Cultural heritage Preservation through development Rijnboutt magazine #9

Cultural heritage Preservation through development

“Without a user, heritage has no soul” Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands

“History is not a burden, it is our bedrock, foundation and gateway to profitability” Marinke Steenhuis

“My task is to ensure that Kraków does not become a museum” Jan Janczykowski

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Contents P.03 Foreword

P.24 Neude Utrecht

P.04 “Without a user, heritage has no soul” Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands

P.25 The Olympic 1962 Amsterdam

P.08 “I favour more difference in how we deal with heritage” Joks Janssen, endowed professor of spatial planning and cultural heritage at Wageningen University P.12 AaBe Factory Tilburg P.13 Hoogstraat Rotterdam P.14 “I am in favour of interdisciplinary cooperation” Teun van den Ende, Platform VOER P.18 The story of heritage Karianne Vandenbroucke, senior designer of cultural heritage Rijnboutt

P.26 “The power of the historic city centre is that it is alive” round-table discussion P.34 The tip of Cruquius Island Amsterdam P.35 Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 225 Amsterdam P.36 “My task is to ensure that Kraków does not become a museum” Jan Janczykowski, regional conservator Województwo P.40 River Zone Vlaardingen P.41 Oostduin-Arendsdorp The Hague

P.42 “History is not a burden, it is our bedrock, foundation and gateway to profitability” Marinke Steenhuis, architectural historian P.46 Concertgebouwplein Amsterdam P.47 Aalmarkt Leiden P.48 Casestudy: Aalmarkt P.54 “This project’s combination of old and new is pioneering” Piotr Olbrys´, developer at Balmoral Properties P.58 Vleeshal Amsterdam P.59 Colophon

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Cultural heritage Preservation through development Cultural heritage is generating massive interest. The transformation of existing buildings or even entire urban districts are important items on the social agenda. The interest varies from nostalgia to a desire to preserve knowledge about the past, from appreciation of craftsmanship to a call to ‘nurture identity’. Where does this growing interest for the past come from? Is it just a trend or are we witnessing a cultural shift in our way of thinking?

Inextricably linked to cultural heritage is the feeling that ‘old’ is always ‘good’. The dominant notion in the various approaches to heritage is that it must be protected and preserved. Whereas the authorities have traditionally seen it as their task to conserve heritage, a dialogue with the market has led to a proliferation of private initiatives, in which preservation and redevelopment go hand in hand. A rebirth lies in store for much of cultural heritage.

At our firm, we are also investing more and more attention in redevelopment.

Heritage is one of the cornerstones of an integrated approach to culture in the shape of ‘preservation through development’ and has proven to be meaningful for the local and regional identity of (potential) environments where people want to settle. Heritage has a future, but what will give it the deciding push? Its cultural dimension? Financialeconomic considerations? Or the notion of sustainability? What is striking in that sense is the Creative Industry Stimulation Fund’s design programme entitled Heritage and Space (2017-18), which focuses on the significance of a future-proof approach to the Dutch cultural landscape for the sustainable development of our habitat.

Then there is the private interest. Rijnboutt has offices in Amsterdam and Kraków. The historical cultural heritage of both historic city centres are UNESCO World Heritage

sites. What does the status of monument mean for development opportunities in these centres? Think, for example, of the growing number of tourists, the urge to conserve and exhibit everything that has culturalhistorical value, the desire to ensure that the history of urban development remains accessible or the wish to make inner city areas sustainable.

In order to stay well informed about the state of affairs regarding cultural heritage, we spoke to various heritage professionals in the Netherlands and Poland, and we held a round-table discussion at our premises in Amsterdam.

That resulted in an exciting and surprising conversation, reflected in the magazine currently in front of you.

Frederik Vermeesch June 2017

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Cees van ’t Veen general director Anita Blom specialist in historical urban planning Hans-Lars Boetes senior advisor in cultural heritage and space

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“Without a user, heritage has no soul” Just outside Amersfoort’s historic ramparts stands the building that houses the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE), designed by the Spanish architect Juan Navarro Baldeweg. RCE, which was set up in 2009 after the merger of a number of civil services, is currently responsible for all movable and immovable Dutch cultural heritage in one of four categories, namely monuments, archaeology, cultural landscape and collections.

Looking over the old city centre, we talked about the meaning of heritage with three of the organisation’s leading figures: Cees van ’t Veen (general director), Anita Blom (specialist in historical urban planning) and Hans-Lars Boetes (senior advisor in cultural heritage and space). ‘Heritage plays a vital role in our country’s development,’ Van ’t Veen begins.

Heritage is hip, that is how much attention it is getting at the moment. Van ’t Veen argues that you can call it a trend.

‘There certainly is a fashionable element in the way heritage is currently being approached. I think this is directly linked to the ongoing discussion on identity – the need to discover your roots – as a result of globalisation. Heritage plays a key role in whether you feel at home in a given place.’ Blom adds that the interest in heritage is also growing among new Dutch citizens. ‘The organisation Imagine IC is examining the new cultural heritage of our multicultural society. New Dutch citizens also have reference points in their living

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environment that are of great value to them. The car park in the Bijlmer district in Amsterdam, for example, which was scheduled to be demolished, is being used as a Ghanaian church. People from the whole country flock to it. Demolishing it would remove an important anchor in their life in the Netherlands.’

In search of users Van ’t Veen does not expect heritage to still be this popular in ten years, but the supply is set to continue growing in the coming years. As a result, the challenge remains very much alive – and with it RCE’s role.

Indeed, he has a clear vision of the civic service’s position. ‘We do not preserve heritage, we support it. The degree to which we do this depends on the value that we attach to it. Because almost all Dutch heritage is in private hands, we want to sit down as a partner with stakeholders and bear joint responsibility.’ Indeed, RCE does not have the resources to keep cultural heritage on its feet, which is why it is

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essential to find a function for it. Important tasks therefore are forging partnerships with other parties and examining whether heritage can fulfil a role in other (spatial) developments. ‘A monument has to earn its own keep. It represents an intrinsic value, but in addition to that it has to be used, for example as a shop, residence or office. As a civic service, we are aware of the fundamental tension between the fact that heritage is usually private property but simultaneously part of our collective memory,’ says Boetes.

Reservoirs full of heritage In recent years, RCE has also been looking at challenges outside civic service. ‘In doing so, we ask ourselves the following question,’ Blom says. ‘How can we ensure that heritage will continue to play an important role in new developments?’

For example, a number of monasteries will be vacated in the coming years. The average age of a monastic resident is 82 years, and young people are staying

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away. ‘What are we going to do with these enormous complexes that do not meet current standards in terms of comfort and sustainability? Should they retain their protected status if we are unable to find users?’ Boetes asks himself out loud. ‘Without a user, heritage has no soul,’ says Van ’t Veen firmly. ‘With the religious institutions, we are going to have to figure out new uses for these sites. We are pioneers in Europe in that respect. In Arnhem, for example, a former church is now being used as a skateboarding hall.’

