REDEVELOPPING INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE WITH HIGH ARCHITECTURAL AND SOCIAL IMPORTANCE
Cover photo: Galen, van (Fotograaf) - Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed
Redeveloping industrial heritage with high architectural and social importance Course: Assignment Student: Student number:
7x660 Product Presentation Graphic design Pieter Deijkers 0719463
Preface Eindhoven is a city full of industrial heritage. Because of the industrial revolution around 1900, Eindhoven started to grow. Many buildings belonging to the company’s who made Eindhoven grow are still there. These buildings have a big impact on the cityscap have high architectonic and social impact. As a student architecture at the University of Technolyg Eindhoven, you will learn and understand the value of this heritage during your study.
Table of Content Title page Preface
3 4
Chapter 1 Introduction
7
Introduction Why should we redevelop old buildings?
The Rietveld Schröderhuis
Redevelopment of existing buildings is becoming a substantional part of the architectural field in the Netherlands. Every year new buildings are added to the list of monumental buildings, which prevent them from demolishing. Although not all of these buildings are practical, energy efficient or are situated on convenient spots, they are protected by the law and architects will be asked to create a redesign for these buildings. It is questionable whether this is a good development, because many of those building are at the end of their lifetime and demolition is probably a better option. The reason to save buildings from demolition is mostly based on feelings and social cultural aspects. Good research to the benefits of redevelopment is missing. One of the main reasons to save buildings is because of their appearance, replacing these buildings will have a big influence on the cityscape. Another reason to preserve buildings is because of their architectonic value. Some buildings have played an important role in the history of architecture, this can be used in advertisement for the area of the building. In cases like this, buildings have a lot of potential to provide economic benefit for the area. The ‘Rietveld Schroderuis’ is an ecample for one of those buildings. Research has already stated that in most cases a new building would be economically a better option than redeveloping an old existing one. According to Michael Braungart, author of Cradle to Cradle [1], all old nonfunctional buildings should be demolished and be replaced by extremely energy sufficient and recyclable buildings. In his opinion; you don’t restore an old refrigerator full of toxic chemicals, so why should you restore an old building? It is evident that most old buildings do not satisfy nowadays regulations of comfort and building physics, due to the limited
photo: Galen, van (Fotograaf) - Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed [1] William McDonough & Michael Braungart, (2002), Cradle to Cradle, Remaking the Way We Make Things, North Point Press, US
knowledge at the time the building was built. On the other hand many old buildings are becoming touristic attractions which have benefits for the area. Research has been conducted to the benefits of those buildings which provide an economic impulse to the region. In most cases these buildings are preserved, or restored its original appearance. Redevelopment on the other hand has a different approach. The aim of redevelopment is to give a building a new function to expand its lifespan. Although many old buildings will be preserved, research to the benefits of redevelopment is missing. The grounds to preserve these buildings are always very case specific, which makes it hard to conduct research. Every building has its own background and its own architectonic and cultural value. Therefore, general guidelines are missing to validate a building on its value. Good research to the benefits of redevelopment can give decision makers like governments, municipalities and other authorities a tool to make the right decision. Most buildings are saved because of the view of the cityscape, on the other hand a new building can give an impulse to the surrounding as well. Research can save decision makers from spending money on a building which eventually will still not function well after the redevelopment. It can also advice the decision makers which part of the building should be saved. In some cases the front façade is the only valuable part of the building, therefore the rest of the building can be demolished and be replaced by a new good functioning and energy efficient one. Every building has its own background what makes it difficult to make genaral assumptions. Each building should be analysed on its own valuable aspects and its importance on architectural and social importance. Architectural importance can somehow be determined by proper research. Some buildings played an important role in architecture because of the use of revolutionaire systems or concstructions. Other buildings have a big social importance, for example the ‘Lichttoren’.
This tower has been into the city centre since 1909 and therefore has a big impact on the cityscape. An other aspect of this building is its social imprance, many people from Eindhoven and surrounding have been working for Phillips. This buildings has become a part of their life.
The Phillips ‘lichttoren’ in 1993
photo: Galen, van (Fotograaf) - Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed