.

Especially in the evening.

Man, unemployed , 1990

Fig. 4.2 Mental map of a woman

Fig. 4.3 Mental map of a high school student

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Something like this [draws oval]. This should be the market.

Housewife, 1954

Mapping the answers With the information derived from the interviews a Lynch-map of Helmond was drawn, which can be seen in figure 4.4. The elements in the map are based on the elements used by Lynch, though adapted to a smaller scale and the situation of Helmond. The element ‘point of confusion’ is a fusion of four elements determined by Lynch, namely: point of confusion, elastic intersection, direction ambiguity and ambiguous branch. This fusion was necessary to create a clear symbol fitting the scale of Helmond. The symbol used for path by Lynch has a gradation added to it, showing either slow or fast traffic, and has turned into a dotted line instead of a continuous one. The continuous line is used to illustrate borders as it is stronger than the dotted line and therefore shows the difference in strength between a path and a border.

The interviews lead to a distinction in six different districts. They are isolated areas, except for the west end of the Veestraat, where two districts overlap, revealing an interaction between the two.

The Lynch map also shows very clearly how the six zones are seperate areas and where the gaps are.

On the north-west side of the city centre, the Steenweg together with hotel West Ende and its square, form a district. Clockwise the Havenplein district is next, containing the Kanaaldijk N.O. and Havenplein. It is a bar district and is busy during the day and night. The cube house district, in the north east of the city centre, is dominated by the cube houses and theatre ‘’t Speelhuis’. It has an enclosed feeling because of the circular positioning of the cube houses surrounding the circular square. The largest and busiest district is the central district. The Markt, the Veestraat and the Kerkstraat are the main streets dominating this area. This district however, contains more streets than just these ones and, overall, has a shopping function. South of the Traverse, on the east side of the canal, the castle is the 28.

main attraction of the castle district. The rest of the district is made up of a park and has strong boundaries in the Traverse, Vlisco and the canal.

On the other side of the canal, the sixth district can be found, called Boscotondo. Several buildings that were created together, shape this district.

The square encapsulated by these buildings feels empty and is labelled ‘uncomfortable’ in the interviews. The main functions have their entrances together in a small area close to the canal, leaving the rest of the square unused.

Fast traffic paths are represented with a thicker dotted line than paths showing slow traffic. The dotted line with the dots closest together represents the Veestraat, the busiest shopping street.

There are three strong borders, the Traverse, the canal and the Vlisco area with its wall.

Nodes, the central foci of elements, are numerous in Helmond. The drawing bridge at the Havenplein area is the most positively valued, whereas he street connecting the Markt with the Cube Houses is the most negatively valued of the nodes.

The castle is the most mentioned landmark, with the cube houses come in second place. In opposition to the castle they are less appreciated.

Another landmark is the fountains in the canal, placed from Boscotondo to Havenplein, dominating both sides of the canal.

During the interview, three main problems came to light. Firstly, the route between the station and the city centre is vague and confusing. The entrance of Vlisco is also a points of confusion. Thirdly the Markt square seems to have an ambiguous shape.

Figure 4.5 is similar to the Lynch-map, but has colours added. It shows the value of all aspects with a distinct positive or negative valuation. The districts are less opaque when the intensity of the experience increases.

Some pubs. But they are not really special.

On the other side, the hooligans gather near the little harbor’. The normal people go to the Steenweg.

Man, student, 1993

Fig. 4.4 Lynch map of Helmond with added elements

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That grey old thing? H贸贸贸rrible!

There are more important things in life than Vlisco.

Man, Real Estate Advisor, 1955

Fig. 4.5 Lynch map of Helmond with color codes, indicating positive or negative opinions

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Helmond is recognisable for its contradiction between old & new.

Boscotondohal versus the castle.

Woman, policy employee, 1977

Results The city centre consists of six districts. The Markt and Havenplein districts are valued the highest.

The Markt’s appraisal is due to strategic renewal and its popular shopping function. The Havenplein area’s positive valuation is due to an attractive entertainment function. However the Markt itself has an ambiguous shape and does not have clear boundaries. The Kerkstraat and the Veestraat are much approved of, because of good urban space and highly sought after functions. The Veestraat also connects the Markt and Kerkstraat with the Havenplein, where popular cafés and bars are located. Together they create a logical sequence for a day of shopping.

The Traverse cuts of the castle district from the shopping centre. However, the iconic status of the castle, combined with a well maintained park, ensure positive remarks on this district. The park and castle area are ill-visited areas, in contrast with its positive rating. This might be a consequence of the strict and negatively rated boundaries, which seem to discourage people to venture forth into the castle park.

A second iconic edifice is the Cube Houses. They are valued less highly than the castle, since many people think it is old fashioned architecture. Still, they are characteristic and house the popular theatre ‘’t Speelhuis’. Also the library is adjacent to the cube house square, which is a popular place in the city as well. The buildings and street around the cube houses are seen as uncanny.

Improving the passages to the Cube Houses would be beneficial for this district.

Vlisco, built next to the castle district, remains an unclear area in the minds of many. The wall, the undefined entrance and a general dislike of the industrial architecture combined with memories of foul odours compete with an appreciation of Vlisco’s history, its contribution to the development of the city and its products, for the valuation of Vlisco.

Vlisco is seen as an obstruction to the passage from north to south, considering that a new

cultural centre, the ‘Cacao factory’ will be built in the southern area. If Vlisco could be opened up, the flow through the city could get a boost by connecting the Cacao factory area to the city centre. Also the image of Vlisco could improve if people get to know the company and the castle would feel less enclosed.

The Traverse is an element dominating the city centre. It is seen as a landmark, path and border.

Some call it a necessary evil. Decorative upgrades have been made to the Traverse, improving the image of the bridge. Softening the sharp borders, the Traverse imposes, would tie the different districts together in a more coherent whole.

Boscotondo is cut off from the castle district and the shopping area by the canal and the Traverse.

The area is only accessed because of the location of the entrances to its important functions. From all districts, Boscotondo suffers most from the division in quadrants the Traverse and the canal create. To give Boscotondo a positive boost, functions could be spread around the square and the access points could be treated likewise. The connection with other parts of town could be strengthened.

The Canal is an element which borders on several districts. It functions as a backbone to the city centre as it is one of the strongest urban elements, together with the Traverse. However, in contradiction to the Traverse, the canal is mainly valued positively, which is due to lively fountains and the accessibility and playful presence of the water. The canal plays an important role in the history of the city and is now part of modern, more recreational developments.

These results will be taken into account when developing a vision and wielding an attitude towards Helmond.

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5. EXCURSION

Fig. 5.1 Italy and its famous coffee as an impression

Fig. 5.2 The graduation studio with Irene Curulli

Whilst doing research on possible strategies for industrial reuse, it soon became clear that looking only at Helmond, Brabant or the Netherlands for that matter, would be an unnecessary limitation.

Therefore, a study excursion abroad was put on the agenda.

and what is new?”, “How does the new react to the old?”, “How industrial does the new building feel, still?” and “Is it lively?”, amongst many.

Additional information concerning the buildings was provided by several tour guides and resulted in combination with the personal experiences and previously occupied information in a rich image of the visited sites.

Many cities or districts were considered: London, Genève and Milan to name a few. Based on the availability of reused industry and canals, Milan was selected. As a former industrial city, Milan has huge factory sites which are no lnoger in use as Milan shifted from an industrial economy to a service economy. Many of these sites have been renewed in an Italian manner. Bicocca, Bovisa and Tortona are examples of former industrial areas which are reused as respectively: a mixed use site with a theatre, university buildings and housing blocks, a university campus and finally a fashion neighbourhood. In these areas great examples can be found of renewed industrial architecture, such as the teatro Armani, museum Pomodoro and the hangar in Bicocca. The projects, which are differ from one another on several aspects, add to the index of possible strategies for industrial reuse.

The choice to go to Milan was not solely dependent on the city alone. It was heavely influenced by the proximity of two other former industrial cities; Venice and Turin. Venice has many smaller factories which have been abandoned and reused, in combination with a large network of canals.

Turin’s main attraction is the former Fiat factory ‘Lingotto’. Through the visiting of these cities, the knowledge about industrial reuse in Italy could be vastly extended.

Following the selection of the cities, research was done on possible projects in these cities to visit. Once there, the intention was to experience the sites, sketch, take photograph’s and take notes. Questions asked included: “What is old 32.

After visiting a building, sections of the site were drawn. Not in a completely realistic fashion, but more as an approach to the ‘feeling’ of a building in which distortion, for example, is welcomed.

With all this new information, it had become significantly easier to tell which strategies were applied on these buildings.

The visited projects gave every participant new inspiration and new insights in the matter of industrial heritage. The excursion has not only broadened the scope for industrial reuse but also personal views on the topic became wider. The experience of taking a look in another country was truly enriching and a valuable step in researching the vast possibilities of industrial reuse.

Subsequent to this excursion the writing of a short essay on the a topic derived from the excursion was assigned. This could be anything, from doorknobs or social interaction on certain locations to the colours of window frames in Milan, according to personal interest. Drafts from these essays are included in this publication.

Fig. 5.3 Picture of the tower of Cotonificio in Venice

Fig. 5.4 Detail of the Olivetti store by Carlos Scarpa in Venice

Venice Venice is a city with many interesting sites of industrial reuse. These sites include the following: The Giudecca project by Zucchi Architetti recognizes in the Giudecca island the presence of two heterogeneous scales: a dense fabric one a more sparse one of industrial precincts. The project acts a sort of ‘microsurgery’ in the former industrial area, alternating deep transformations to slight modifications of the existing buildings and open spaces. The project tries to establish a contemporary relationship with tradition and the uniqueness of Venice’s urban landscape.

The Molino Stucky Hilton Venice is the former home of the Molino Stucky Flour Mill. The concern for preservation and thorough historical study of the industrial structure was key, and crucial in determining the course of redesign. The new Molino Stucky Hilton Venice maintains the origins of its architectural integrity as well as Giovanni Stucky’s philosophy of the past ‘to create a longlasting relationship with the township of Venice’.

Cotonificio was one of the most important textile factories from Venice and the entire region of Veneto. The initial project had an imposing image, with big windows with frames in brick and pietra d’Istria. The main building today hosts a considerable part of the University of Architecture.

Standing on the roof is a sculpture entitled Wings by architect Massimo Scolari made for the 1991 Biennale, symbolizing freedom.

Fig. 5.5 Sketches of the Fondazione Querini Stampalia

Carlo Scarpa redesigned the ground floor and the backyard of the Palazzo Querini Stampalia. Scarpa rediscovered the original forms and included all the elements of his interpretation of Venice. He uses the convergence and concurrence of factors and values rooted in spatial and distributional measure and also the effects of materials, colour and light.

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Fig. 5.6 Road in the Bovisa University area

Fig. 5.7 Reused industrial area into an inner courtyard in Milan

Milan Milan houses several large scale industrial redevelopments as well as reuse projects on a smaller scale. These sites include the following: The Bicocca-area, previously factory terrain of the Pirelli tire factory, now houses the University of Milan and a theatre amongst others. The original industrial urban plan has been kept, giving the area an industrial feel. The new Pirelli headquarters, designed by Gregotti Associati International, incorporates an old cooling tower in the new building, now functioning as a conference hall.

Industry played an important role in the identity and character of the Bovisa area, an important industrial district of Milan. Nowadays it houses the Politecnico University, amongst other functions.

The redevelopment, headed by Professor Luigi Chiara, was designed to respect and enhance the historic traits of existing buildings, by means of searching for their compatibility with educational activities. Much consideration was given to incampus connections and relationship areas, by means of using bright colours and of reusing large moulded artefacts from the factories as colourful sculptures.

Tortona has become the creative district of Milan where it used to be a warehouse-filled neighbourhood. In this area lies the Pomodoro Foundation, a museum devoted to sculpture, housed in a former turbine factory. The renovation project, entrusted to Studio Cerri Associati, has placed the preservation of the structure at the base of the redesign, maintaining visibility of the old industrial characteristics.

Fig. 5.8 Sketch of the interior of the Pomodoro Foundation

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Fig. 5.9 Picture of the inner courtyard of the Lingotto mall

Fig. 5.10 Remains of the market hall of the Olympic Village in Turin

Turin Turin was the third city included in this excursion.

Two visited industrial reuse projects in this city were: The Lingotto car factory, by MattĂŠ Trucco, opened in 1932 and was revolutionary in industrial architecture. It was the first industrial building built out of reinforced concrete columns, floors and beams. The facades are made out of concrete as well, though not resulting in a functionalistic building through the use of modern, rational decorative elements. Renzo Piano designed the redevelopment of Lingotto, leaving the building itself and the track on the rooftop, where the cars used to be taken for a test-drive, intact. The outside of the factory has hardly changed, with the most present alteration being the addition of two elements on the roof. Inside, on the other hand, the changes are major. It presently houses a shopping mall and a school amongst other functions. The additions made to the building are designed in contrast with the existing, engaging in dialogue with the original building in this way.

In 2006 the Olympic Village housed the athletes competing in the Olympic Winter tournament.

The central market hall stemming from 1934 was redeveloped as a logistic centre. The surrounding apartment blocks have brightly coloured facades and retained a residential function, though now a more permanent one.

Fig. 5.11 Sketch of the rooftop of the Lingotto factory

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6. STRATEGIES AND MOTIVATIONS IN REUSE

Strategies The main strategies and attitudes towards the handling of industrial heritage are listed in fig. 6.1. This inventory is as complete as this research allows and leaves room for additional contributions and comments. The strategies are derived from information gathered from several sources: Literature A theoretical research has been done regarding reuse. From this research several strategies towards the dealing with industrial heritage have been derived.

Study excursion During a study excursion to Italy, projects related to the topic of reuse of industrial heritage in the cities of Venice, Milan and Turin were visited. The visited projects have been studied and from these studies several strategies have been derived.

Personal references The list has been complemented with strategies derived from personal references. These references illustrate the strategies they led to.

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Fig. 6.1 Diagram showing relation between reuse strategies

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1. Demolition This strategy can be seen as a rather drastic measurement that results in the demolition of all buildings on the site. The new design holds no references to the previous building.

2. Absolute beginnings This approach leads to the demolition of the original building and with that the deletion of the history of the site. This strategy finds its origin in Modernism. The modernists are not concerned with the past, they solely look towards the future and demolish in order to create a clean slate, an absolute beginning. The new design can now be focused on the future developments of society.

3. New design based on previous structure This strategy is based on the existing structure of the site or building, and uses this as a structural basis for the new development. The existing structure can for instance be an urban layout, a building’s construction or the composition of a project. An example of the application of this strategy can be found in the Bicocca-district in Milan. Here, the existing urban pattern structures the new developments. The new components fill the original structure as designed by Gregotti Associati International.

4. New design with old concept In the redevelopment of the site, the concept of the original design is adopted. Although the original and redeveloped situations are based on the same design principle, their execution can be divergent, due to a new interpretation of this concept.

5. New design with historical references This strategy results in a completely new design in which references are made to physical aspects of the original building. Examples of these aspects are ornamentation, constructional details and typological elements.

6. Display This strategy gives credit to the original building by displaying it. The original building is retained and new components are designed in order to emphasize the qualities of the existing site. The Pirelli Headquarters building in Milan illustrates the implementation of this strategy as interpreted

by Gregotti Associati International. The displayed element is a cooling tower which stems from 38.

the industrial past of the Pirelli site. The tower has been incorporated in the new building in the sense of aesthetic design as well as in functional organisation.

7. Contrasting addition An addition to the existing building is done in a contrasting way. The new additions are deliberately designed to be clearly distinguished from the existing building. This contrast can be achieved in several ways, such as by means of construction, materials, detailing or morphology.

An example of the implementation of this strategy can be found in the design by Coop Himmelb(l)au on the rooftop of a building in the Falkestrasse in Vienna. On top of a formal, stone building a new, more organically shaped addition is made in the contrasting materials of steel and glass.

8. Replica In this strategy the appearance of the existing building is replicated in the new design. This design can concern an entirely new building or merely an addition to the existing building. It mimics the original building in general appearance or, more specifically, in for instance materials, morphology, style, ornamentation or detailing. The design for the addition to Building North of the Vlisco company in Helmond illustrates the application of this strategy. The added top floor of the building replicates the appearance of the original design.

9. Strip and fit The existing building is stripped down to leave only the construction. A new function is assigned to the site and fitted in the remaining construction, resulting in a new architectural unity. For example, the Market Hall of the Olympic Village in Turin has been stripped. The construction that remains has been supplemented with steel and glass components, as designed by Camerana & Rosenthal.

10. New interior within original exterior by means of this strategy only the interior of a building is renewed, whilst the exterior is kept intact. This enables the implementation of a new function and adapts the building for the demands of modern times.

11. New exterior with original interior The building gains a different exterior character through the renewal of the facade. The original

and unaltered interior spaces and layout are encapsulated by this new design.

12. Threading old components with new elements Existing components and new additions are assembled to form a new unity. This is done by threading the old building parts with the new elements. This strategy is exemplified by the Molino Stucky project in Venice. The ensemble of existing brick buildings belonging to a former wheat-factory has been threaded with new additions. The new additions have been designed in contrast to the existing buildings, which is most clear in the use of materials, but they form a unity with the existing building.

13. Change, fill and refurbish Small changes are made to the existing situation, though leaving the general appearance of the building intact. The changes mainly concern smaller elements of the building. These changes are complemented with the filling and refurbishing of the building. For example, changes made to the building occupied by DMagazine Outlet on the Via Forcella in Milan include the modification of the entrance and the addition of a floor. The building was then filled and refurbished resulting in a fashion store with a unique appearance.

14. Fill and refurbish The existing building remains generally unaltered.

The occupation of the building by a new function is enabled by merely refurbishing and filling it with small interior additions. This strategy was generally applied at the Bovisa district in Milan. The faculty of architecture of the Bovisa University constitutes a representative example. This redevelopment of a former cable factory was headed by professor Luigi Chiara. The filling and refurbishing of the buildings adapts them to the new educational function.

15. The intertwining of old and new building components The existing buildings and the new additions enter into a complex dialogue. The components relate to each other in several ways, intertwining into a new unity. This strategy can be illustrated by the Fondazione Querini Stampalia in Venice. In this design by Carlo Scarpa old and new building components are equally present and intertwine to form a new composition.

16. Exterior restoration with referential interior redesign The exterior of the building is retained and restored. The interior is dealt with less conservatively and redesigned in style of the old building. This strategy can well be illustrated with the Fondazione Pomodoro in Milan. The redesign

by Studio Cerri restores the exterior of the building, leaving the external appearance intact.

The interior has been redesigned retaining the industrial atmosphere of the original building.

17. Optimisation In principle, the building is retained in its original appearance. Interventions concentrate on optimising the building’s suitability for modern use. These interventions can for instance concern rewiring, improvement of insulation or lighting and other technical alterations.   18. General restoration The building is restored to its original state to the highest possible extent. Three specific types of restoration are determined by Boito: architectural, picturesque and archaeological restoration. These are further explained in this list.

19. Architectural restoration This specific type of restoration takes into account the buildings in their totality. It restores the general appearance of the building without concerning itself with minor details.

20. Picturesque restoration Picturesque restoration focuses on the structural framework of the building. Decorations and other non-structural elements are abandoned to dilapidation, showing the passage of time.

21. Archaeological restoration This typical restoration strategy concerns itself above all with scientific exactitude. In the case of reconstitution of lost parts of the building, it considers only mass and volume, leaving bland the treatment of surfaces and their ornamentation.

22. Restore and fill The building is restored to its original state. New additions fill the interior space, enabling a new function to occupy the building. These added internal components are designed without interfering with the original building, keeping the possibility of complete restoration of the interior 39.

space. This strategy has been applied in the design of the Selexyz bookshop in a former church in Maastricht by Merkx+Girod.

23. Repair The building is brought to an acceptable technical state, repairing any damages the building may have suffered. These repairs for example include the mending of cracks in the construction or repairing leakage.

24. Maintain The maintenance concerns the general upkeep of a building, retaining it in an acceptable state. A clear example of maintenance is the upkeep of the paintwork. The application of this strategy extends the life of the building whilst preventing the need for more radical interventions.

25. Prevent collapse The existence of the building is ensured by preventing it from collapsing. Only highly necessary constructional support is implemented in order to do so. This strategy is can be illustrated with the example of the NRE-terrain in Eindhoven.

Whilst plans for this area are being developed, the only intervention consists of strutting the building to prevent collapse.

26. Revaluation In this strategy no physical interventions are performed. Despite this, the opinions or views on the building can change due to shifts in the cultural or social climate. This can result in the revaluation of the building. An example of this strategy is found in what is generally named as Plattenbauten in Germany. These buildings which are constructed of large, prefabricated concrete slabs, have in some cases been revaluated through the positive approach towards them by artists. The adoption of these buildings for their art assigned them a different cultural value.

27. Deterioration Different motivations can lead to the conscious decision to not undertake any action towards the building. Consequently, the building is left to deteriorate over time.

28. Clean Cleaning the building of all interior elements no longer in favour to the new occupant, enabling the new function to be applied. These elements 40.

can range from machines and installations to permanent furniture.

29. Adjust Adjustments are made to the building to enable it to accommodate a new function. These alterations are of a minor nature and do not change the general appearance of the building.

30. Clean and furnish The building is cleaned from all redundant elements and subsequently refurbished according to the new function which has been assigned to the building. An illustration to this strategy can be found in the reuse of a former industrial building

by Superstudio Group. The building can now accommodate a cafe, as redundant elements have been removed and the cleared space has been refurbished.

31. Blank canvas All redundant elements of the building are removed and what remains is what can be referred to as a blank canvas. Consequently, the remaining building is available for a wide range of potential functions. An illustrative example is found in the approach applied at a former industrial building accommodated by Superstudio Temporary Museum for New Design in 2009. The museum benefits from the acquired blank canvas at this location.

32. Evaluate and develop The functioning of the existing situation is evaluated. Based on the conclusions drawn from this evaluation the approach towards the development of this site is decided upon. Thus, the site is adapted to modern requirements.

33. Concealed expansion The appearance of the existing building remains unaltered. New additions to the original building are concealed from view. This strategy was implemented in the expansion of a former watermill in Arnhem by Van Hillo Verschaeren Architekten. The appearance of the original building is unaltered as the expansion was realised below ground level.

Motivations The diagram shown in fig. 6.2 shows the relation between motivations concerning the argumentation behind strategies towards dealing with industrial heritage. The motivations are listed and explained following this diagram. In these explanations, renewal of a site concerns

demolition of the original building followed by the building of a new design, and redevelopment or reuse of a site refers to the redesign of the existing building, retaining the original building to a greater or lesser extent.

Fig. 6.2 Motivations diagram

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A. Least expensive solution Redesigning a building, making use of the opportunities the existing site has to offer, can be the less expensive solution in comparison to developing a completely new building.

B. Valuable investment The development of an industrial heritage site can prove to be a valuable investment in future times when designing it to be in line with, for instance economical or social requirements.

C. Suitable for a new function When a new function is assigned to a building, the suitability of the original building for this new function can be a reason to choose for a certain reuse-strategy. This works in two ways. Firstly, if certain parts of the existing building suit the new function very well, this can be the reason to choose for reuse of the building instead of opting for complete renewal of the site. Secondly, if the original building is not that suitable for its new function, the building might need necessary adaptations to enable the implementation of this function, resulting in a less conservative strategy.

D. Sustainability The redevelopment of a building is on several aspects potentially a more sustainable strategy than the development of a new building. These aspects include material usage, emission from transport, emission from machinery and energy usage.

E. Populistic sentiment A building can evoke strong sentiment amongst the general public or within a more specific group like a political party. If this sentiment is valued highly, it can be reason enough to retain the building and redevelop it.

F. Iconic status An iconic building can be a point of identification and orientation within the city. In order to 42.

preserve this point, the redevelopment of a site can be preferred over completely renewing a site.

G. Part of collective memory A building or site can play an important role in the collective memory. When this memory is highly appreciated, it can be preserved through the preservation and redevelopment of the building or site.

H. Important for the future development of a city A building can work as an activator for an area in a city. Through that it can play an important part in the future development of a city, which could lead to redevelopment.

I. Important for the historic development of a city When the building has been important for the historic development of the city, the appreciation for this can be the reason to preserve and reuse the specific site.

J. Linked to a historic person or event If the building is linked with an exceptional historic person or event and there is a will to retain or even enhance this link, the building could be redeveloped in an appropriate way.

K. Representative for a certain period or style In order to retain a wide range of architectural styles, buildings which represent a certain style can be preserved and redeveloped to achieve this.

L. Only building from a certain period or style When the building is the last or one of the few remaining buildings representing a certain period or architectural style, redevelopment of the building ensures the preservation of this period or style in the build environment and the architectural inventory. As it concerns the last representative, the strategies towards reuse of this building could well be of a more conservative nature then the strategies applied following the previous reason.

M. Conservation of patina Patina is all that happens to a building over time, both natural and afflicted by man, which contributes to an appraised weathered look. Patina shows the ageing of a building and contributes to the buildings’ character. When this patina is valued highly, the preservation of this patina leads to the redevelopment of the building rather than renewal of the site.

N. Exceptional material or method used When an exceptional material or method has been applied in the original building’s design, this can be preserved and even displayed in the redevelopment of the building.

O. Part of urban ensemble When a building is part of an urban ensemble, the renewal of a building could destroy the intentional urban plan. This could lead to the redevelopment of the present building or structure.

P. Further development Further development can take the building to the next phase in its existence. It is developed as a continuation of the evolution of the building from earlier times, towards the future.

Q. Legislation The reuse of a building can be determined by legislation concerning the site. Motives behind this legislation can be juridical or ecological in order to, for instance, retain the building for future reference or preserve unique flora and fauna.

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Strategies set against motivations The previously discussed strategies and motivations are brought together in the Strategies and Motivations diagram illustrated in fig. 6.3.

This diagram shows which motivations and strategies are linked. It can be used starting from the horizontal ‘strategies’ axis, checking what the main motivations are that lead to the strategy in

Fig. 6.3 Strategies and Motivations diagram

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question, or from the vertical ‘motivations’ axis, discovering which strategies align with the chosen motivation. The colouring applied in the diagram stems from the earlier shown diagrams concerning the two topics singularly and represents the categories the specific strategies and motivations belong to.

Categories Renew Restore Refrain Economical Social Historical Aesthetical

Strategies Motivations

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7. VISION AND MASTERPLAN

Fig. .1 Part of the observations map of chapter 3

Recapitulation The conclusion that appears most frequently throughout the research has to do with the primarily fragmented character of Helmond.

According to our own observations, it is quite easy to describe the city’s most important places, but much harder to see the correlation between them.

The most important nodes are concentrated in the city centre, and the canal does not play an active role in ordering the city anymore. The study of the Lynch maps supports these conclusions. The six different districts all have their distinct character.

The various edges and points of confusion only strengthen the disorder. Attention should be given to this problematic fragmentation of the city, which threatens to lose its coherence altogether.

An important actor, in mending the coherence of Helmond, is the canal. The canal has been used much in the past, but has lost this role over the last decades. It is now often appreciated for its recreational function. On the other hand, it has grown into an obstacle for movement between the different parts of the city. The canal does have the potential to function as a backbone for the city, but it does not use this potential. It is a strong element in the city fabric and care should be given to the implementation of the canal as an ordering element.

The most coherent districts in Helmond form the city centre. The city centre itself seems to function quite well. The Markt is generally appreciated despite its ambiguous shape. The Kerkstraat, Veestraat and Havenplein make up the most highly valued area in the city centre. Improvements of the city centre should focus on the connection between Havenplein, library, cube houses and Markt. Plans for an expansion of the city centre are now being implemented and try to link the areas to one another. Other interventions in and around the centre of Helmond should take these new designs into account.

The incoherence of Helmond appears most in the area around the central train station. The route 46.

from the station to the city centre and back is considered very unclear. New buildings might change the appearance of parts of this route, but the distance between station and centre is still large and people do not find their way through this area. Moving the station to a more desirable location should be considered.

The most enclosed district in Helmond is the Vlisco area. People tend to be aware of the historical and economical value of Vlisco, but do not appreciate its character. The most problematic about the Vlisco area is its status as a vague, grey area in the minds of many. The bland wall, unknown interior spaces and dislike of some of the buildings avoid that Vlisco becomes part of the fabric of the city.

The industrial heritage of the area provides the opportunity to involve Vlisco in the organisation of Helmond. In case of shrinkage of the Vlisco company, using space and buildings that become available to open up this area will allow it to contribute to the city once more.

A very dominating element in the organisation of Helmond is the Traverse. Together with the canal, the Traverse separates four different parts of the city: the shopping area of the city centre, the Steenweg district, the Boscotondo area and the castle and its garden. The Traverse acts as a connector between east and west, but as a separator between north and south. The canal emphasises the direction from north to south and could be used to bring these two directions into a more balanced whole. By enhancing the role of the canal, the four different districts can be connected.

To elaborate on the vision and interventions, different types of models will be used as a guideline. A conceptional model visualizes the ideas behind our interventions. An urban model gives an overview. In a model with sections the relationship to the water is characterised. Finally, some dioramas give insight into the desired characters along the route.

Fig. 7.2 Part of the Lynch-map of chapter 4

Concept The research makes clear that Helmond needs a higher level of organisation and unity. We want to create this unity by using the potential of the canal as an ordering element. A route along the canal will meet the different characters of the areas it crosses. The new situation will be a diversified unity, in which the canal plays the central role.

The conceptual model represents the new unity that we want to create by using a consistent element. Using the potential of the canal as a backbone for our plans, we see that there is a possibility of using its character as a consistent element throughout the separated zones within

the city centre. The canal is represented by the clothesline, connecting the five different characters along the way.

These five characters are represented by five different garmentsv. From left to right: 1) T-shirt, representing the terraces on Havenplein 2) Blouse, for the Steenweg as a more mixed area 3) Shorts, representing the park area 4) A boiler suit, for the Vlisco area 5) Scarf, which refers to a new station area

Fig. 7.3 Conceptual installation, referring to the masterplan concept

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Fig. .4 Summary of sections in Helmond

Masterplan The concept gets its shape by the route we are placing alongside the canal. With this gesture, we try to make use of the potential the canal holds within the city centre.

Since it has to emphasize the canal, the route needs to become a consistent element of its own, and not just rely on the canal without dominating the individual characters per area.

The main material used for the route will be concrete. This is a material that relates to the industrial character of the canal, and that can be adapted and combined with other materials to fit the different areas along the canal. Depending on the character of the area, the concrete can be combined with either steel or wood.

Fig. 8.5 Overview of our model in which the masterplan is implemented

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A series of interventions shape the route.

Starting from the north, the Havenplein will retain its unique character, but will connect to the plans for the new city centre.

Secondly, the four quadrants around the intersection of the canal and Traverse will be joined together by emphasising the direction of the canal. At this point, the route is located on both sides of the canal.

Thirdly, the building block, facing both de Veestraat and the canal, will be finished underneath and on the other side of the Traverse in order to create a smoother transition between the areas towards the castle area.

The fourth intervention shows that the larger part of the Vlisco area will be opened up for the public. Designs will be made for several buildings in the Vlisco area in the next part of the graduation project.

The last intervention will be to move the central station of Helmond towards the canal. At this point, a square and a harbour will be created. This harbour recalls the industrial harbour that used to be there. The northern part of the canal will retain its industrial character for the time being.

Sections At the Havenplein the current relationship between the square and the canal will be retained. People can get close to the canal by means of a slow stairs.

In the area around the Traverse the canal binds the four quadrants together. A new level towards the canal is introduced. It is possible for passers-by to get on the canal, since aprons will be built on both quays.

Where the route meets the castle park, a more green and recreational character can be experienced. The relationship between the canal and the route is most fluid in this area. Fishing jetties add to the recreational value of the canal and bring the water even closer.

In the Vlisco area the relationship between the water and the route is much more distant. The industrial character of the area will be continued in the design of the route and its connection to the water. Height differences will be bigger and the transitions more abrupt.

Close to the new train station the relationship between canal and route is comparable to that of the Havenplein, though more industrial. Visitors can approach the canal with slow stairs. Even boats, a floating restaurant perhaps, can reappear in the old harbour.

Fig. 7.6 Section near the ‘Havenplein’

Fig. 7.7 Section near the Traverse

Fig. 7.8 Section near the castle

Fig. 7.9 Section near the Vlisco area

Fig. 7.10 Section near the new station area

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The Havenplein is a pleasant area with many restaurants and cafĂŠs. Tables and sunshades are situated along the canal. People can enjoy the activities around the water and the fountains in the canal, while they witness the building of a brand new city centre on the other side of the square.

A new central area along the canal connects the different quadrants around the Traverse. Several characters meet here. New activities will be introduced on both sides of the canal. People can buy a sandwich at the new supermarket under the Traverse and then sit down at the water side to take in the many characters of Helmond.

Next to the impressive castle of Helmond the route will go through a green and calming park.

Fishermen sit down on one of the jetties while traffic races past on the Traverse in the distance.

The castle park provides a moment of rest in the middle of Helmond city centre.

The formerly unknown industrial heritage can be explored in the Vlisco area. The industrial character of the area can be felt very strongly here. Impressive old factories are now open to the public. This area, with its unique character, will give a boost to the city centre of Helmond.

An active station square will arise at the intersection of the railway and the canal. Boats and shops will bring acitvities to this formerly private area. The station square will connect to the new cultural centre of Helmond in the south and the new route to the city centre on the north.

The atmosphere on the square is clearly industrial.

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Fig. 7.11 Detailed view of our impression of the Havenplein

Fig. 7.12 Detailed view of our impression of the new central area

Fig. 7.13 Detailed view of our impression of the castle and Traverse area

Fig. 7.14 Detailed view of our impression of the Vlisco area

Fig. 7.15 Detailed view of our impression of the new station square

8. EPILOGUE

At the moment of writing, the projects we are all working on, are not finished yet. All graduation students are making drafts of the final designs, which we are planning to finish within the next two months.

Looking back, in this early stage of the design, this project has been taken us to many different places and in many different directions. From interviewing people of Helmond in the local library or visiting the old factories of Venice to making a conceptual model with a clothes line, it all was necessary for us to understand Helmond (and its inhabitants) in some way or another. At this moment we are at such a stage that we partly feel like we are Helmondian, because we already have so many stories to tell of our own about the town and have many experiences of our own in it.

To look for all the possible manners on how to deal with industrial heritage and then make a design for the case study in Helmond may seem like we tried to overdo ourselves. We may not have been able to describe every strategy to cope with industrial monuments in detail, but we were able to distinct three extremes on the matter. In between these three extremes all designs are possible and can be described accordingly. We then also thought of the reasons behind the chosen strategies.

Next we connected these two. Why would you do what, exactly? How can we, how can you position yourself in this relatively new field?

We researched Helmond’s centre thoroughly making use of the techniques handed over to us by Kevin Lynch and by making observations in all shapes and sizes. Our attention then was especially drawn to the Vlisco factory and then was investigated even more. It appeared that we all agreed it would be vital for the city to create a connecting element which would tie all the loose city districts to each other, to create a clear city lay-out. We needed to create a backbone for the city and we found that alongside the Industrial Water Street, the canal.

In this masterplan we needed to create our own assignment. Combining everything we had

learned so far about strategies, Helmond and more personal interests we have picked up in Italy, we then started working on a design, which is still work in progress. In two months it shall be ready and then we can truly test the impact the designs would have on the city. These designs are situated on the Vlisco-area (building 1911, building north and the boiler house) and a pilot project of narrative design research is situated in the Bots-factory.

In the beginning of the project we were looking for the stories of Helmond, the factories and the people. We did not expect that we ourselves would contribute to those stories in one way or another. To engage with the inhabitants and to try to get Vlisco to show us around are just some of the stories we have to share.

It has been a journey on which we all learned and are still learning so many things. The cooperation between us as a atudio and with dr. Ir. Curulli and dr. Ir. Wallis de Vries has been very fulfilling. Now we stand for the last part of our graduation and we are looking to the past with pride and to the future with determination and confidence.

More detailed information and the progress of our designs can be found on the following website: http//www.industrialwaterstreet.eu

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9. APPENDIX I

ABSTRACTS OF ESSAYS

Types and stories

Typology, windows and identity of industrial buildings Myrthe Buijs

The essay to which this abstract belongs studies the way in which industrial buildings distinguish themselves. It investigates the typology of industrial buildings and elaborates on their identity. The parts of the essay are shortly introduced here, and the direction of further research will be explained.

Typology of industrial buildings The typology of industrial buildings is strongly connected to their industrial function. The activities taking place in these buildings generally need large and flexible spaces and proper lighting.

Functionality usually comes first in the design of industrial buildings. This does not mean that appearance plays no role in these buildings.

In many factory buildings some degree of ornamentation can be found.

The first element of typology that will be discussed are the facades. Early industrial buildings often had brick bearing walls. Later industrial buildings had filled-in iron frame or concrete facades.

The second element of typology is the supports.

The first industrial buildings had wooden constructions. As soon as cast iron came available, this material was used more in industrial buildings.

Buildings with cast-iron columns, wooden beams and a brick facade were quite familiar during and after the Industrial Revolution.

Supports are closely related to another element, namely floors. Columns and very large spans were often used to keep floors as open as possible.

Nowadays the raw and visible constructions in industrial buildings are often appreciated.

Of the fourth element of industrial buildings, the roof, many different types can be found. Flat roofs, gambrel roofs and sawtooth roofs are most familiar in industrial buildings.

The fifth building component discussed here are stairs. Stairs are not the most influential element in industrial buildings, but since they are often situated on the outside of industrial buildings to keep the floors open and flexible, the stairwells can be an important visual element.

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Fig. 9.1 Sketches of windows studied during study trip to Italy

Window typology This last building component will be discussed more in detail. Windows are one of the most important elements of the appearance of a building. The typical shape and look of the windows is what stays in peoples memories, because they are such a dominant element on the exterior of the building. Windows determine

Fig. 9.2 Windows of cotton mills in England in different building periods

a significant part of the identity of industrial buildings, and many different properties of these buildings are shown in their windows.

Windows have three main functions, namely to let in natural light, to provide a view outside and to ventilate the building. Windows in industrial buildings also have these functions, all in a certain degree.

The size of windows, or the proportion between wall and window, depends on the climate of the location of the building and on the building techniques used. Climate is a more or less constant factor, but building techniques evolved over the years. By the time of the industrialisation,

on which we focus here, the larger size and the possibility of ventilation became more and more important.

In general, it can be said that windows developed from holes in a wall to complete glass facades. The image on the previous page shows drawings of the windows of cotton mills of different building periods in England, all on the same scale. As can be seen, windows grew larger over time, and the amount of brickwork between them decreased.

This is a result of a demand for larger windows for larger spaces with bigger machines on one hand, and of the possibility to make bigger windows because of more modern building techniques on the other.

Identity of industrial buildings There is more to industrial buildings which makes them typically industrial. This is not only related to their physical building components and proportions, but also to their character and meaning. There is a more sensitive story about industrial buildings, and about their recognisability and singularity. It is about the way buildings speak to us of their stories. The identity of buildings is what makes them recognisable as what they are and simultaneously sets them apart. Identity is strongly connected to our relationship with the building.

Industrial buildings speak of a history of hard labour and low wages, of children working long hours, of the pounding of big machines and of unhealthy smoke pouring out of many chimneys.

At the same time, they speak of a past time of a thriving economy, of endless productivity and efficiency and of the pride and perseverance of a city and its workers.

Our relationship to industrial buildings is twofold.

On the one hand, they are loathed for their filthiness and looks; on the other hand they evoke feelings of nostalgia, pride, value and irreplaceability. Industrial buildings remind people of their history and identity, they are part of the collective memory and the identity of a city.

Typology and identity Without discussing whether industrial buildings are beautiful or not, it can now be stated that there are enough reasons to try to preserve at least some of these buildings. In that way, their stories can still be told, and part of their identity is retained. The question remains to what extend industrial buildings should be adapted to a new function. How much of their typological features should still be recognisable in order for these buildings to retain their identity?

Windows in Italy An attempt was made to answer this question by studying a series of windows of industrial buildings that where visited during the study trip in Italy.

Some drawings belonging to this research can be found at the top of this page.

In Molino Stucky in Venice, much effort was devoted to keeping the appearance of the windows and with that, the identity of the building.

In Lingotto in Turin, the windows and thereby the identity of the building were preserved, despite radical changes to the rest of the building. The windows in Querini Stampalia in Venice were changed, but the contrast between the old and the new allows a new identity without erasing the former identity. Other examples, such as the Cotonificio in Venice and the buildings in Bicocca in Milan, show that the adaptation of the windows changes the identity of the building radically. This last approach is not necessarily wrong, but an awareness of the consequences for the identity of the building is essential.

Further research The results of this opening research will be used in a larger investigation during the next part of the graduation project. By studying Helmonds oldest factory building, the Bots factory, the relationship between industrial architectecture and its stories will be explored. The narratives of the Bots factory will lead to a deeper and more fundamental understanding of its architecture.

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The Necessity of the Decorated Detail Dominique Geelen

In ‘the necessity of the decorated detail’, I explored the historical shift in the definition of ornament and the theoretical background of the ornament within the theme of decoration and its place within architecture. Starting from a trip to Italy, in which we visited several examples of industrial sites that are reused, my own fascination towards the meaning of transformation and the role of the ornamented detail began to grow. As the architectural typology of industrial buildings can be seen as an outcome of the Modernistic thought of functionalistic architecture, this typology is characterized by a seemingly ‘lack’ of applied decoration and ornamentation. But it appears that this lack in an architectural element is more vital to architecture than first stated by people like Adolf Loos, who mentioned the superfluous nature of ornamentation and thereby its need within modern architecture. An industrial building misses a certain aspect to make this transition from giant building for industrial use: towards the new human user. On the other hand the ornament reappears in contemporary architecture; a trend which might indicate that the use of ornamentation is not as superfluous as some people thought.

In theory, the role of decoration can be explained by using the definition of Antonio Monestiroli: a building becomes architecture because of the dual relationship of construction with the type and the applied decoration.1 Type covers the general characteristics of a building’s formal composition. Construction materializes the type; it gives the type an identity. It makes a building.

According to Monestiroli, decoration is the part that defines the specific form of the constructive elements. So the type gives the parameters of the building, prepares a certain layout and gives clear guidelines. The construction makes sure it becomes three-dimensional, the building arises.

And the decoration is the element which defines the eventual image of the building, what kind of construction elements are used. This is summed up in the triangle below in fig. 7.4.

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Fig. 9.4 The triangle of Monestiroli

TYPE

ARCHITECTURE

CONSTRUCTION

DECORATION

Within this triangle, Monestiroli again divides decoration into three subcategories: ornamental, allegorical and analogical decoration. According to him, ornamental refers to the basic human need of variety; allegorical to an inscription in the building and analogical refers to nature and construction.

In the latter, the decoration becomes a caption for the construction, which gives it an identity and thereby a possibility to be read. It shows the relationship between construction and decoration by means of representation. But here I believe that Monestiroli’s definition of ornamentation is not accurate enough. At least by naming it “a need for variety” it gets a slightly negative and again more superfluous nature than it should have.

The relationship between the detail and the ornament has changed a lot during the nineteenth and twentieth century. Whereas the ornament was originally related with order in architecture, it was a detail that communicated collective values. As the ornament became more and more related towards taste, the technical detail was seen as something very different. Especially within the ideas of the Modern movement and the functionalistic architecture, the ornament was rendered unnecessary. But architects like Frank Lloyd Wright kept showing that the architectural composition can be enhanced because of the coherence between detail and decoration.

Fig. 9.3 Detailed picture of tiles on a factory wall in Milan

Thereby the ornament has gained a new role within contemporary architecture. It has become the image-maker of a building. It appears that architecture has started to follow trends and fashions during the last decades of the twentieth century. Architecture becomes less static, and more related towards the psychology of its users.

Not only in a sense of a healthy environment, but also in the level of proximity of a building, in the empathy of a building. And thereby a buildings needs to be clearly defined; it needs to have a certain identity, a charisma. And this is where the ornamentation and decoration come in use again. No longer do ornaments only represent some symbolic values referring to ancient mathematical formulas or ideas, like the rosettes, the golden section and the fleur-de-lis, but they represent the ideas of the current era: technology.

Ornamentation is in the detail, by defining a good and clear technical detail, one can talk about the application of an ornamented detail. It can be a seamless joint or the application of a sustainable construction method. The ornament is an element within architecture that articulates the idea of a building.

Conclusion Empty industrial buildings are not just construction carcasses. They are telling a story, which is, compared to other historical architecture, about a rougher side of architecture where they hosted functions that were related with production and labor, hard labor, and the architectural remains show this. But not only their functions, also the influence of a building in the urban fabric is something interesting. Big chunks of material that covers large areas of land have got a pressing presence in the urban landscape. Industrial buildings are much more than just construction carcasses.

A detail is more than just a connection, a meeting point of multiple particles. It is not just about the attachment of materials; it tells something about

an attitude, whether that is about the building or about the architect. A detail is the final element in the articulation of architecture from a large object towards the human user.

Ornaments are more than just something that corresponds to the human wish for variety in a building, more than an applied texture. It is wrong to think that they are just elements to fill up the voids. They are important within the articulation of a building, to let a building correspond to the current needs in term of psychological experience and environmental sustainability. Ornaments can help to adapt industrial buildings to become functional again.

When dealing with this industrial heritage, it is the job of the architect to find an adequate solution, how to embody this history that is present in the building, and combine this with a way of adjusting the building to the current time.

It is about making use of the given construction, combined with a new fitting type which, as a whole, gets enhanced by decoration. It is the latter that has the ability to emphasize certain aspects, which gives the identity to the construction and to the building. The use of decoration can turn a massive steel structure into a soft cloth. It is this combination of both ornament and detail, of both decoration and construction, which can determine the overall feeling of a building. Therefore we cannot deny the decoration and the ornament from our architecture.

In fact, when an architect gets the task to reuse an industrial building, the application of decoration can prove to be a tool which can transform it without destroying the original architectural identity. It is a subtle way of enhancing certain aspects which can link the past with the new function. By articulating the joints and efficiently using the power of representation, the decorated detail is a necessity within the contemporary thoughts on architectural design.

1.

Monestiroli, A. (2002), The Metope and the Triglyph.

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The Perception of Proximity Milou Piethaan

Identity Life course Values Function

Architecture

Fig. 9.5 Scheme

‘It all has to do with proximity and distance.

The classical architect would call it scale. But I mean something more bodily than scales and dimensions.’1 Peter Zumthor (2006) The topic of this essay is the perception of proximity of a building. A building can feel relatively close to a person or relatively far off. It can be perceived as proximate or distant. A building can be perceived as near when there is for instance, a welcome and relaxed feeling to the place. A person feels at ease, when there is an attachment felt to the site or the building comes across as friendly. In contrast. A building can come across as far off, aloof, when it is intimidating, anonymous, strict, inapproachable, when it makes a person feel very small and unimportant, in service of the greater good of the building.

The perception of proximity is closely related with the identity of the building. The identity is what makes the building unique, it is the heart and soul of a building. When little of the identity is comunicated, the building is perceived as anonymous and distant. It isdifficult for a person to relate to such a building. When, on the other hand, a building communicates a larger part of its identity, it is easier for a person to relate to.

The building seems personal and is perceived as more near because of this. The perception of this identity can be changed by changing the parts of the identity communicated and the way in which they are communicated.

The research question derived from this topic is as follows: “What influences the perception of proximity of a building?”.

Architecture relating proximity and identity The relation between the perception of proximity and the identity of a building has been schematically organized as shown in figure 7.5.

When looking at ‘identity’ in relation with architecture, a buildings’ identity is roughly made up of three elements: the life course of the building, the values the building gives importance 56.

to, and the function the building accommodates.

These aspects can be transmitted to the beholder through architecture. What results from architecture in this sense is knowledge and a series of experiences. The knowledge is selective as it is up to the architect which knowledge concerning the buildings’ identity is expressed in the architecture of the building. In addition, architecture possesses the ability to create experiences. A person experiences the space created by architecture and through that one can experience a buildings identity.

The knowledge and experiences communicated through architecture both result in a perception of identity, and are strongest when combined.

The perception of proximity is a significant part of the perception of identity. Thus, architecture can express identity resulting in knowledge and experiences, which on their turn influence the perception of proximity.

Experience Architecture is experienced, it is felt. Architecture can impress, enlarge, reduce, comfort, even scare a person. Certain experiences influence the perception of proximity of a building, as illustrated in the schematic overview shown in figure 7.5.

Literature has been written on the topic of experiencing architecture by for instance Steen Eiler Rasmussen. He writes about the perception of architecture: “Just as we do not notice the individual letters in a word but receive a total impression of the idea the word conveys, we generally are not aware of what it is that we perceive but only of the conception created in our minds when we perceive it.”2 This conception regards the sense of proximity and the question then is: What are the ‘letters’ which form this ‘word’?

From the analysis of the experiences gained during the study trip to Italy, two main aspects can be appointed which influence the perception of proximity, namely scale and amenability.

Experience Scale Amenability

Knowledge Nature Level of detail

Perception of identity Perception of proximity

Architecturally speaking, the comparison between the size of a building and the size of the comparing element, most commonly the human body, defines the scale of a building. The experience of scale concerning the perception of proximity can for instance be felt at an architectural site where the scale of the building is perceived as very large compared to the human measurements.

The building is then perceived as more distant as it impresses and seems to be meant for things superior to the person experiencing it.

The transition of proportion, the graduation of element size towards human size, is of significant influence on the perception of proximity of a building due to scale. From research regarding this, the following conclusions can be drawn: When there is no or little gradual decrease in element size, the size of the larger elements is hard to grasp. The building has a larger scale and is therefore perceived as more distant. When, on the contrary, there is a gradual decrease in size towards the human measurements, the largeness of the whole is perceptible. The building seems to be reaching out to the human size, making the building more graspable and perceived as more near.

the site being perceived as more distant instead of more near.

Knowledge This part is about how architecture can either add to a persons’ knowledge or refer to information the person already possesses and give meaning to a site in that way. In general, the more knowledge a person has of a site, the more proximate the site seems, as it is less anonymous. The nature of the knowledge, however, does play an important role.

If the knowledge is of a generally negative nature, the site will grow slightly more proximate for the addition of knowledge in general, but that effect is then overruled by the distancing of the site due to negative associations. When on the contrary, the knowledge is of a positive nature, the perception of proximity is enhanced. Besides the nature of the knowledge, the level of detail also influences the effect of the knowledge on the perception of proximity. The more detailed the knowledge is, the greater the effect.

Amenability concerns the degree to which a building can be externally influenced. It is present in patina, a thin surface layer which develops on a building because of use, age or chemical action.3 It can be the result of either nature or human actions. A higher level of amenability reduces the perception of a building from stately to more relaxed, less imposing, changing the perception of proximity from more distant to more near. When regarding human traces, the nature of these traces needs to be taken into account. When the traces result from use of the building, the nature of the damage is mostly positive. If the damage is a result of vandalism, the nature is often experienced as negative due to it feeling as a neglected and possibly unsafe area. This could overrule the positive effect of amenability in general and make

Conclusion The research question “What influences the perception of proximity of a building?” has been dealt with via the schematic overview shown in fig. 7.5. The effects of architecture influencing the perception of proximity can be divided into ‘experience’ and ‘knowledge’. Two important architectural elements of experience concerning proximity are scale and amenability. Knowledge influences the perception of proximity through making the building less anonymous. When the two, experience and knowledge, are combined, the effect on the perception of proximity can be optimized.

Zumthor, P. (2006) Atmospheres. Basel: Birkhäuser.

Rasmussen, Steen Eiler (1964) “Experiencing Architecture”, Cambridge: The MIT Press. p32.

3 Cambridge University Press “Cambridge dictionary online”, http:// dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/patina?q=patina, URL accessed on 12th of June 2011.

1 2

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Stairs as connection between old and new Cyriel Prinsen

Fig. 9.6 Picture of stair in Pinault Museum - Venice

One of the main issues in the reuse of buildings is how to connect the old to the new. The old and new can be either a new part of a building or a new function, a way of use, but in both ways the architect needs to make a connection between the two. As the strategies in our research show, there is not just one way of connecting new parts to an old building. Different approaches will lead to different strategies for reuse and therefore also to different connections. But how do you connect an old function with a new function? And what kind of spatial aspects play a role?

During the research of our graduation-studio, we went to Italy to visit industrial reuse-projects in Venice, Milan and Turin. In these cities we have seen a lot of different approaches for reuse. Looking through the pictures I made there, I noticed that I made a lot of pictures of stairs in reuse-projects.

Why were there so many pictures of stairs? Is it the fact that stairs are a remarkable appearance in (mostly empty) industrial buildings? That is the moment I began to wonder what the relation is between reuse and stairs. To find a relation, I explored the different aspects of stairs and I studied the different characteristics of industrial buildings. Then, I combined the two researches by experimenting how stairs can make a building, with industrial characteristics, ready for a new use.

