groningen (nl

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IntErvIEW

of the Site’S repreSentative jAn MArtIjn EKKHof, Municipality of groningen

presentation of the site within the context of the city development and in terms of strategy

for years the west flank of the city of groningen was dominated by sugar production, which began there in 1914 and ended early in 2008. the municipality subsequently bought the building and grounds with a view to authorised urban use in the longer term. at present there are no concrete plans for this area. because the city already has sufficient sites for housing, offices and businesses (and demand for these has, in fact, also decreased), the area still has no definitive designated use, nor any final zoning plan.

How can the site be integrated in the issue of the adaptable city and how do you consider this issue?

the Suikerunie plot south of the study area is seen as a strategic reserve and will be developed over a 20 years period, through bottom-up initiatives, as a testing ground for new forms of urban land use, which enhance the palette of the existing city. connecting vinkhuizen, the post-war development area, with the Suikerunie area and Stadspark, is an urban ambition in which the europan site will play an important role and for which the water in the hoendiepkanaal canal constitutes both a barrier and a splendid opportunity. on the scale of the study area, the europan site is ideally suitable as a stepping stone between a traditional, but (re)–developing, business park and the Suikerunie area, which is designated for large-scale development – preferably via a step-by-step approach in which temporary use plays an important role.

At the time of sustainable development coupled to an economic crisis, have you already defined a specific strategy for the urban development of the site?

all this raises questions about the identity of the area, now and in the future. until recently it has held a somewhat ambiguous midway position, focusing both on the Suikerunie factory in the south and the furniture boulevard in the north. redeveloping the area could help it define its own identity. in this context, an important option (as yet barely explored) could be the possibility for thermo-energy in this part of the city, associated with kema, a company situated near the site that specialises in energy and sustainability and is one of the few enterprises with good prospects in this area. the most important pre-condition for development is to make the site accessible and visible. the site needs to become embedded in the urban network by through connections. the challenge is to achieve this with limited means. Subsequently, and in the longer term, the site can grow and gain more concrete form through further detailed infill with temporary and permanent programmes.

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WijDe gelDelozepaD 11a 2012 ej haarleM, the netherlanDS t. +31 614466967 reMco@reMcorolvink.nl WWW.reMcorolvink.nl WWW.atelierelizabethkeller.nl

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hoenDiep Site aS entrance

prelude

team point of view the Prelude concept treats the hoendiep and Suikerunie area in groningen as a free field where landscape and city meet. open space is the most valuable, while access and a clear point of attraction need to be added. Prelude is a strategy for the first stage of a gradual spatial and social process to connect the free field to the urban fabric by a bridge and strip that create space. recognising the uncertainties about the future development of these plots, the design focuses on the essential starting point, with a connector and attractor to trigger an adaptable form of urban use the local community is encouraged to plant Miscanthus at the site, for harvesting and use as material for green concrete to built the bridge step by step, so that it becomes an attraction as it grows.

jury point of view the designers of this project have resisted the temptation to do what the brief challenged them to do, i.e. devise an attractive programme. they have deliberately chosen not to do so, not least because they recognise an important quality in an empty, unprogrammed space. they limit their intervention to opening the area up and improving access. to that end they have designed a bridge that is both a connector and attractor. volunteers will carry out most of the building work. in this way the project can also become a community and social bridging concept.

Meeting point rural anD urban free fielD anD central Strip connector

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turning briDge at hoenDiep Site before connecting the Suikerunie terrain

Section of the tiMeline

ton van beek buitenruiMte en architectuur t. + 31 650489502 info@tvbba.nl WWW.tvbba.nl architect Delacourt t. + 31 613347589 info@architectDelacourt.nl WWW.architectDelacourt.nl

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uploading city

team point of view Uploading city is a proposal for the creation of a sustainable market hall that will upload itself over time. it uploads literally by means of solar panels on the roof and figuratively through the new activities that will be developed here. restructuring traffic and rearranging parking space creates a better quality public space. this will form an area with more residential qualities. the roof over the public square is designed as a tilted solar plant, which is directly connected to the energy chain of the nearby keMa institute for energy and Sustainability. this creates a market hall that can be used for a wide range of activities (events, markets, performances). the huge roof is an invitation to devise new programs.

jury point of view the project is conspicuous for the almost total absence of a programme. the proposed structure can, indeed, be developed with further functions, but even without that infill its existence is justified. although the architecture is still fairly rudimentary, it does appear to suggest that it could fit well with the character of the site. in addition, an attractive new east-west cycle route is proposed.