RCE as knowledge institute By providing relevant information, Van ’t Veen wants to motivate owners, citizens and public administrators to discover for themselves what qualities cultural heritage has. That is why RCE is set up as a knowledge institute. ‘In that capacity, we are advisors that help with redevelopment,’ Blom explains. ‘The only difference being that based on that knowledge we also implement laws and regulations,’ adds Van ‘t Veen. ‘It is our task to get the available information to the people who can use it as quickly as possible. That not only prevents mistakes from happening but also provides inspiration and new opportunities.’

Indeed, last year RCE began publishing guidelines. “Manual Energy, Heritage & Environment”, guidelines, for example, show how the cultural landscape can be used for wind energy, solar energy and bio-energy projects. ‘The guidelines contain design strategies on how to fit cultural heritage into the landscape,’ Boetes explains.

A new way of preserving heritage Van ’t Veen believes RCE will face another urgent challenge in the future. ‘The growth of heritage requires a new way of preserving heritage. We have to look more critically at the past and implement a new

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conservation regime. For example, we have stopped designating protected cityscapes.’

Currently RCE is determining the degree of protection that important heritage sites need. ‘A while back there was the question of whether the Afsluitdijk should receive status as a monument or not,’ Boetes says.

‘It is a civil structure with an important function. There is no doubt about that.

That is why we asked a quality assurance team, led by Marinke Steenhuis (see the interview with her elsewhere in this magazine, ed.) to formulate the core values that were the starting point for the design, so that they will continue to exist in future developments.’ By explicitly identifying which value represents Dutch cultural heritage, RCE wants to warm interested parties to it. ‘Support is more important for the future of our heritage than a stamp that says “monument”.’

Text: Merel Pit Discussion participant: Karianne Vandenbroucke Photography: Kees Hummel

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Joks Janssen endowed professor of spatial planning and cultural heritage at Wageningen University, director of BrabantKennis

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“I favour more difference in how we deal with heritage” ‘The crisis was a blessing for heritage, certainly here,’ says Joks Janssen. We met with him in Building 84 in the middle of the Railway Zone in Tilburg, which is currently being transformed.

The crisis provided the area with additional time to embed itself into the city’s collective memory. Plans for large-scale demolition and new construction made way for a smallscale approach with room for bottom-up initiatives. A sufficient amount of people felt connected to Building 84, which in itself does not have any special cultural heritage value, and so it was never demolished. The building is Janssen’s home base as director of BrabantKennis, an independent think tank that focuses on developments and trends that are important to the province of Brabant.

Give the past new meaning We met him in the context of his other work, as endowed professor of spatial planning and cultural heritage at Wageningen University. In this position he focuses on

the question: how do you give your old belongings new meaning? ‘Something only qualifies as heritage once we attach value to it. A narrative has to emerge that takes hold in people’s minds,’ Janssen says. He believes it is important that everything which has represented heritage – including our experience with that heritage – is positioned in such a way that its manifestation does not function solely as a point of reference. ‘It is a pity that during the conversion of the Deprez building (also located in the Railway Zone, ed.), all of the life was squeezed out of it. Its former atmosphere is difficult to retrieve.’

What is heritage?

Heritage has been a frequent topic of discussion in the past thirty years. The notion is so broad that theoretically anything

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can qualify as heritage these days. The appreciation of heritage in the Netherlands at the professional level is mainly culturalhistorically driven. According to Janssen, the economic and amenity value should be part of that as well. ‘Thinking about heritage involves the following question: what part of our history do we take with us to the next stage? It is important to consider this question from different perspectives.

What citizens deem valuable is sometimes the opposite of what professionals believe.

Indeed, the balance is shifting: citizens’ contribution and involvement is becoming increasingly important.’

Sector approach: the cultural-historical value of heritage Just like the notion of heritage itself, ideas about how we, as a society, should deal with monuments are changing. To get a better grip on this, Janssen distinguishes between essentially three approaches: the sector, the factor and the vector approaches.

‘The sector approach concentrates on the cultural-historical values of heritage.

Professionals conduct academic research to determine whether somethings is authentic – or even unique. Based on their advice, authorities put a bell-jar over the site and isolate it from its spatial dynamics.’

Factor approach: the economic value of heritage The 1980s and 1990s saw the emergence of the factor approach, which reflects the economic value of heritage. The shift towards an economy driven by knowledge and creativity also made heritage commercially appealing. ‘The conversion of the Westergasfabriek is one of the first Dutch examples of investment

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in heritage paying off,’ Janssen says, ‘even though the financial benefits are usually indirect. The official value of real estate in the surrounding neighbourhoods rose substantially, for example.’

Vector approach: the amenity value of heritage Today heritage is also a source of inspiration in terms of taking elements from an area or building’s historical existence along to a subsequent stage of development. In this view, heritage is seen as something dynamic, a guiding vector that takes the amenity value into account. An example: ‘While the former Philips Physics Laboratory on Strijp S in Eindhoven did not have great cultural-historical or economic value, it was preserved by virtue of its symbolic value as a place of scientific innovation.

The laboratory enjoyed recognition that extended beyond our national borders.’

New questions The succession of approaches – which actually exist alongside one another – display a gradual socialisation of our heritage. However, that does not mean that Janssen believes that we should preserve as much heritage as possible. ‘By declaring everything heritage we are denying these sites new opportunities. Meanwhile, it is essential to our culture that we develop new things. Only part of our past has a place in the future. Right now a new supply of monuments is entering the market at an unprecedented pace. That is raising new questions, particularly in contracting regions. What are we going to do when the supply increases and at the same time the available resources and potential users decrease?’

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Janssen suggests that we start accepting more (regional) distinction in the way we deal with heritage. It is conceivable that the responsibility of the authorities in some regions is limited to heritage with special cultural-historical value. He would leave the future of heritage that does not become listed in the hands of the market and citizens. ‘To prevent wrong decisions from being made you have to allow time do its work. I suggest an “ethics of abstinence” so we can examine whether something really has value. We have to have the courage to let things be for a while. Wait and see whether the market spots commercial opportunities or whether citizens start to fight for it. Heritage is about the appropriation of places by people.

Using time like a screen to sift through what is valuable and what is not, will make it automatically clear whether a building or an area is part of the collective memory.

If no one ultimately bothers with it, then controlled ruins or demolition are realistic alternatives.’

Heritage and education More attention to (regional) difference should apply to the selection of World Heritage Sites as well, according to Janssen.

In particular it is our history of battling water – which is limited to the western part of the Netherlands – that is responsible for our international reputation. ‘There is less of a focus on our industrial heritage, for example, which took place in more remote areas of the Netherlands, or on development that took place on our sandy grounds. In addition, we have become a society of immigrants, so how do we interpret the notion of heritage? Many new Dutch citizens will not immediately identify with “our” monuments.

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‘There has never been so much love for our past, but heritage has a dark side as well,’ according to Janssen. Take Mussert’s Wall in Lunteren, for example (this location was used by the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands from 1936-1940 for its propagandistic open-air rallies for its own supporters, ed.); the debate about whether this wall should be listed is a complicated one. Janssen believes that the uglier stories also deserve attention and thinks that the authorities should play a key role in this.

He mentions England, where they speak of a ‘dark heritage’. ‘Heritage is a selection of objects from the past that we want to pass on to future generations. The narrative of peace and freedom is incomplete without the narrative of oppression. “Guilty” heritage has an educational function as it shows that we must never repeat our mistakes from the past.’

Text: Merel Pit Discussion participant: Karianne Vandenbroucke Photography: Kees Hummel

From industrial zone to retail park

AaBe Factory Tilburg

The former AaBe woollen blankets factory in Tilburg (George Forest, 1929), now a national monument, is part of the redevelopment in the vicinity of Piushaven.

The AaBe factory has been transformed into a unique and stylish retail park. The monument’s façades have been restored, the central factory passageway, being the axis of the new development, has been extended and the production halls have been given a new sawtooth roof. New buildings on both facing sides of the factory site complement the programme (27,000 m2 of retail space and 750 free parking spaces).

Client: Rialto vastgoedontwikkeling B.V.

Hoogstraat Rotterdam

First ‘donor skeleton’ in the Netherlands Three buildings on Hoogstraat 168-172 in Rotterdam (Kraaijvanger, Van den Broek and Bakema) are being sustainably redeveloped. It concerns a transformation to a programme that consists entirely of retail, with the option of building one large retail unit covering several storeys.

The façades, which date from Rotterdam’s post-war reconstruction, are all that will be preserved, a choice that was supported by heritage organisations and the commission for urban aesthetics and monuments. The original concrete frame, on the other hand, no longer meets the required standards and is therefore being replaced by a steel ‘donor skeleton’ (all of the beams and columns originate from other buildings), a first in the Netherlands.

Client: Kroonenberg Groep

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“I am in favour of interdisciplinary cooperation” In his relatively short career, Teun van den Ende has made his name as a newcomer in the world of cultural heritage. He has been working for the Dutch Board of Government Advisors since 2010, and has been secretary of the H-team (Herbestemmingsteam, or Redevelopment Team) since 2015. But most people know him from the Platform VOER, which stands for Visions on Heritage & Space, which he founded with Maria Lamslag.

Teun van den Ende Platform VOER , secretary of the H-team, Dutch Board of Government Advisors

‘Essentially the platform consists of a website backed by social media because it is easy and cheap to publish and disseminate articles online,’ says Van den Ende. But the platform, which does not have a business model, is more than that. VOER’s stimulating opinions fire the debate about heritage and connect people who advocate development in the profession. Indeed, the VOER team wrote a pamphlet called Nieuwe rol erfgoedprofessional (‘A new role for the heritage professional’) together with Joks Janssen, director of the independent

think tank BrabantKennis and professor of spatial planning and cultural heritage (see the interview with Joks Janssen elsewhere in this magazine, ed.). We spoke to Van den Ende in Brasserie Engels in the Groothandelsgebouw, one of Rotterdam’s most important post-war reconstruction monuments.

Why was VOER established?

‘The fact that we have heritage conservation in the Netherlands is a luxury. It means that in addition to the function of heritage we

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can also look at its cultural-historical and amenity value. But partly as a result of strict regulations, receiving status as a monument is perceived as a problem. Moreover, “established heritage conservation” is not always capable of anticipating the urgent questions of the day. Maria Lamslag and I wanted to change that. By establishing VOER we created an independent platform for the debate on cultural heritage. To ensure that the discussions are as broad as possible, we purposely do not take a position ourselves. Our goal is to make the world of cultural heritage more accessible in order to encourage interdisciplinary cooperation.

Heritage is becoming an increasingly large part of the built environment, so more and more disciplines are having to deal with it.

That is why it is important that heritage professionals establish new relationships with policymakers, property owners, developers, designers and other advisors, for example.’

How should cultural heritage be approached?

‘Previously heritage was approached from a strictly cultural-historical perspective that saw it only as an object. But heritage is much broader than that. Luckily a shift is taking place towards an approach that looks at the area development, in which objects are viewed in relation to their spatial context. Architects, urban planners and landscape architects play a role in this, but citizens’ voices are also being heard. This has turned the discussion on heritage into a much more dynamic one. In North Holland, for example, there are many haubargs, which are an important part of the province’s identity. But there are so many you cannot preserve them all. Instead of determining each farm’s cultural-historical value, the province is making a selection based on landscape structures. The aesthetic sense of a sequence of several farms in a row is especially important.’

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What role should the heritage professional play in this?

‘Many heritage professionals conduct research on the cultural-historical value of heritage. When they are done with the research, they pass their findings on to the client. Their involvement often ends there, and subsequently the designers and advisors lack the guidance to implement these findings. They are two separate processes. I am in favour of interdisciplinary cooperation in which heritage professionals work with policymakers, property owners, developers, designers and other advisors. It would enable them to inspire each other and achieve meaningful results as a team. As far as I am concerned when a heritage site is sold via a European tender procedure, the authorities do not need to have a mandatory value assessment (a building archaeological research that determines the culturalhistorical value of the heritage site, ed.). This way the participating teams can develop their own vision of how to manage a cultural heritage site. But I would advise involving a heritage professional to put together a convincing argument.’

Are there other disciplines that you would want to involve in the heritage discussion?

‘I think it would be interesting if philosophers played a role as well. As they tend to take a step back first, they can look at the question from more of a helicopter view. Perhaps they could point out that the way we are currently managing cultural heritage is a snapshot in a process with a long history that is continuing to evolve. Without this realisation, ‘taking action in the here and now’ would be too haphazard. Moreover, the perspective of philosophers can be refreshing because they are not hindered by being overly knowledgeable about rules and regulations, costs and technical aspects. As a result, they are able to keep an open mind and go in new directions that are inspiring and simultaneously provide a firm footing.’

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What is the task facing heritage professionals?

‘We have to examine what heritage means to our multicultural society. We barely know anything, for example, about what Dutch people with a migrant background consider to be heritage. Or how they interpret places that have already become listed monuments.

To get a good idea of this it is important that we map the places and urban structures by talking to the various stakeholders – including the people whose voices are normally not heard. Organised civic movements know how to get their voices heard, but that is not the case for everyone.

Iepenplein in the east of Amsterdam, for example, developed into a popular place where the best street soccer players of the city came. Local residents managed to persuade the city council to keep out the “loiterers” and redesign the square with trees and benches. The value of the place for the street soccer players turned out to be a

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blind spot for the policymakers. This has to change. Heritage professionals can help by teaching policymakers how to listen to the different – but often conflicting – voices in society.’

Text: Merel Pit Discussion participant: Karianne Vandenbroucke Photography: Kees Hummel

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Karianne Vandenbroucke senior designer of cultural heritage at Rijnboutt

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The story of heritage Karianne Vandenbroucke has been working at Rijnboutt as a senior designer of cultural heritage for some time now. Karianne trained as an engineer and architect, after which she completed her postgraduate studies, receiving a Master of Science in the Conservation of Monuments and Sites, both at the University of Leuven (Belgium). As a result of her knowledge and experience, but also by setting up a platform for intervision and development for all of her colleagues at Rijnboutt who deal with heritage, Karianne enhances the way that the firm deals with heritage.

We spoke to Karianne about her background, her way of working and her views on cultural heritage as a designer. A conversation about the meaning of the past today. ‘I search in history for a reason to make things possible, not for a motive to say what is forbidden.’

‘If we momentarily stick with Joks Janssen’s trichotomy (see the interview with Joks Janssen elsewhere in this magazine about different ways of approaching historical heritage, ed.), then I come from real sector firms. My first employer was Architectenbureau Fritz.

Maarten Fritz’s approach is philosophical and academic. His work is a permanent search for a new vision in the field. After architectenbureau Fritz I ended up at Rappange & Partners Architecten. There I became familiar with other approaches, driven more by civil engineering. The

priority was quality of execution, the architectural detail. The firm approached buildings on intuition: what is well made and stylistically in sync with the larger whole stays, and what is below par in terms of quality goes. We kept asking ourselves: “What belongs to this building and what does not?”

‘After Rappange & Partners I worked for a preservation association called Vereniging Hendrick de Keyser. The association is committed to “preserving cultural heritage for the Dutch people”, with particular focus on buildings with a residential function.

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The idea was to find “the story” behind the building, but also the meaning of the building in its cultural-historical context.

Unlike the architecture firms I had worked for previously, the association actively acquires buildings, renovates them and then looks for tenants. My job was to dig into the history of these buildings and incorporate my findings into the renovation approach. Essentially I create a small museum each time, in order to then prepare it for regular use: a shop, an office or whatever else.’

Building archaeological research ‘I start by carrying out a building archaeological research of every building I am allocated, that is to say I study its construction history. This is what I am doing right now for projects here at Rijnboutt. The aim is to end up with a

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plan or cross section that you can colour in according to different construction periods, so that you know what belongs to what.

The only real point of this analysis is to make an inventory; it is still completely unconnected to the adaptations that may potentially be carried out on the building.

Then you are talking about archive research, carrying out on-site research, research on visual material – photos, illustrations, prints or paintings of that specific building or of similar buildings from the same period. So at least you know “this is the way it looked back then” and can then check “what part of that is still left over?” Exploring a building’s archaeology makes it clear what the building is, what you still need to find out about the building and what belongs together. It helps you establish the building’s identity.’

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Value assessment ‘A cultural-historical analysis goes further.

It also puts all of the functions or histories through time in a broader context. A cultural-historical analysis follows a prescribed system: you explore the urban planning context, the typological context and the architect if there is any information available.

‘A value assessment is a combination of the building archaeology research and the overarching cultural-historical analysis, from which you determine which parts of the building are ultimately “valuable”. That happens in a straightforward way on cards, on so-called value maps where you colour in the parts that have value. “Worthless” or “without value” does not exist in this context. All you have is “high value” (= preserve), “positive value” (= preserve if possible) and “indifferent” (= makes no difference.’

The approach ‘Rijnboutt works with historical value assessments that it conducts through an independent third party. This value assessment is therefore an objective and neutral reflection of the archaeological and cultural-historical qualities of the object being analysed and a useful guide for all parties to see exactly where these values lie. Respecting these heritage values does not in itself guarantee a good and useful design. Although the value map can be read as a checklist that indicates “yes to this, no to that”, a value assessment does not exempt the architect from the responsibility of interpreting how things are interrelated to each other, an attitude that I recognise from the design approach used at Rijnboutt. The value assessment is

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an important point of reference in the firm’s design approach. It indicates the areas that require solid supporting arguments if you decide to change something in the building.

The fact that you accord an indifferent area a minor function makes everyone happy.

‘I see my role as an expert in cultural heritage to further enhance everything related to a building’s construction history, because that gives you the supporting arguments to base your interventions on your knowledge of the building. This knowledge is the basis for that unique story, which can only be told by that specific building.’

An example ‘Here at the firm I am involved in the redevelopment of the former main post office on Neude square in Utrecht, well known for its many sculptural ornaments and its impressive central hall. The building was designed by Joseph Crouwel in the early 1900s and is now a national monument. It is going to be repurposed into a contemporary public library, supplemented by shops and cafés and restaurants. Crouwel used the plan of the post office on Coolsingel in Rotterdam as his starting point, which is a building with a clear front and rear side based on a design by the architect Bremer. This choice was pragmatic, with a public entrance on Neude square and logistics on Oudegracht, but if you consider that Oudegracht has always been a busy shopping thoroughfare, then that was not the best option. The redevelopment is going to change that.

The entrance on Neude square with the central hall for the library will remain an important front side. With a new façade and entrances for shops, a brasserie with

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a view over the water and an auditorium, the building will have a second front side on Oudegracht. Creating an interface between vital public routes was embraced by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, the municipal department of heritage dealing with heritage and urban planners as an improvement over the existing situation in terms of quality.’

Developing an idiom ‘Then the only item that remains to be discussed is the exact nature of the interventions that you are proposing and how you intend to design them. From the start, Frederik Vermeesch (architectdirector Rijnboutt, ed.) opted for what he calls “blending”, which is to say that it makes more sense to incorporate changes and additions into Crouwel’s architecture than to search for contrast. The value assessment and the value maps that Rijnboutt had Het Oversticht produce became an important source, which we supplemented internally with a thorough building archaeological scan. To do this, we first anatomised the building: what kind of materials were used, what kind of rhythm does it have? Using hand-drawn sketches we analysed what the language of the architecture is, from what exactly it derives its “impact”. Subsequently we looked at the architect’s oeuvre: how did he construct annexes, how did he build entrances? Both analyses were used as a source of inspiration for a new building on Oudegracht, which is hierarchically positioned as a second front of the main building.

‘You can look at every door handle and discuss whether to keep it or not. In the end you may have removed three door handles and kept six, but what is the story behind it? All new interventions in the design for the building on Neude speak the same language, have the same material and same main form entirely in sync with the existing architecture. We try to develop an idiom that enables you to decipher the whole, so that afterwards you can tell that “this is original and that has been added”.

I cannot stand it when you have to read a sign to understand what is going on. When this is the case, then I believe you have made the wrong choice as an architect.

An unsuspecting passer-by has to be able to understand it. Ultimately it is about articulation.’

Text: Jan van Grunsven Portrait photography: Kees Hummel

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Aerial photo with view of front entrance of main post office on Neude square Source: Het Utrechts Archief

Neude

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View of back of Oudegracht service area Source: Het Utrechts Archief

expansion of the former service courtyard with an auditorium, brasserie and shops

central hall of the former general post office

Oudegracht

A national monument with two front sides

Neude Utrecht

The post office on Utrecht’s Neude square is going to be repurposed into a public library, shops, cafÊs and restaurants, and a bicycle shed. The stately building (Joseph Crouwel, 1924), with its many sculptural ornaments and impressive central hall, is a national monument. With shops on the ground floor (+1 and -1) and a brasserie with a view over the water (+2) and an auditorium (+3), the former post office on Oudegracht will have a second front side. The design responds to the wish for a library as a meeting point for the modern urbanite, a place for young and old, students and working people.

Client: a.s.r. vermogensbeheer, MRP Development

The Olympic 1962 Amsterdam

Stepping stone for the area’s planning strategy The national monument Citroën Noordgebouw (Jan Wils, 1962) shall be home to a multifunctional mixture of offices, cafés and restaurants, and shops. In addition to accommodating a new programme, the redesign intensifies the dialogue between building and environment, which dovetails with the

comprehensive vision for the entire area.

The building’s plinth faces the square, while atriums in the core of the volume provide the new functions with muchneeded daylight.

Client: Bouwinvest Development BV, Peak Development BV

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From left to right: Petra Brouwer, Suze Gehem, Aart Oxenaar and Bart van der Vossen

“The power of the historic city centre is that it is alive�

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What kind of a future awaits the historic city centre of Amsterdam? The municipality of Amsterdam put a bell jar over it in 1999, when it designated the canal belt a protected urban landscape. Eleven years later, the Canal Ring Area received, on the municipality’s request, international recognition for its unique qualities by securing a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

1 Source: The municipality of Amsterdam’s tourism dashbord, www.ois.amsterdam.nl/visualisatie/ dashboard_toerisme.html.

UNESCO status has certainly paid dividends for the city economically speaking. The number of foreigners spending the night in Amsterdam has increased by 48% in the past six years.

This boost to tourism means more spending and thus more jobs as well. But at the same time it is putting tremendous pressure on space in the city centre. An increasing number of apartments are no longer permanently but only temporarily inhabited, for example, in part due to the rise of Airbnb. Is this desirable for the survival of the city? In addition, the municipality is intending to accelerate its effort to make Amsterdam sustainable. Its sustainability agenda states the following: ‘In 2020 Amsterdam will have 20% more sustainable energy and 20% less energy consumption.’ Moreover, the municipality wants to have banned the use of natural gas by 2050. But will the accompanying measures not be at the expense of cultural heritage? These questions were raised during the round-table discussion with Aart Oxenaar (director of Amsterdam’s Municipal Office of Monuments and Archaeology), Petra Brouwer (university professor of art history at the University of Amsterdam), Suze Gehem (director of De

Groene Grachten, which provides advice on how to sustainably transform historical buildings and cities) and Bart van der Vossen (architect-director at Rijnboutt).

Like going to Disneyland Now that the historical value of Amsterdam’s canal ring has received international recognition thanks to its UNESCO status, its protection is being even more strictly regulated. As a result, major interventions are unlikely. What does this mean for the development of the city centre? ‘I do not view this bell jar over the canal ring as a huge problem. In recent decades, the structure has showed that it can handle many programmatic changes, without them affecting its shape,’ Brouwer says. ‘When I started living on Brouwersgracht 40 years ago, it was a considerably dilapidated area that still had a lot of local activity. Then came the offices, and now it is a popular place to live thanks to the urban renewal. But my view has remained pretty much unchanged,’ Oxenaar agrees. ‘My biggest concern, however, is that we do not preserve the mixture of functions that have existed there for as long as we can remember,’ Brouwer continues. ‘The primary goal of a

ultural ldings

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city is to be a good place to live and work.

As long as we do not lose sight of that goal, tourism – the reception of visitors – will continue to enrich the city. In light of the current explosive increase in the number of tourists, however, there is a real danger that a visit to the historical city centre will be like going to Disneyland. We can prevent this from happening with good laws and regulations. Just look at Venice. Things started to really go wrong there when the law that required houses to be permanently fortifications public inhabited was rescinded.’

time, international brands such as Apple, Zara and Primark are piling on the pressure.

How will the market get the space to develop itself? The power of the historic city centre is that it is alive. And it should stay that way.’

‘But if the market is not given more room, how will we manage to keep functions in the city centre that do not generate maximum returns?’ Brouwer wonders. ‘At the moment it is not certain whether Pied à Terre (the largest independent geography church and travel bookstore in the Netherlands, buildings buildings ed.) will manage to stay on Herengracht.

Control versus market development70 million But these kinds of shops have huge value According to Van der Vossen, in order euros for Amsterdam. Before you know there will 60 to protect the city centre, new uses are be a mono-culture of Nutella boutiques. being quickly discouraged. ‘Major retailers The city has to control these developments 50 are facing all kinds of obstacles. Hardly too. Good results were achieved in the past any location provides enough square 40 with street managers and regulations in metres for their shops. The municipality the zoning plan.’

30 should help them to find places where there is space.’ ‘Often municipal policy The boundaries of the canal ring 20 maintains the rhythm of the buildings,’ Van der Vossen suspects that the Oxenaar says, ‘as a result of which no10 boundaries of the canal ring will be functions can be implemented if they pushed to the limit in the coming fifteen 0 are larger than the building in question. years. ‘Pressure from major investors This promotes diversity, which is2016 why a influences political choices. For example, 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 neighbourhood such as the Negen Straatjes the transformation of the former Diamond is successful, for example. At the same Exchange (located at Weesperplein, ed.)

buildings, residential dwellings

2009

2010

UNESCO World Heritage The Netherlands

08

05 03

01 06 09 02 07 10

Schokland and surroundings Noordoostpolder 1995 archaeology

04

The Defence Line of Amsterdam 1996 cultural landscape Willemstad city centre Curaçao 1997 cultural landscape Windmill complex Kinderdijk-Elshout 1997 cultural landscape D.F. Woudagemaal Lemmer 1998 built heritage The Beemster Polder North Holland 1999 cultural landscape Rietveld Schröderhuis Utrecht 2000 built heritage Waddenzee (with Germany) 2009 cultural landscape Amsterdam canal ring 2010 cultural landscape Van Nelle factory Rotterdam 2014 built heritage

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National monuments number by province

All monuments number by province

sum total 61,959

sum total 118,604

Groningen 2,557 Friesland 4,153 Drenthe 1,282 Overijssel 3,943 Flevoland 82 Gelderland 6,272 Utrecht 5,618 Noord-Holland 14,044 Zuid-Holland 9,158 Zeeland 3,677 Noord-Brabant 5,832 Limburg 5,341

National monuments Municipal monuments Provincial monuments

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National monuments number by category 2016

public buildings 2,078

agricultural buildings 7,510

windmills 1,276

buildings, residential dwellings 36,284

church buildings 4,381

fortifications 1,914

other built structures 8,516

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snowballed, turning it into a “creative hub”. Increasing its economic potential occurred at the expense of valuable cultural-historical elements.’ ‘The commercial value holds more sway than the monumental value in many of these transformation jobs. Subsequently big money presents itself as the saviour of cultural heritage, even though essential points of the building have been harmed,’ responds Brouwer. ‘When you are dealing with a party that thinks primarily in commercial terms, then the challenge is to determine together what the actual value of the building is and then make that the main focus of the transformation.’ ‘In doing so it is important,’ Van der Vossen says, ‘that you are allowed to consider the new function when determining the monumental value. Many cultural historians at the municipality are against this, but when they think open-mindedly and provide input as well, then it is often possible to find a good solution. Sometimes the monumental value is harmed more, formally speaking, but the complex as a whole benefits from it.’

Sustainable monuments Another subject that the municipality is struggling with is making the historic city centre more sustainable. ‘I often hear people say that monuments are sustainable because they have existed for such a long time. But when calculating a building’s footprint its structure comes into play for only a quarter of the calculation. Its use determines the rest.

Many monuments were built for a different function. For example, people are living in former warehouses these days which were not structurally intended for that,’ according to Gehem. Oxenaar remarks that the designers of canal houses thought about energy consumption. ‘They often consist of compartments. The living area used to be as small as possible in the winter to keep to a minimum the need to heat up the area.’ ‘That is right,’ Gehem says. ‘Energy consumption can easily be reduced by using existing elements – such as shutters.

In fact, these quick wins are in our “Green Menu”, which summarises all of the available options for making a historic building more sustainable.’ ‘A menu suggests that it is easy to make monuments sustainable,’ Van der Vossen responds, ‘but just try making a canal house a zero-energy building.’ ‘That certainly is a challenge,’ says Gehem, ‘but

National monuments annual subsidy amount 2006–2016

windmills

agricultural buildings

buildings, residential dwellings

church buildings

fortifications

public buildings 70 million euros 60 50 40 30 20 10

other built structures

0 2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

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there is a lot more possible than people think.

For example, residents have more than 50 measures at their disposal to choose from.’

A city without natural gas ‘How should the municipality adapt its policy to achieve its sustainability goals?’ asks Brouwer. ‘But,’ says Oxenaar, ‘shouldn’t Amsterdam tackle sustainability in the canal ring collectively instead of making every monument sustainable down to the last detail? It strikes me as being much more efficient to generate the necessary energy elsewhere in the municipality and transport it to the historic centre.’ It is a plausible idea. ‘There is about 12 square kilometres of flat roof surface area in Amsterdam that could be equipped with solar panels and green roofs,’ Gehem responds. ‘Large, sustainable heat networks are the future as far as I am concerned. But there is a great deal to be gained in the immediate vicinity of the buildings as well. For the canal ring, we are currently investigating with the municipality how old and new can merge without losing the cultural heritage value.

This can be achieved with innovative technology, such as solar collectors that can be placed underneath roof tiles. Low-

temperature heating is the best way to heat up a building with a heat pump.

This kind of system does require certain insulation properties, and unfortunately many canal houses are more porous than a Swiss cheese. We recently removed the gas facilities from a number of monuments in Amsterdam. It was a complicated process, but we can use the knowledge we acquired in other buildings.’

Heritage as a challenge Protecting heritage is often in conflict with the wishes of new users and sustainability goals, but society is nevertheless increasingly opting for preservation. On the one hand from a cultural-historical perspective, and on the other hand in terms of commercial interest. ‘Demolition is only an argument for the market if the construction does not permit another use,’ Van der Vossen says. ‘Preservation is often a little more expensive, but newbuild will never get you the amenity value that you managed to keep up in the past.’ ‘Designers are also viewing the way we handle heritage increasingly as a challenge,’ Oxenaar adds. According to Brouwer this does not mean that society has become more nostalgic. ‘Historical

Facts and figures National monuments The figures about national monuments come from the Dutch monument index, the Monumentenregister Nederland. The index contains data on all of the monuments in the Netherlands that have been designated as a protected monument by the state. Monuments that are protected by municipalities and provinces are not on this monument index. A monument that is listed on the index has a protected status from the date of registration. The protection covers all real estate that has been explicitly mentioned in the description of the monument. The protection of the monument covers the entire immovable property, such as the foundation, façade and elements of the façade (including pavement, stairs and porches), load-bearing constructions, the roof, floors, floor finishing and interior (e.g. ceilings, wall finishing, staircases, doors and fireplaces). What does not fall under the protection are objects or matters that

were only mentioned in the introduction to the monument description or only in the description of the complex.

Municipal monuments The municipal sets down its monument policy in a municipal monument protection ordinance. The council can designate an object or complex as a municipal monument under this ordinance. That happens when a building, archaeological site or landscape structure does not have national significance but does have local or regional significance, or when a stakeholder requests it. A municipal monument committee provides advice about such matters.

Provincial monuments Objects and structures that are crucial to a province’s identity can be designated as a ‘provincial monument’ by the province. This provides it with protection by the province.

Moreover, the list serves as a foundation for

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consciousness is part of this time. History became a discipline from the nineteenthcentury onwards, after which people start to perceive themselves in time.

The more we knew about our past, the more we embraced our history.’ But is our love for heritage not becoming too big? In that context, Oxenaar refers to a lecture by architect Rem Koolhaas in which he suggests that today’s interest for heritage has a flip side. ‘We are reaching the point where buildings or districts that still need to be built are already being designated as monuments.’ According to Brouwer, this is attributable to the fact that the demarcation between now and

history is becoming increasingly diffuse.

‘We are hyper-aware of the fact that everything we do is historical. We look at our contemporary time through a historical lens. But that does not mean that we should freeze everything from the past. Our history is alive.’