Stairs The main function of stairs is connecting planes that are at different levels of height, to make it easy to bridge this difference. But even before it was common to built multiple-leveled buildings, we used stairs or steps. Actually, stairs are

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Fig. 9.7 Apollo Temple in Didyma, Turkey

probably one of the oldest examples of human interventions in nature. The oldest examples are from around 6000 BC. Steps were used to overcome the difficulties of the terrain, like valleys and mountains. The easier it was to overcome these differences, the quicker people were able to get to a safe place. It took years before stairs made their first appearance in buildings. The goal of the stairs was different though. In these goals, we distinguish three collective themes: Symbolism Stairs are often used in religious buildings (fig 7.7).

Temples are on top of stairs or are even zigguratshaped. Going to a temple brings you closer to the divine. The stairs are leading you up to something higher.

Next to that stairs are also a way to impress and showing bigness of a space.

Functionalism After it became more common to built multipleleveled buildings, the main function of stairs were practical: going from one level to another, preferably in a comfortable way. This led to lot of different kinds of staircases and new developments. After the well-known ‘straight flights’, there were now also spiral stairs, which did not use as many space as straight flights.

Perception Somewhere between the symbolic and the functional use of stairs is the interpretation of space by stairs (fig 7.8). How important are stairs in perceiving and experiencing space? And what

Fig. 9.8 Killearn, Glass stairs of the Loch House (design by Gardner)

Here's to the man who invented stairs And taught our feet to soar!

He was the first who ever burst Into a second floor.

The world would be downstairs to-day Had he not found the key; So let his name go down to fame Oliver Herford Whatever it may be. makes it a certain perception? The essay tells more about these themes.

Characteristics of industrial buildings When a building loses its function and people decide to use it (or a part of it) again the question of ‘how does the new function fit the old building’ rises. Of course there is option A: The new function totally fits the old building. There is nothing we need to do about the building and adding some new furniture will make sure the new function works in the old building. That is probably the easiest way of reusing a building. Option B is another easy one: the new function does not fit the old building at all. The requirements of the new function are too different from what the old building has to offer. The building needs to be demolished to create the new function or the new function has to look for another building that does offer the requirements. It is getting interesting at option C: The building might fit the new function, but some adaptions are required. What are the characteristics of the building that makes it almost suitable for the new function? And what are the changes that need to be made? Difficult questions with widespread answers.

The essay tells about different aspects that are more or less common for old industrial buildings: scale, height, emptiness, construction, roof, windows, structure and shape. All of these elements are often different in industrial buildings then in housing- or officebuildings, because of the industrial function that the building used to have.

That makes them the characteristics of industrial buildings.

Fig. 9.9 Milan - Edificio Sedici, stairs as division of space

Conclusion If the function changes from ‘industrial use’ to, for example, ‘housing use’, the industrial standards need to change into housing standards. If a building is very high, there is a big change that in the reuse of the building, some floors will be added. More floors means that the height of those floors is more on human scale, but it also means more square meters to sell, which makes to project more feasible. Stairs are added to reach these floors. Like this, the stairs really connect the old (ground floor) to the new (added floors). This is an functional example of how stairs and the characteristics relate (fig 7.9).

On the other hand, stairs can make you curious.

What is up there? Why should I go down here? because you are not on the same level is the thing you see, the stairs are both an obstruction to go there as a way to make it possible to go there.

Stairs are able to dramatize the situation. Although this kind of stairs have also an functional use, the symbolic idea behind the stair is more important.

Old industrial buildings can have a lot of different characteristics. Stairs can have different functions.

But they match each other. In most cases of reuse, stairs are indispensible for a well functioning new life of the building. Next to that, stairs can be the symbol of something new, a new perception of the old building. This shows that there is a relation between stairs and the change of function. Of course, the exact relation always depends on the specific characteristics of the building you are dealing with, but when you look at the more general aspects the relation gets clear.

Fig. 9.10 Zollverein, stairway by Rem Koolhaas

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Sleeping Beauties Rik Verhalle

Fig. 9.11 Ruinous marks

In the fairy tale ‘the sleeping beauty’, a princess is cursed with eternal sleep until she is kissed by her prince. Together with her, the entire castle staff and the royal family fall asleep. Finally the building too sleeps. The walls, over time, become overgrown with prickly rose bushes.

Until the princess is saved, the castle rests also.

Between the birth and death of a building a whole lifetime occurs. People get attached to edifices, establish homes and create memories in these constructed places. These thoughts and feelings have a physical reality which adds over the years. During this essay I will try to set forth an understanding of the multiple facets of time’s scraps when it comes to edifices.

In ‘the invention of the historic monument’1 Françoise Choay explicates two main historical views of interpreting the value of old monumental buildings. The British philosopher Ruskin (1819 – 1900) argues that “Any intervention on these “relics” is a sacrilege. To restore is impossible, as impossible as to raise the dead”.

This was heavily opposed by the French Violletle-Duc (1814-1879) and other interventionalists.

Viollet-le-Duc made designs that were focussing on creating an historical idea instead of an historical truth. To this end he designed several elements that do not possess historic truth, but could be seen as ‘old’ elements.

Ruskin and Viollet-le-Duc are two extremes on one subject, but both have a romantic view on ‘the old’. This romanticism may have had its base in the industrial revolution, but a hundred years later we already look back on the industrial era with warm feelings.

Abandoned factory sites are being transformed into cultural theme parks. Living, working and recreation get a new place in old factories.

Tim Edensor, author of ‘Industrial Ruins: Space, Aesthetics & Materiality’2 is very outspoken on the value of ruins and ruinous factories in

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particular. He shows a general dislike of the normative city where bland architects make bland designs and where there is no place for adventure. He sees former industrial sites, abandoned factories and ruins as places where you can have ‘raves’ and where adults can sneak into to have sex: “..ruins provide unsupervised play spaces for adults and children in which a range of adventurous, carnavalesque activities can be pursued, permitting an engaged sensuous interaction with the materiality of the city and a liberation of the body from urban constraints.”

The love for old, monumental buildings is still a recent topic. Activating the old as part of the present is a difficult task. Letting a building slip into ruin, like Ruskin would, is not an attractive option when the building itself has several functions to fulfill, and needs to stay vital for the years to come.

On the other hand, the interventionalist approach is not desirable either. Adding false elements is creating a blur between the present and the past.

Edensor, however, sees many types of weathering, but does not explicate himself on these types.

There is a need to categorize the elements that add to a sense of time passing by. For they tell the stories of the past and create a sense of harmony with buildings, occurances and events that have been.

For antiques and art, world famous antique dealer Isaac Sack uses the term ‘patina’. A rewriting of his definition3 for architecture would be: “Patina is everything that happens to a building over the course of time. The small cracks in the window, the walls on which graffiti has been applied, the trails of rust of an iron nail, the greyed wood, the oxidized metals. All these things add up to create a softer look, subtle color changes, a character. Patina is built from all the effects, natural and man-made, that create that weathered look on old buildings” Patina is the postive effects of weathering. To actively use patina in architecture, a division is made into five categories.

Fig. 9.12 Artifacts

Fig. 9.13 Natural forces

1. Ruinous Marks The atmosphere can be dominated by materials that do not quite fit anymore or the traces of moisture on the walls.

Often these qualities are overlooked and erased.

Not all smudges are negative. As Mohsen Mostafavi explains in ‘on Weathering’4: “The mouth kisses, the mouth spits: no one mistakes the saliva of the first for the second. Similarly there is nothing necessarily impure about dirt. What must be determined are the conditions under which a surface marking is experienced as a stain.”

also add to the idea of a patinous place. Canals or gutters are perfectly normal for industrious areas.

Ponds, fountains or other decorative elements with water are strange elements in the industrial landscape.

Another natural force are the animals dwelling in ruins or slumbering sites. Bees, cats, rats, owls and other animals may start inhabiting these rejected places. The presence of such animals is opposing the concept of a building in use. When confronted with these new dwellers, we know the building is not awake anymore.

2. Artifacts Objects found in a deserted factory site are also strong reminders of the work that has been done in the past. Edensor 5says: “The objects, places and traces found in ruins highlight the radical undecidability of the past, its mystery, but they simultaneously invoke a need to tell stories about it.”

The combination of an artifact with the right surroundings can make all the difference. It can both work estranging or complementing. Put heavy machinery in a sterile white room to let the machine speak for itself or leave it in more original settings to shape a dialogue. Artifacts could be reused for all imaginable purposes: machine parts turned into lighting, old desks could serve as new tables or old water tanks could serve as aquaria.

3. Graffiti and Art A building displaying any form of art shows the place has been taken hold of, after the building has fallen asleep. If the factory would still be in use, the graffiti or artworks would have been cleaned. Showing the art contributes to a sense of the past because it makes clear that a building has been unoccupied for some time.

4. Natural Forces Not just humans use forgotten space to claim new territory: nature starts taking over as soon as a building falls asleep. Ivy, flowers or other plants can cover a building, cradling it to sleep. But not only plants and trees can convey this sense of patina to a place, the use of water can

5. Products Another kind of patina exists in the sole reason why factories exist in the first place: their products. Our entire life we deal with factory made products on a daily basis and certain products can play an important or characteristic role in the lives of some. The place where these products are made can invoke a feeling of pride and joy and take a special place in a region’s collective memory.

The more practical way of dealing with the old is replacing it with something new. But I sincerely think it would be a waste to destroy old memories and places of adventure only for apparant lack of function. It is a matter of tapping into the raw potential and creating a new layer of patina yourself. Stories and places you lose by replacement will never come back.

Thus, if sleeping beauty would be sleeping still, I would hope for her the bulldozers would not be growling down her overgrown castle but she could be awoken by a gentle and, hopefully ,handsome architect.

1 The invention of the historic monument, F. Choay, 1992 2 Industrial Ruins: Space, Aesthetics & Materiality, T. Edensor 2005 3 www. israelsack.com 4 On Weathering, The life of Buildings in Time, Moshen Mostafavi and David Leatherbarrow, 1993 5 Industrial Ruins: Space, Aesthetics & Materiality, T. Edensor 2005

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10. APPENDIX II

ABSTRACT FOR EFLA CONFERENCE TALLINN

­­ WATERSCAPE. INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE ON THE WATERFRONT OF HELMOND EFLA conference “Mind the Gap. Landscapes for a new era” Tallinn, 2-4 November 2011 Gijs Wallis de Vries Landscape architects are usually not aware of the industrial nature of water. When dealing with water the association is often blue, and the program is leisure. What if ‘waterscape’ is not a ‘funscape’ but denotes work, waste, noise, traffic?

How to assess the value of industrial heritage on urban waterfronts? Can we put it to new uses that do not simply copy the success formula of IBA Emscher Park? Recently, scholars of industrial heritage reflected on the problematic character of reuse that ignores the dark face of factories, glorified today for their spectacular size, or seized for their profitable land value.1 Often the peripheral location of old industries has become central, and, demolished or preserved, they cater for cultural and residential destinations. Thus hard times are forgotten. The question is to what extent it is possible to remember workers’ pride and entrepreneurial audacity. How to reveal rather than cover the past? How to open what was closed behind walls and locked by gates? How to relate to ‘the city for all’ - the motto for Oslo’s recovery of the waterfront - and unify a urban fabric which industry had divided? Is the rough age of the machine over and are we in the smooth age of the knowledge economy?

To discuss these questions I will present results of an ongoing graduate studio at the department of the Built Environment of the University of Eindhoven. It is called Industrial Waterstreets and is tutored by Dr. Irene Curulli, in the context of her research on Brabant Canal Cities, and myself, motivated by my interest in narrative maps and urban landscape. I will discuss theoretical approaches to the conservation and transformation of industrial heritage in general and of water related heritage in particular. Relying on theories of Lynch, Lefebvre and Certeau and others, the studio developed a narrative approach to spatial practices and representations of the rban landscape, widening its sense of reality to a sense of possibility. Since the last expression was coined by a novelist, Robert Musil, literary fiction 62.

is part of this approach.2 Reading history inscribed in space this approach might reverse the end of the city that was into visions of a city to come. It sharpens the imagination of architecture students, when they are recording their own walks and wonders, along with observations of the everyday life of inhabitants.

The graduate studio focused on Helmond, a canal city in Brabant, the first province of the Netherlands to benefit from an official industrialization policy. King Willem I crowned after the defeat of Napoleon to govern the Netherlands and Belgium, undertook important infrastructural works, among which the ‘Zuid-Willemsvaart’ between the Meuse and the Rhine-Scheldt estuary, opened in 1826.

Located right on this canal, Helmond attracted textile and machine industries. The architecture, ranging from 19th c. eclecticism to expressionism and functionalism, presents an interesting urban scale that Helmond otherwise lacks. Today, the industry is shrinking or closing. Dissolving with Eindhoven in one urban field, Helmond seeks to reaffirm its identity. Among the canal cities of Brabant, its canal is unique; it is not only the oldest to be settled by industries, many of them still extant and some in business, it is also located near to the centre and features in the mental map of its citizens, with a few gaps...

