From the editors
NEVER BEEN BUILT Words Aimee Baars
What if the world's most well-known buildings were never constructed? The Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, the Empire State Building. Or what if they had been designed differently? Sometimes, when the time is right, an architect's vision, his fiction, becomes reality. However, when the time isn't right, the idealistic ideas, the promises of the future, end up in drawers in dark and forgotten archives. For me, the theme 'Fiction' was an opportunity to explore Dutch architects' projects that have never been built. In this article 5 fictitious projects are discussed; two in Amsterdam, two in Rotterdam and one in The Hague. Prepare to be amazed, and perhaps, slightly confused.
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Euromast by Van den Broek & Bakema Before construction commenced on the Euromast as we now know it, several other designs for an observation tower had been discussed. In 1955 the exhibition E55 was opened. It was a manifesto titled, The Rebuilding of a Destroyed City, and the Will to Overcome Difficulties. Rotterdam had been heavily bombed in World War II and large parts of the cities were wiped out once the war was over. The organising architects of E55, Van den Broek & Bakema, who also built the world-renowned Lijnbaan, designed a spectacular tower with 4 viewing decks. However, this plan appeared too ambitious for the 50s. When preparations started for the next exhibition, the Floriade in 1960, ideas for an observation tower once again floated to the surface. The municipality of Rotterdam chose a different location and a different architect, Hugh Maaskant. And so, the Euromast as we know it was constructed. The second part of the name 'mast' refers to Rotterdam as the centre of the shipping industry, symbolising the connection between city and port. Euromast by Van den Broek & Bakema, 1953-55