Text: Merel Pit Photography: Herman Wouters

Discussion participants

Suze Gehem director of De Groene Grachten

Bart van der Vossen architect-director Rijnboutt

potential subsidies. A province sets down its monument policy in a provincial monument protection ordinance. The Provincial Council of the province can compile a list of provincial monuments. In addition to buildings, it can also include dikes, landmarks between two municipalities and objects that transcend the municipality (e.g. sites that are archaeologically extremely valuable).

UNESCO World Heritage World Heritage sites are monuments that are so important for the global community that we want to pass them on safely to future generations. These can be cultural or natural monuments or a combination of the two. A heritage site can only be called World Heritage if it is inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. UNESCO is the United Nations’ organisation responsible for education, science and culture.

Petra Brouwer university professor of art history at the University of Amsterdam

Aart Oxenaar director of Amsterdam’s Municipal Office of Monuments and Archaeology

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has been compiling the World Heritage list since 1972, on the recommendation of its affiliated countries. The World Heritage Convention was ratified by UNESCO’s 191 member states. The Kingdom of the Netherlands signed this agreement in 1992, thereby obliging it to track down, protect and preserve potential world heritage sites within in its borders. As of July 2015 there are 1,031 items spread across 163 countries on the list, 10 of which are in the Netherlands.

The tip of Cruquius Island Amsterdam

Transformation of port area to residential and work environment The former industrial estate on the tip of Cruquius Island in Amsterdam is being transformed into a lively residential and work environment. Originally split up into four separate industrial sites, the present plan envisages one coherent vision for the entire area. Rijnboutt is responsible for the integrated design of urban development, outdoor space and architecture. Three building blocks placed within the Public

Space Framework (Buro Lubbers) accented with sculptural elevations at the tip will be given a companion piece in a staggered car-free square along the water upon which a fourth block (Bedaux de Brouwer) and the relocated villa ‘De Werkmeester’ have been arranged.

Client: Amvest

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Functionalist monument is given luxurious destiny The former printing office and newsroom of Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf (J.F. Staal and G.J. Langhout, 1930), now a national monument, is situated in the middle of Amsterdam’s historic centre.

The print shop, spread over two storeys and visible from the street, is striking. By removing the storey built in later years, the hall – an example of functionalist building – has been reinstated. Introducing daylight in

Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 225 Amsterdam

several places, linking it to Kalverstraat 28 (J.E. van der Pek, 1890, city monument) and creating a clever dual routing makes the former newspaper building appropriate for an ambitious programme with high-quality offices, retail, cafes and residences.

Client: Kroonenberg Groep

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“My task is to ensure that Kraków does not become a museum” Kraków is one of the most beautiful cultural cities of Europe. Unlike other Polish cities, it emerged unscathed from the Second World War, as a result of which many historic buildings have been preserved.

Jan Janczykowski regional conservator Województwo

If anyone knows a lot about Kraków’s cultural heritage, it is Jan Janczykowski.

For more than fourteen years he has been regional conservator of the Województwo Małopolskie voivodeship (a kind of Polish province), where Kraków is situated. He is responsible for assessing new building projects, protecting cultural heritage and sharing knowledge about monuments.

The fact that the city’s historic centre is on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites makes his work all the more important. We spoke to him in his office at the base of the enchanting Wawel Castle, perhaps Poland’s most important cultural heritage site. From what seemed a modest work area at first

glance, he took us to a meeting room with a painted ceiling from the Renaissance.

‘Cultural heritage that deserves to be preserved does not always have to be an entire building,’ says Janczykowski as he sits down. ‘It can also consist of an interior or a mural.’

What is your view of Kraków’s culturalhistorical heritage?

‘The fact that Kraków’s historic centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site means that it has an important culturalhistorical value. In my work I continuously come across new heritage sites, many of which are old buildings with plaster walls

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Aerial photo Kraków Wawel Castle

Kazimierz

UNESCO area inside the green promenade Podgórze

and ceilings that sometimes conceal murals painted centuries ago. I see it as my task to discover them. I call in experts to help me meticulously analyse the different layers of time. The voivodeship has a Regional Council for the Protection of Historic Monuments consisting of architects, archaeologists and art historians. But despite our well-considered decisions, there is a great deal of discussion in the media about the status of heritage monuments because for many owners of heritage sites – usually private individuals – these decisions limit what they can do when adapting these sites for use. On the other hand, there is the benefit of having the status of a monument, because it means that owners are eligible for subsidies that protect heritage sites.’

Why have you declared Kraków’s historic centre a Cultural Park?

‘The current regulations regarding heritage prevent public spaces from being designated as heritage sites. Many

operators of hotels and restaurants, however, want to reach the many tourists that visit Kraków because of its UNESCO heritage sites. This leads to all kinds of commercial messages in the streetscape with no respect whatsoever for the historic urban landscape. As conservator, I could have attempted to forbid these advertising messages, but the entrepreneurs could have appealed my decision. Subsequently my hands would have been tied during the judicial process – which is often a long procedure. This was prevented from happening by declaring the historic centre a Cultural Park. The amenity value of the historic city has increased immensely as a result. Thanks to our good experience with this, Kraków will probably be allocated at least another two Culture Parks: the Jewish district Kazimierz and Podgórze, the district where Schindler’s List was shot. All of this has inspired other cities in Poland to approach their historic urban landscape in a similar way as well.’

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How do you ensure that Kraków’s cultural heritage will remain in use?

‘My task is to ensure that Kraków does not become a museum. As a result, I have to deal with the dichotomy of users who need living space – the city has to remain habitable – and heritage, which has to be protected at all costs. Sometimes certain adjustments are necessary to make sure a monument continues to exist. For example, there was much discussion about Hotel Cracovia, a recent monument from the 1960s. The hotel was dilapidated and no longer profitable, so it was sold. The new owner essentially wanted to demolish the building and replace it with new-build. I forbade it and decided that the façades, the entrance area and certain mosaics needed to be preserved for their cultural-historical value, but that the structure could be adapted to suit a new purpose. The initial idea was to have the building accommodate offices, but its storey height of 2.5 metres did not meet current standards. Ultimately the former hotel was bought by Kraków’s city council to house the National Museum’s administrative services and an exhibition space.’

What are your plans for your last year as regional conservator?

‘There are two things I still want to achieve this year. First, I want to ensure that the ruins of important heritage sites, such as castles, are able to receive protective status. That would enable me to prevent them from deteriorating any further and that the narratives about their past will not be passed on anymore. I am also focusing on the many wooden churches in the voivodeship, so that the coming generations can also enjoy these extraordinary

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constructions. Sometimes they are empty because their function has been taken over by new churches that are better equipped to meet current standards of comfort – religion still plays an important role in people’s daily lives in Poland. I want to provide these churches with grants so they can be renovated, as wedding venues for example.