The students did literature research about the state of the art in industrial heritage, its issues, attitudes, and examples.3 Then they made an excursion to Venice, Milan and Turin. To name just a few objects that were significant for the further development of the project: In Milan, a turbine factory refurbished for the Fondazione Pomodoro

by Studio Cerri Associati yielded an awareness of the importance of patina to give a sense of time passing; in Turin Lingotto, the Fiat factory with the roof top test track, offered an interesting example of how to reinsert an almost ‘inapproachable’ big volume in the urban fabric by communicating its famous history so that understanding jumps the

‘gap’ in scale, facilitated by the new attractions inside, while a fresh touch on the roof expresses its rejuvenation. In Venice, the Molino Stucky factory, now Hilton hotel, attracted the students more than by the exclusive panoramic roof top, by its infinite number of windows, an obvious sign of the past industrial rationality, while subtly speaking of the new joy offered to the guests, as they are converted into French windows; last but not least, also in Venice, the conversion by Carlo Scarpa of the Querini Stampalia palace into a foundation for art and science, where students discovered the great value of detail, both old and new, in providing an experience and understanding of time and place, in particular manifest in the treatment of stairs. Discussing Monestiroli’s theory on the analogical meaning of ornament, one of the students wrote an essay about ornament and decoration in industrial buildings. To synthesize the study trip and literature research the students made a ‘how and why’ diagram of the ways to deal with industrial heritage (demolish, restore, leave) and the reasons to do so (economical, historical, cultural).

The next step was to continue the already begun fieldwork in Helmond with interviews with inhabitants. These were conducted in the public library and in the town hall, on a weekday and a holiday, among men and women from various age and occupation. Asked to draw a map in the method of Kevin Lynch to read the image of the city in paths, edges, districts, nodes and landmarks, some of the people coming from outside indicated the canal as a route to get into town, but all of them noted the Havenplein (port square), where fountains restored life to the canal and cafes and restaurants have opened up. This was a surprising discovery. The canal, although valued positively, was only very partially present in the daily life of the population of Helmond. In their mental map it is a gap. In theory the canal and the railway endow the city with a perfect axial cross, but in practice (in the spatial practices of its citizens)

the cardinal geometry is obscured by piecemeal redevelopment aiming at 'city forming', such as the so called 'Traverse' (a highway from the 1950’s crossing the canal to the city centre), the 1970’s 'urban roof' theatre and the tilted ‘cube houses’

by Piet Blom (the architecture, close to Aldo Van Eijck, is now considered ‘old fashioned’ by the inhabitants), the postmodern 'Boscotondo', a town hall-cum-museum-and-cinema, and several neomodern apartment blocks.

If the canal is a ‘gap’ in the urban fabric, it is explained by the fact that it is in disrepair since a new canal was dug in 1982 to bypass the city, while the railway bridge is blocking boat traffic. To investigate possibilities for revitalizing the border conditions of the canal students made sections and dioramas. In order to extrapolate the study of industrial heritage in prospective visions, the spatial narratives were scripted in a Master Plan.

The crucial intervention is to relocate the train station on the canal and create a direct connection with the city centre along the waterfront. The students formulated two main objectives. First the reappraisal of the ‘city forming’ of the past decades by healing the fragmented developments, reviving erased continuities, and deciphering their palimpsest; second the expression of the identity of Helmond in correlation with its twin city Eindhoven - sharing 'industry' and design and yet being different. At stake is the identity of Helmond but also its alterity, its otherness. In a groundbreaking essay, the Spanish architect and theorist, Ignasi de Sola-Morales, discussed certain photographers who had inaugurated a new gaze at the city, which led to an esthetical and political discourse on the city that affirms what is outside its iconic image.4 Using a French word he calls the object of this new gaze: ‘terrain vague’, translating its various meanings in English as vacant, disposable, free space of the possible. Lacking clear contours, it is literally vague, inspiring both fear and an ‘oceanic sentiment’. If artists often want to preserve these voids and are equipped to 63.

meet its 'alterity', architects asked to fill the voids have a problematic role, unless they abandon what Morales calls after Deleuze the optic form and catch the haptic force.

The students are now in the process of translating stories of Helmond’s industrial past into architectural designs. There are only sketches, because the studio goes on till February 2012.

The designs should foster a new economy, bridging the current crisis with a revived industrial water street. They have chosen two factories, the first, Bots, consists of a single building; it was built in 1840, the pioneer of the new industry settling on the canal. The architecture is that of a classical Dutch canal house like in Amsterdam, but turned 90 degrees to get better light. Research in archives point at the pride of the founders, the Bots family, whose saga soon came to an end. The building however survived the vicissitudes and has eventually become a flower shop. The new owner further rents it to a parquet floor shop, a furniture repair shop, a pedicure, a hairdresser, a fashion boutique, and an artist studio. Stories of workers interviewed reveal a liveliness that got lost in the current restoration fixated on the lovely windows.

The student interrogates the picturesque conversion that ignores the loose ends at the back and stuffed the once buzzing interior.

The second choice is the Vlisco textile factory, a vast industrial complex and almost a city in the city. It produces printed cotton for West-Africa, of which the fashionable designs are jealously guarded against industrial espionage (China is a fierce competitor on the African market).

From an extraterritorial empire in the city (that not only occupies a strategic zone between the railway and the centre, but also blocks the quay of the Willemsvaart) the students envisage the conversion into an urban district for design industry, education, and culture.

With the uncertain prospect of Vlisco shrinking 64.

or moving, the idea is to outline an ‘in the meantime’ scenario. The ephemeral will join the monumental. The huge buildings, the labyrinth of pipes, the robust pavement, the eerie patina, and the epics of work and enterprise, will all be mediated in spatial narratives addressing the new generation passing by the canal. Let us look at three buildings in particular. The first is building ‘1911’ proudly sporting the year of its erection.

Since it is a milestone in concrete construction as well as in the modernisation of Helmond it is fit to exhibit the history of the textile trade, offering space for changing exhibitions. The student who adopted Building ‘1911’made an architectural analysis of the ornamental and decorative values of both structure and facade. Valorising the ‘setback’ from the canal the student is exploring new possibilities for entries and circulation.

The next building is simply called Building North, a colossus that invaded the city park in the 1958 and almost dwarfs the ancient castle dating from 1325.

Two students are engaging the combat with due respect. One of them conquers its head and tail by thrusting an arcade of stairs into its body, aspiring to regain ‘paradise lost’ in a kind of mixed use ‘unité d’habitation’ with a public roof top garden.

The other student fearlessly attacks the sides: the one along the remaining castle park being blind, the one on the factory side being labyrinthine. She intends to reuse the hollowed out volume for new textile education and production of fabric, inspired by its modes of weaving and ‘waving’ space to make the architecture approachable, relating it with the rest of Vlisco, the Castle Park, and the Canal.

The third building on the Vlisco grounds is the Boiler House, dating from 1913, with additions from 1927 and 1937. Abandoned in the middle of a maze of pipes and conducts it is like a sleeping beauty. Playing on the double meaning of ‘fabric’, the student traces the horizontal pattern of the Vlisco complex, and, as a counterpoint, exalts

the verticality of the Boiler House. His vision is that it could be a hall for conventions and other gatherings, the industrial patina adding to its sublime aspect as an avatar of the cathedral in a medieval town.

To conclude I would like to ask why architects should adopt a ‘narrative approach’ to industrial heritage. In the first place it serves to get to know the inhabitants, who do not give in to nostalgia but convey a matter of fact historical conscience. Consequently a narrow restoration approach is avoided. Further, tracing the history of industrialization proves indispensible to understand the invisible meaning of space and its divisions in the everyday life. Map the gap!

Last but not least, and this is important not only for architects but for politicians, owners and inhabitants too, the stories of Helmond may be ‘revealed’ in the canal and the buildings and their mutual relation. Using the unique clues from local narratives may prevent the blind adoption of general trends in industrial heritage planning and the imitation of the state of the art in the reuse of factories. By positioning the canal in the heart of Helmond, as the students propose in their Masterplan, its potential as collective memory, as ‘lieu de mémoire’ is activated.

Crossing it, wandering along its quays, or lingering at a terrace, inhabitants will feel and recount the history inscribed in the section and mirrored in the water. The interventions of the students are attempts to give a new, integral sense to water management in the urban landscape, taking into account water quality in relation to quays, bridges, sluices, buildings, districts, and the city as a whole.

Thus, for instance, the memory of the colorful pollution by the textile industry may be recalled (every day another dye) rather than forgotton.

The water is indeed a mirror: the buildings are literally reflected in the water, while it ‘figures’ their stories. More than a decorative reflection pool, it will actually carry the image of the city, and be a metaphor in the original Greek sense of

transport – the transport of meaning and sense through words and figures. If it both connects and confronts public and private, interior and exterior, and city and landscape, the Zuid-Willemsvaart may justly be called a ‘water street’. The old industrial artery will be busy again, serving everyday life, tempting the fancy tourist, and pleasing the musing wanderer.

Notes

1. Maroc Krivy, ‘Industrial Architecture and negativity: the aesthetics of architecture in the Works of Gordon Matta-Clark, Robert Smithson and Bernd and Hilla Becher’, The Journal of Architecture, 15: 6, 2010, p. 827-852 2. Gijs Wallis de Vries, ‘Metamorphosis. On the Role of Fiction in Architectural Education’. Paper presented at the 1st international conference on architecture and fiction, Once upon a Place; Haunted Houses and Imaginary Cities, organized by CiAUD, Lissabon, 12-14 October 2010.

3. Irene Curulli, ‘Industrial Wasteland. Interpreting our heritage.

Intervention and Responsibilities in their transformation’, in Salim Elwazani, Shatha Mahlis, Jamal Al-Qawasmi, eds, Responsibilities in Architectural Conservation, vol. 1, Proceedings of the 2008 CSAAR Conference, 2010.

4. Ignasi de Solà-Morales, ‘Terrain Vague’, in Cynthia E. Davidson ed., Anyplace, Cambridge MA: MIT Press, 1995, pp. 122-23.

I am much indebted to Myrthe Buijs, Dominique Geelen, Miliou Piethaan, Cyriel Prinsen, and Rik Verhalle, the students participating in the graduate studio Industrial Waterstreets, for providing data, illustrations, and their inspiring designsin-progress. Last but not least I want to express my gratitude to my colleague Irene Curulli for our collaboration in the studio and in the preparation of this paper.

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LIST OF LITERATURE

LITERATURE STUDY

Berger, A. (2006) Drosscape: Wasting land in urban America, New York: Princeton Architectural Press Certeau, M. de (1988) The practice of everyday life, Los Angeles: University of California Press Choay, F. (2001) The invention of the historic monument, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Costa, X. (2001) Habitats, tectonics, landscapes, Ministerio de Fomento Coverly, M. (2009) Psychogeography, London: Pocket Essentials Cullen, G. (1971) The concise townscape, London: Architectural Press Douglas, J. (2006) Building adaption, Butterworth-Heinemann Foucault, M. [1967] (n.d.) Andere ruimten: De stad der heterotopieën, Palimpsest Magazine Foucault, M., Cauter L. de (2008) Heterotopia and the city, New York: Routledge Gierstberg, F. (1996) Wasteland: Landscape from now on, Rotterdam: Uitgeverij 010 Ginzburg, C. (1993) Microhistory: Two or three things that I know about it, Critical Inquiry, no. 20, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Halbwachs, M. (n.d.) Het collectief geheugen, http:// collectiefgeheugen.tripod.com/, URL accessed on 3 March 2011 Harbison, R. (1991) The built, the unbuilt and the unbuildable, London: Thames and Hudson Hodge, S. (2006) A mis-guide to anywhere, Wrights and Sites Hoorn, M. van der (2005) Indispensable eyesores, Berghahn Books Keyvanian, C. (2000) Manfredo Tafuri: From the critique of ideology to Microhistories, Design Issues vol. 16 no. 1, Cambridge: MIT Press Journals Levebvre, H. (1996) Writings on cities, Blackwell Publishing Lynch, K. (1960) The image of the city, London: Harvard University Press Nora, P. (1989) Between Memory and History: Les Lieux de Mémoire, Representations, no. 26, The regents of the University of California Perec, G. (2008) Ruimten Rondom, Amsterdam: Arbeiderspers Powell, K. (1999) Architecture Reborn, London: Laurence King Solà-Morales Rubió, I. de (1985) From contrast to analogy: Developments in the concept of architectural intervention, Lotus International, no. 46 Stieber, N. (1999) Microhistory of the modern city: Urban space, its use and representation, JSAH, vol. 58, no. 3, Boston: University of Massachusetts Vidler, A. (1992) The architectural uncanny, London: MIT Press Vidler, A. (2000) Warped space, London: MIT Press Warf, B. (2009) The spatial turn, New York: Routledge Wigley, M. (1996) The critical landscape, Rotterdam: 010 Publishers Zardini, M. (2005) Sense of the city, Baden: Lars Müller

HISTORY

Daru, M. (1989), Een verdwijnend industrielandschap, Helmond: Gemeente Helmond Hooff, G. van (2008) Helmond aan het werk, Zaltbommel: Aprilis Hooff, G. van (2006) Helmond: Doorsneden in tijd en ruimte, Utrecht: Stichting Matrijs N.N., History of the Vlisco Company, accessed at www.vlisco.com/ since-1846 N.N., De Cacaofabriek, accessed at www.rhc-eindhoven.nl/kennis/ files/20070802_week31.pdf Roosenboom, H. (2007) Helmond: Zijn kasteel en zijn geschiedenis, Uitgave Gemeente Helmond in samenwerking met Regionaal Historisch Centrum Eindhoven, www.helmond.nl Roosenboom, H. (2008) Het Helmond Boek, Zwolle: Waanders Vink, P. (1988) Het boek van Helmond, Unknown publisher

66.

