Simultaneous transitions are coming together at Tata Steel due to its strategic location and history – the industrial transition from large-scale traditional steel production to an electric-powered and circular process, and the energy transition from fossil fuels to a green energy hub and socket for the Dutch and European network. Currently, these strategies are occurring independently. Some of the steel production transitions are already implemented on a localized scale, while the energy transition is still being considered as a regional strategy in the form of abstract icons and arrows. The greatest challenge that needs to be considered is how the requirement and the expectation of these two transitions are pulling in opposite directions – producing the same quantity of steel through green processes will require 400% more energy, while sustainable energy production is only 10% as efficient as using fossil fuels. This results in a 4000% gap between what is possible and what is required.
“From Atoms to Stories” is a proposal that bridges the gap between spatial scales and between ambition and reality - examining the spatial implications of these two ambitions, how the future of energy intersects with the heritage of industry, and how this interaction is experienced at eye level.
The Ecology of Atoms
The first step is taking inventory of the networks of systems throughout the site, the spatial implications, and creating building blocks. The processes are first examined at an atomic level to determine the proportion of physical space that needs to be allocated. Next, a building block library is created from the existing steel production facilities, and the necessary components for the energy transition – for production, conversion and storage.
The Movements of the Future
The second step involves the spatial arrangement of these building blocks on the existing site by examining the relationships between the overlapping systems and identifying intersections where stacking can be mutually beneficial. The first challenge is creating a concentrated steel production core, so that the rest of the site can be reallocated to other forms of production - both of ideas and energy. These are arranged from north to south in a ‘bar code’ from heavy industrial production in the north to an innovation campus at the waterfront in the south. This rearrangement results in an industrial heritage park along the dunes, restoring the north-south nature corridor.
Once the quantitative spatial questions – what, where, and how many – are answered from a view in the sky, the final step considers how these are experienced at eye level. The three typologies proposed in the MooiNL Energy Handbook are applied throughout the site.
Hub of Hubs: This can be found in the steel production core in the north, where land use types are limited due to the large buffer zones around the factories. These are concentrated through a spiral reconfiguration to reduce their spatial burden without interrupting the production process. At the center of the spiral is a railyard that can be converted into an public square once the transition to circular materials is complete. Within the buffer zones are material storage, localized energy production, and water treatment facilities that release into the surrounding dunes. The residual warmth can be recovered through use of the heated flat rooftops and/or delivered to warm nearby villages.
Seeds: Once the steel production function is relocated, new functions can be reallocated to the now-vacant areas. These new developments will require access to the energy infrastructure as well as a spatial structure. With the new energy production corridor powered by the North Sea windfarms, energy is delivered throughout the site through a grid. The grid creates 5-minute districts, with energy nodes at intersections creating both public spaces and development possibilities. As public space elements, the energy nodes are designed to invite interaction by making the processes visible, with public functions corresponding to their technical function –for example fountains with rainwater collection, illuminated sculptures with electricity, and community agriculture with heat production.
Mosaic: In the adaptive reuse corridor along the waterfront, where there is the largest concentration of existing structures, spaces will be examined for their strategic potential as energy components. The 5-minute network grid provide a loose guideline to ensure an even distribution of energy nodes, which will be embedded into the fabric of the waterfront district. Corridors create a multimodal connections to the industrial heritage landscape park – a tram line along the existing railway track, a linear park and boulevard between the canals, and an elevated park constructed from the former gas pipe. The nature network runs from the dunes, following the former rail line, and over the canal via the locks parks.
While these simultaneous transitions continue to face challenges on multiple fronts, giving them a spatial expression and turning them into experiential realms is the first step of imagining a future where these can become reality.
FASCINATION | 3 DIMENSIONS
TEMPOSPATIAL
TEMPORAL
SPATIAL SPATIOSOCIAL
SOCIO-TEMPORAL SOCIAL
RESEARCH QUESTION
SPATIAL
Flow of Atoms
( what + where )
How do abstract strategy icons translate as a spatial expression?
TEMPORAL
The Movement of Materials (when+why)
“How does the future of energy intersect with the heritage of steel?”
SOCIAL
The Transmission of Stories ( how + who ) How is this intersection experienced at eye level in the public realm?