OBSERVATIONS

View interactive document at prezi.com/woneukmju64s/ observationmap-industrial-waterstreets/

LYNCH

Lynch, K. (1960) The image of the city, London: Harvard University Press Interviews are available at www.IndustrialWaterStreet.eu

ITALY

N.N., Bicocca Gregotti, accessed at www.gregottiassociati.it/ projects_list.htm N.N., Cotonnificio, accessed at www.unive.it N.N., Fondazione Pomodoro, accessed at milan.unlike.net/ locations/307554-Fondazione-Arnaldo-Pomodoro N.N., Fondazione Pomodoro, accessed at www.turismo.milano.it/ wps/portal N.N., Fondazione Pomodoro, accessed at www. fondazionearnaldopomodoro.it/index.php N.N., Giudecca, accessed at www.zucchiarchitetti.com/eng/ zucchiarchitetti/progetti/pianiurbanistici/venezia/schedatesto. html N.N., Molino Stucky, accessed at www.molinostuckyhilton.com/ concierge.php N.N., Querini Stampalia, accessed at www.archiviocarloscarpa.it/ index.php?lingua=e N.N., Turin, accessed at www.rpbw.com/ N.N., Turin, accessed at it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingotto#Il_centro_ fiere N.N., Turin, accessed at archrecord.construction.com/projects/bts/ archives/museums/Pinacoteca/overview.asp N.N., Turin, accessed at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingotto N.N., Turin, accessed at www.lifeinitaly.com/italian-cars/history-2 N.N., Turin, accessed at www.answers.com/topic/giacomo-mattetrucco N.N., Turin, accessed at www.scribd.com/doc/51146146/10/FIATLINGOTTO-PLANT-TURIN Santini, P.C. (1979) Carlo Scarpa, ADA Edita

STRATEGIES

Provoost, M. (1995), Re-arch: nieuwe ontwerpen voor oude gebouwen. Rotterdam: Uitgeverij 010 Choay, F. (2001) The invention of the historic monument, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

ESSAY TYPES AND STORIES

Daru, M. (1989) Een verdwijnend industrielandschap, Helmond: Gemeente Helmond Jong, T. de (1983) Inleiding tot de architectuurtypologie, Delft: Delftse Universitaire Pers Muller, W. (1978) Sesam Atlas van de bouwkunst: van Mesopotamië tot Byzantium, Baarn: Bosch en Keuning Oosterhoff, J. (1988) Bouwtechniek in Nederland 1: Constructies van ijzer en beton, Delft: Delftse Universitaire Pers Richards, J.M. (1958) The Functional Tradition in Early Industrial Buildings, London: The Architectural Press Winter, J. (1970) Industrial Architecture: A survey of factory building, London: Studio Vista Winter, P. de (1982) Havenarchitectuur: Een inventarisatie van industriële gebouwen in het Rotterdamse havengebied, Rotterdam: Rotterdamse Kunststichting Uitgeverij

ESSAY THE NECESSITY OF THE DECORATED DETAIL Banham, R. (1960) Stocktaking, Architectural Review 127 Dodds, G., Tavernor R. (2002) Body and Building, London: The MIT Press

Frampton, K. (1995) Studies in Tectonic Culture, London: the MIT Press Jencks C., Kropf K. (1997) Theories and manifestoes of contemporary architecture (a part of the essay from Rykwert J. called Ornament is no crime) Chichester: Academy Editions Loos, A. (1913) Ornament und Verbrechen, Cahier d’Aujourd’hui Monestiroli, A. (2002) The Metope and the Triglyph, Amsterdam: SUN publishers Moussavi, F. (2008) The Function of Ornament, Barcelona: European Union OASE winter (2004) Ornament: Decorative Traditions in Architecture, Rotterdam: NAi Publishers Vesely, D. (2004) Architecture in the age of divided representation, London: the MIT Press Winton, T.E. (2011) The Liminal Space: Detail and Ornament, Waterloo: University of Waterloo Woodham, J.M. (1990) Twentieth-century ornament, London: John Calmann and King ltd.

ESSAY THE PERCEPTION OF PROXIMITY

Cambridge University Press, Cambridge dictionary online, http:// dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/patina?q=patina, accessed on 12-06-2011 Cambridge University Press, Cambridge dictionary online, h t t p : / / d i c t i o n a r y. c a m b r i d g e . o r g / d i c t i o n a r y / b r i t i s h / proportion_1?q=proportion, accessed on 12-06-2011 Cambridge University Press, Cambridge dictionary online, http:// dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/scale_1?q=scale, accessed on 12-06-2011 Choay, F. [1992] (2001) The invention of the historic monument, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Erikson, E.H. (1970) Reflections on the dissent of contemporary youth, International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 51, p. 11-22 Nora, P. (1989) Between Memory and History: Les Lieux de Mémoire, Representations, no. 26. The regents of the University of California Oppenheimer, D. A. (1983) Bruno Zevi on Modern Architecture, New York: Rizzoli International Publications Inc. Rasmussen, Steen Eiler (1964) Experiencing Architecture, Cambridge: The MIT Press, p32 Zumthor, P. (2006) Atmospheres, Basel: Birkhäuser.

ESSAY STAIRS AS CONNECTOR BETWEEN OLD AND NEW

Bible, Genesis, resp. 28 and 11 Blanc, A. (1996), Stairs, steps and ramps, Oxford: Butterworth Architecture Cullen, G. (1971), The Consice Townscape, London: Architectural Press Muller, W. (1978), Sesam Atlas van de bouwkunst: van Mesopotamië tot Byzantium, Baarn: Bosch en Keuning N.N. History of stairs, accessed at www.elevestairs.com/stairshistory, 06-07-2011 Rasmussen, S.E. (1959), Experiencing Architecture. Cambridge: MIT press (1986) Templer, J. (1992), The Staircase: History and theories. London: MIT Press (1994)

ESSAY SLEEPING BEAUTIES

Choay, F. (2001), The invention of the historic monument, Cambridge University Press (1st edition 1992) Edenor T. (2005), Industrial Ruins: Spaces, Aesthetics and Materiality, Oxford: Berg N.N., Israel Sack, accessed at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patina and www. israelsack.com, 10-06-2011 Mostafavi, M., Leatherbarrow, D., (1993) On Weathering: the Life of Buildings in Time, London: MIT press

ABSTRACT FOR EFLA CONFERENCE TALLINN

Boeri, Stefano (1997), Eclectic Atlases.

Certeau, Michel de (1988) The practice of everyday life, University of California Press (orig. Michel de Certeau, Luce Giard, Pierre Mayol, L’invention du quotidien. 1. Arts de faire. 2. Habiter, cuisiner.

Paris: Gallimard, 1990.)

Coverley, Merlin (2009) Psychogeography Pocket Essentials www. pocketessentials.com Cullen, Gordon (1961) The concise Townscape, Oxford: Architectural press Curulli, Irene (2010) Industrial Wasteland. Interpreting our heritage. Intervention and Responsibilities in their transformation, in Elwazani, Salim, a.o. eds, Responsibilities in Architectural Conservation, vol. 1, (Proceedings CSAAR Conference 2008) Krivy, Maroc (2010) Industrial Architecture and negativity: the aesthetics of architecture in the Works of Gordon Matta-Clark, Robert Smithson and Bernd and Hilla Becher, The Journal of Architecture, 15: 6, 827-852 Hoorn (van der), Myriam, (2005) Indispensable Eyesores, An Anthropology of Undesired Buildings, dissertation, University of Utrecht.

Lefebvre, Henri (1991) The production of Space, Oxford, UK: Blackwell Moore, C. W. (1994) Water and architecture, N.H.Abrams publisher Solà-Morales Rubío, Ignasi de (1995) Terrain Vague, in Cynthia E. Davidson ed., Anyplace (Cambridge MA: MIT Press, pp. 122-23. An elaborate version was presented at the XIX congress UIA ‘Present & Futures.

Architectures of the Cities’, Barcelona, 1996.

Wallis de Vries, Gijs (2011) Metamorphosis. On the role of fiction in architectural education, in S. Oliveira ed. Once upon a Place proceedings of the 1st international conference on architecture and fiction, ‘Once upon a Place; Haunted Houses and Imaginary Cities’, organized by CiAUD /FAUTL, Lissabon, 12-14 October 2010. (forthcoming)

PICTURES

According to source, in order of appearance Own production Fig. 1.1, 2.8-2.11, 3.1-3.3, 4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 5.1-5.4, 5.6, 5.7, 5.9, 5.10, 6.1-6.3, 7.1-7.25, 9.3-9.6, 9.9, 9.11-9.13 books.google.com Fig. 1.2-1.5 Stafafdeling Onderzoek en Statistiek (2010) Sociale atlas van de wijken, Helmond: Gemeente Helmond Fig. 2.1 Roosenboom, H. (2008) Het Helmond Boek, Zwolle: Waanders Fig. 2.2-2.5 Image archive rhc-eindhoven.nl Fig. 0.1, 2.12-2.15 Sketches by N.N. during interviews Fig. 4.2, 4.3 Sketches by Rik Verhalle Fig. 5.5, 5.8, 5.11 Sketches by Myrthe Buijs Fig. 9.1 Winter, J. (1970) Industrial Architecture: A survey of factory building, London: Studio Vista Fig. 9.2 www.petersommer.com/galleryimages/carian/Temple-ApolloDidyma-Turkey.jpg Fig. 9.7 www.conceptstairs.co.uk/images/1.jpg Fig. 9.8 mimoa.eu/projects/Germany/Essen/Coal%20Washing%20Plant Fig 9.10

67.

MASTERPROJECT INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONTS TUTORED BY: IRENE CURULLI SPRING 2011

The International Master Design Studio of ’Industrial waterfronts: transforming the kanaalzone of Helmond’ is organized in the unit AUDE (Architectural and Urban Design and Engineering), by Irene Curulli (Assistant Professor in the chair group of Architectural Engineering).

The time period of the studio period was from February to June 2011.

Introduction

INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONTS: TRANSFORMING THE CANALZONE OF HELMOND Irene Curulli

70.

Topic This design studio investigates the transformation of former factory areas along canals. Historically, industrial canal zones were intensively used in the ninetieth century and they have been the staging points for the import and export of goods. These sites were distinctive parts of the city, forming its waterfront: functionally, they were highly dynamics, while creating the liveliness, the atmosphere and the economy of the city. Architecturally, buildings had unique characteristics and the relationship with water was beyond the functional needs.

Today, these sites have lost their potentials and the wealth from their past has a translation into environmental degradation and toxicity. They are ‘silent’ and mainly perceived as unsafe and leftover locations.

The size and scale of these industrial areas and the absence of functions are foreseen as potential for a large range of modifications. To a designer these sites offer ‘freedom’ for experimentation. However, to which extent? are the architectural and cultural values of the former industrial site/buildings appropriately considered? What can we learn from the existing fabric? How old and new relate to each other? does the dynamic combination of activities set off the waterfront’s long term potential?

qualities, in-built forces, patterns, materials that are embedded in the site. How can these characteristics and differences be recognised? How can they be component of the design? The relationship with the water was highly considered.

Project The project design concerns the ‘Kanaalzone’ of Helmond that intersects the historical centre of the city. `It is the south ‘head’ of the Zuid-Willemvaart canal. Here is located a variety of industrial heritage buildings, all along the water, among which are the large footprints of two important industrial sites: 1.

The Vlisco’s factory, dated 1846, which was a textile company (still active) involved in the production and exportation of wax-prints to the Dutch East Indies (the actual Indonesia); 2. the Nedschroef factory, internationally known as supplier in the automotive sector, which is from 1894 and its original company activity was the production of rivets for the shipbuilding industry. The mix of historical edifices and modern one characterize the architecture of both locations.

Refusing the ‘tabula rasa’ approach, the design studio started with a search for those architectural

A group of international (Erasmus) and local students formed the design studio. Therefore, at the beginning of the semester, a warm-up activity with an exercise on the topic of ’water infrastructures’ was an opportunity for the exchange of cultures and knowledge among the participants.

Four interrelated phases were developed during the design course. Firstly, research and analyses of specific themes related to the topic of reuse of industrial architecture and architecture and water; secondly, site impressions and analysis through models and drawings so to recognize the multiple layers of the site through the scientific reading and the perceived aspects that each individual experiences; thirdly, design strategy on one selected problem of the area; and lastly, design of a specific building/group of buildings giving special attention to the appropriate use of materials and construction of the architectural spaces.

Method and framework The assignment of this design studio and its results are part of the research “Industrial waterfronts: transforming the Kanaalzones of B5” developed by Irene Curulli at the TU/e. It explores the potentials of former industrial canal areas in the 5‘Kanaalzones’ that characterize the Brabant cities of Helmond, s’Hertogenbosch, Eindhoven,Tilburg and Breda.

The approach of the studio is based on the study cases methodology that investigates a contemporary architectural phenomenon within its real-life context; therefore the emphasis on the relationship between detailed contextual analysis and specific conditions provide the basis for the application of design ideas.

Such approach has been adopted for the investigation of the previous three canal zones; studio results have been presented at several international conferences and largely published in the academic field. The ‘kanaalzone of Helmond’ is the second last in the investigation.

External contributions

CANALZONE HELMOND Erna van Holland - Cob-Web advies

With the new project Suytkade there is more attention for the Canalzone in Helmond, but the connection between the city center and the canal still can use a boost. Those who shop in the city center will hardly notice the canal and that is a pity.

Helmond is an industrial city and the canal was the water highway for industrial purposes. The water has lost this purpose and is now in desperate need of something new. A nice challenge for the students from Eindhoven and abroad!

The Vlisco factory at the canal has proven itself quite inspirational. Not only because of the fact that one can see it but can not come near, but also because of the production process itself. The process of weave, bleach, dye and ply is one that can be used for the transformation of public space and buildings. The canal is now experienced as a gap and that is a pity. One could ‘mind the gap’ by making the buildings at the edges more interesting and much more connected to the water.

different structures so that one can feel going from one place to the other.

Helmond is fragmented around the canal and in itself does not have the power to connect these dots or fragments. Something has to be added.

Buildings can be altered to make it possible to see what happens inside or at least to make one curious. A great need of new pathways. New functions can be added so that a whole new public will come to this spot.

The canal might once again be the place to make the connection. Between buildings and public space, between emptiness and crowd, between people shopping, recreating, working and studying. A new place to be.

The canal can also be considered a harsh border, hard to cross. Would it not be interesting to shift the border? If the railway station were closer to the canal, both would be more visible. The Traverse (a mini highway through the city) is another border.

Why not make it more attractive by adding an interesting building which in itself goes from public to private? A transformation of the existing Gas building can make a better connection with the small and diverse houses on the other side of the square. The building should have a connection with water, either by function or physically.

A very new way of looking at the challenge of the Helmond Canalzone is to attack the project by senses. Let us give the place a new view, new feel and touch, a new smell and new sounds. What is the sense of the Vlisco factory for instance?

Actually it lacks senses. But if the process and products of Vlisco would be made visible and touchable, would that not make it much more interesting? Walls will have the sign, ‘please touch me’ for they have Vlisco patterns. Walls will be more or less open in a brick structure and one can hear where one is. The pavement will have 71.

INDUSTRIAL FACTORIES AND NEW CHANCES Giel van Hooff & Jan van der Heijden - Erfgoed Brabant

Once, in 1955 to be exactly, a book about Helmond was published called “a castle between factories”.

It describes a story of a city along a canal with a great amount of factories on both edges of the canal. This is beautifully illustrated with photos

by Cas Oorthuys. The canalzone of Helmond was still in use by the industrial companies and on the water some large cargo ships sailed back and forth. The impressive factory buildings provided income for thousands of people who came from Helmond and far beyond. These factory buildings were mainly used by the metal or textile industry.

All these activities had their influence on traffic passing through the canal. They already build a high iron bridge for pedestrians and cyclists in 1915, just next to the city bridge. The traverse was built in 1966 after heavy discussions about the increased traffic density.

The canal was a boundary that separated the city centre and the upper class villa neighborhood in the eastern part of the city, with the western outskirts where the working-class people lived.

By building the Traverse a new physical boundary was introduced. By doing this, Helmond was not separated in two, but in four parts. Ironically, a few years later the national politics provided money to build a bypass for the canal just outside the city centre of Helmond.

Empty spaces, new chances?

From the seventies on, company after company closed their doors, leaving the factory buildings unused. This made it possible to place new functions in the empty spaces. The first reaction was mainly a wave of demolition concerning all of these buildings. Several characteristic factory buildings were torn down. Due to this some large factory buildings disappeared like the buildings of Robur, Carp, Didas, Begemann Hatéma. Despite the large clearance of the city, the new buildings were not built directly, and the results of the new buildings were generally disappointing. In the late eighties they build the care house Keiserinnedeal instead of the imposing building of Didas. This 72.

new building was a low rise building which holds a totally different character then the other buildings alongside the canalzone. This new building had no relation or connection anymore with the canalzone. The complex of Begemann was replaced by the introvert building of Boscotondo in the mid nineties.

The in 1917 build, three-story high office building of Carp, is the only part of the former factory area that is still standing after the area was partly demolished by a fire in 1929. The building hopes to become complete again as it was originally intended. Het canal is nowadays used as a pond with no relation with the city but just with some empty quays and terraces. The canal should be reopened for ships, and their related activities.

The current usage of canal has nothing to do with the reason why our ancestors dug this canal with great effort.

What can be applied to the canalzone should be applied to complete Helmond. It took a long time before there was awareness for redevelopment of industrial and cultural heritage. But now we are aware and open for new ideas. And as they say, prophets often come from far. Hopefully, the research at TU/e with their fresh ideas can contribute to new development concepts for the use of the canalzone. We hope that this contribution will give a new start and will bring back the ships on and around the Helmond canalzone.

Giel van Hooff en Jan van der Heijden

PRESENTATION OF PLANS FOR THE KANAALZONE HELMOND BY STUDENTS OF TU/e Willem van Hall - Senior Advisor Vision and Strategy - Municipality of Helmond

The development of the canalzone in Helmond is a long-term process because of its size and complexity and the step by step approach which is required by the local government. I was asked in the spring by the municipality to cooperate in the design studio of the international group of architecture students from the Tue, about this exciting urban area in Helmond. I had some hesitation in the begin of the project about the added value of specific urban and architectural planning in such an early stage of urban development.

I had to change this opinion after I saw the presentations of the different teams in late June. I was not only surprised by the quality and creativity of the various analysis and design, also the usefulness of such an exercise for the process of content creation and deepening around the canal development has become clear. Not hold back by various practical background information about for example property situations, financial feasibility requirements or (im)possibilities in destination planning. It was about the exploration of the spatial possibilities of the canal by the different student teams. This was a very useful step in exploring the potential of the Canal Zone.

The different approaches by every team show the richness and breadth of the profession of urban planning and architecture. The students made a complete construction analyze of existing buildings and they explored the opportunities of reusing industrial heritage (‘merging the fragments') offers for proposals for urban operations at key places in the city. ('Connect the dots' and 'shifting borders’). The final design and visualizations, as they have been refined after the presentation end of June, made a huge impression through their professionalism and craftsmanship and they are actually a seductive vision.

Without saying to little about the other projects, two projects intrigued me personally. I was first struckby the particular approach used by the team of ‘Helmond Senses’. The use of various nonvisual senses (smell, taste, touch) is not a common

approach in urban planning and it is this way of seeing that provides an original approach that is reflected in the materialization of the design.

Therefore they remain close to the special identity of this city.

The approach of team 'mind the gap' - with minimal resources- gave the former EDAH site a new place in the urban pattern of the canalzone.

The introduction of the term “urban agriculture” is smart because it is one of the economic pillars of Helmond and Brainport (the food sector). They also committing this to some of the important functions in a city: the public green space and sustainable (and historical) aspect of urban food supply. Precisely this synergy between urban design, new functions and new meanings gives special value to this project.

I hope the international design studio gives not only a sense of satisfaction and pride among the participants.

I also hope that the presented results in the transformation and development process of the canalzone have gave new ideas. Helmond can use it. At this point, I would also like to thank, on behalf of the municipality of Helmond, the participating students and also the accompanying staff under the inspiring leadership of Irene Curulli for the enthusiastic efforts that she gave.

Willem van Hall Senior Advisor Vision and Strategy Municipality of Helmond

73.

MERGING THE FRAGMENTS INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONTS - THE HELMOND CANALZONE

HYLKE BROEKEMA ALLESANDRO FANI FERHAT TOPUZ

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF EINDHOVEN | DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE BUILDING AND URBAN PLANNING SPRING SEMESTER 2010 - 2011 | INTERNATIONAL DESIGN STUDIO | IRENE CURULLI

The canalzone is fragmentated in different parts and that’s causing the problems that the canalzone actually has got. Because of this fragmentation there is no connection between the different parts of the canalzone and the link with the water is missing.

The section cut is made in the East side of the canal.

This because of the high frequency of users entering the canalzone from the East side.

The main reason for that is the transitation and the activities that mostly take place in the eastside of the canal.

1 : 2000 0

100 m

74.

the passage along the canal is blocked from the Vlisco factory

Current Problems

people perceive the highway as a wall dividing the city.

many dead spaces are present in the current route along the canel.

industrial building detached from the water environment

MASTERPROJECT INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONTS M1/M2

CONNECTING THE DOTS

MIND THE GAP

SHIFTING BORDERS

MERGING THE FRAGMENTS

SENSES OF HELMOND

75.

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View from cafe

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Enclosed gardens

Pedestrian vs. cars

Design system

Ecological gardens

83.

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85.

86.

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88.

89.

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105.

MERGING THE FRAGMENTS INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONTS - THE HELMOND CANALZONE

HYLKE BROEKEMA ALLESANDRO FANI FERHAT TOPUZ

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF EINDHOVEN | DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE BUILDING AND URBAN PLANNING SPRING SEMESTER 2010 - 2011 | INTERNATIONAL DESIGN STUDIO | IRENE CURULLI

The canalzone is fragmentated in different parts and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s causing the problems that the canalzone actually has got. Because of this fragmentation there is no connection between the different parts of the canalzone and the link with the water is missing.

The section cut is made in the East side of the canal.

This because of the high frequency of users entering the canalzone from the East side.

The main reason for that is the transitation and the activities that mostly take place in the eastside of the canal.

1 : 2000 0

100 m

106.

Current Problems

the passage along the canal is blocked from the Vlisco factory

people perceive the highway as a wall dividing the city.

many dead spaces are present in the current route along the canel.

industrial building detached from the water environment.

Flow of users

107.

108.

109.

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113.

Community centre

The community centre provides spaces for rent that could used in many multifunctinal ways.

Esamples are: Offices, workshops etc. It provides recreation areas in the form of fitness and everything that relates to it, and a multifunctional space that could be used for concerts, exhibitions, space for partys etc.

By adding a new volume in the form of a community centre, that is going to be a destination and a starting point employed by the exhisting path and adding a new layer over the exhisting park that is aligned with the new volume, the two fragments merge the traverse is changing from a wall into a furniture and becomes interior space.

Location

Plans

Concept

Create depth

Secuence of Space in Section

Facades

114.

Determination

Continuous layer

Difference in Glass typesw

115.

116.

117.

-Intence park feeling -Sense of individuality

GET A SENSE OF -texturize buildings by adding rough green layer -making contrast

-Rough and nostalgic feeling from feet -Diverse senses (relation with existing elements) -brick pavement for main road to make it for pedestrians -giving intimacy to canal

-Sense of abandoned history

-Seonse of roughness, openness, and

-second square

-dividing spaces

-enclosed view to enhance the area

-interaction with historical canal zone

-diverse visual impact by green layers

-------working with monumental buildings redesigning place to sit------

historic park

first impression present city center our impressions After visiting Helmond we tried to translate in a impression models. What we noticed was a fragmented area, and every area spoke a different language. From the high and closed wall from the Vlisco factory, to the open big windows of privately owned houses in wich you could see the televisionprogramme what was on at that particular time.

-Industrial beauty (aura) -Bigness, roughness -public industry -relationship with historic park -preserving industrial buildings or structures

118.

sensing Helmond

-Visual interpretation and contrast of light -Sound and feeling of hard material

What we in fact did was discribing our emotions-Public from wich intimacy -Enclosed view feet, and sound we experienced. Experienced with our eyes, with our -one block > two blocks hands, ears and nose. Our emotions were affected bypresentthe -relationship with city and square -enclosing square things we sensed. These concrete values of the four senses determined a more abstract value from our emotions. So we could abstract our emotions with these four parameters.

-ďŹ lling in bricks under bridge

-boxes with sound and light experiences -public function to attract people

sensual material

During this research we noticed that bricks form an important

ed history

ss, openness, and silence

-Active silence -View, touch, smell and sound of nature

e the area

-new green area

canal zone

-new bridge for pedestrian friendly connection -redeveloping existing factories

buildings

are

---------new bridge

Albert Heijn

water tower

-Neighborhoods feeling -Sense of slowness and calmness -new walking path to connect canal and present city -providing place to sit -begining of historical experience

119.

120.

121.

TACTILE TEXTILE MUSEUM

122.

Transport Storage Selection Bleaching Straightening Waxing Dyeing Printing Sewing Fashion View Touch Hearing Smell

SENSES OF HELMOND INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONTS - THE HELMOND CANALZONE

FRANK VAN HOOGSTRATEN

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF EINDHOVEN | DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE BUILDING AND URBAN PLANNING SPRING SEMESTER 2010 - 2011 | INTERNATIONAL DESIGN STUDIO | IRENE CURULLI

MUSEUM Transport Storage Selection Bleaching Straightening Waxing Dyeing Printing Sewing Fashion View Touch Hearing Smell

Dwarsdoorsnede A-A’ Dwarsdoorsnede A-A’

Dwarsdoorsnede A-A’

Lengtedoorsnede B-B’ Lengtedoorsnede B-B’

Dwarsdoorsnede

Lengtedoorsnede B-B’

123.

The masterplan started from the principle of the old growth of helmond. Historical pictures show a graduate opening of the cityblocks along the edge of the city. By opening a cityblock one could change the atmosphere. Because at the elderly housing at the rightside of the image there was a neighborhood like afmosphere. By opening the blocks and change the

124.

relation with the facade this atmosphere is created.

Nowadays using brick is a common material. But it lost the romantic charm of the massive brick walls seen in the monumental buildings of Helmond. We tried to experiment on this with 2 projects. A restaurant and a Mixed- used building, facing the square.

PUBLIC

NEIGHBORHOODS

INTIMACY

FEELING

125.

126.

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FINAL WORDS

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129.