Would it not be fantastic to get married in the same place as your parents? This way we not only preserve the cultural-historical value of churches, but they are also given new economic and emotional meaning.’

Text: Merel Pit Discussion participant: Katarzyna Bratek Photography: Kees Hummel

River Zone Vlaardingen

Urban residential neighbourhood in authentic port In early 2012 the municipality of Vlaardingen began a selection process for the development of the River Zone Core Area, an area situated largely outside the dike that connects the urban area of Vlaardingen to the New Waterway.

The large space, the potential of the programme, the additional urban living environments and the enhancement of the river port’s authentic character make the assignment unique and challenging. In the coming ten years, the River Zone will be transformed from a port to an attractive living area. The first 26 dwellings will be delivered in 2018.

Client: Consortium Rivierzone Vlaardingen, OMA Amsterdam, Kroon & De Koning, VolkerWessels

OostduinArendsdorp The Hague

Living on a historic country estate The historic country estates of Oostduin and Arendsdorp continue to uphold the quality of the promenade parks that these estates once were. With an eye to the future, a robust development and management concept was drawn up as a precursor to the new zoning plan.

The development concept establishes frameworks for the conversion or replacement of buildings and objects, while the management concept focuses on the improvement of culture-historic and landscape elements at different levels. The idea is to harmonise the buildings and the

landscape in a way that befits the status of a country estate: accessible, distinguished and sustainable Based on these plans, the municipality has embellished and improved the historic landscape in recent years. There are plans in place for the three large buildings in the area. One of them is being currently executed, which will reinvigorate the idea of ‘living on a country estate’.

Client: Department of Urban Development, Department of City Management, Staedion in collaboration with DG Groep

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Marinke Steenhuis architectural historian

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“History is not a burden, it is our bedrock, foundation and gateway to profitability” ‘I am a guardian of heritage in the broadest sense of the term,’ says architectural historian Marinke Steenhuis with a big smile. That is her vocation, but she is also the proud resident of Huis Vennebroek near Paterswolde, dating from 1848.

The country house is part of the Vennebroek country estate, which is protected by the nature conservation association Natuurmonumenten. From this special rural estate, she and her business associate Paul Meurs run the SteenhuisMeurs agency, which also has an office in Rotterdam. Together they are responsible for maintaining the residence. The old country estate and the panoramic landscape of Drenthe are a delightful setting for a fascinating conversation about the identity of locations and the role that heritage plays in this.

What does heritage mean to you?

‘In our work we look for the DNA of a location. In the past people designed areas to the best of their ability and with the best intentions. Often part of a city, a district or an ensemble has been turned upside down multiple times over the years, which has created layers with a huge and varied wealth of heritage. We try to dissect these layers. In doing so, we not only focus on the monumental value of buildings, but also on the urban and landscape structures, and the social and cultural context. We happen to be sitting in a “monument” right now, but the silhouettes of buildings from the 1970s on

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the other side of the meadow are essential for the spatial perception of this place. The area’s identity would be lost if the country estate was the only thing preserved.

Sometimes the DNA of a location is not rooted in spatial features but in social or cultural values. For example, we are currently conducting research on a village called Teuge between Apeldoorn and Twello in the province of Gelderland. The village is known for its airport, Teuge International Airport, but the quality of the place is mainly attributable to the people. Teuge does not have a church, but it is a very close-knit community where people take care of each other. It has an astounding number of volunteers. The civil society that the previous cabinet had in mind has existed here for decades. In fact, inhabitants of one of Apeldoorn’s large suburban expansion areas send their children to Teuge to go to school as a result of the village’s safety, cohesion and the quality of the education. So the city is migrating towards the village, instead of the village towards the city. That is pretty extraordinary.’

What do you hope to achieve with your research on the DNA of a place?

‘Our goal is to create meaningful locations, environments where people want to settle.

Everyone needs to be anchored to feel at home. Whether you choose to settle in a new housing estate or elsewhere. There is good reason why concepts such as context, identity and mentality are back on the spatial agenda. Examining a location’s layers enables us to determine which features provide comfort and recognition.

But we do not necessarily want to preserve everything – that would stop renewal dead in its tracks. Instead, our work asks the following question: what do you take with you and what do you leave behind? Based on the knowledge we have accumulated

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we try to discover which essential spatial elements will be useful in restructuring a district, for example.

How do you manage to convince laypeople – administrators and citizens – of the importance of heritage?

‘I immerse myself in the archives and read as few articles as possible written by others about the location in question.

Focusing on primary sources allows me to construct my own narrative, in which I stay as close as possible to the original motives. By sharing certain sources with administrators and citizens I take them with me in a time machine. For example, I conducted detailed research for the book De nieuwe grachtengordel. De realisatie van het Algemeen Uitbreidingsplan van Amsterdam (‘The new canal ring. The implementation of Amsterdam’s General Extension Plan’) (published by Uitgeverij THOTH, ed.). Thanks to photo albums I discovered that the designers of the General Extension Plan went on endless excursions. They visited Copenhagen and Stockholm the most, because these cities were already innovative in new urban residential areas before 1940. The new western suburbs of Amsterdam are parcelled out exactly the same way as certain Scandinavian districts.’

Do you also provide designers with tools?

‘In our work we make a distinction between cultural-historical research and the transformation framework. Culturalhistorical research consists of making an analysis of the core values of heritage, identifying the design priorities at the time and drawing general conclusions regarding the possibilities (and impossibilities) for redevelopment. The transformation framework is a document that specifically indicates what value the design priorities can have for a new challenge. Usually it is

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the designers or developers who request this, because they need different mindsets and clear do’s and don’ts. For example, we determined with the municipality of Zaanstad what the valuable elements of the Hembrugterrein were so they could be preserved. The “silencing woods” was one of them. These woods were planted to muffle the sounds of explosions during artillery exercises. It would be a pity to parcel out this central green area for detached villas.’

What would be your dream assignment?

‘I would want to write the next cabinet’s spatial planning document. The prevailing view is that the Netherlands is globalised and equal everywhere. But that is not the case. The Netherlands is still extremely diverse. Traditionally it has consisted of eleven cultural landscapes – such as the high sandy grounds and the marine clay polders – which have a direct relationship with the history of human occupation.

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clay – everywhere you look the landscape is used differently. Take the location of the country estate. It takes at least two hours to drive to Paterswolde from cities like Amsterdam or Rotterdam. When you step out of the car, you are in a different world, with a different pace and a different landscape. That has a profound impact on you. This diversity has to be incorporated into this country’s spatial planning. Our heritage is also an important trump card for the future. Europe’s role in global politics is slipping away like a kind of Atlantis. Our continent represents the Old World with its characteristic style, status and culture.

That is why tourists visit Europe. History is not a burden, it is our bedrock, foundation and gateway to profitability.’

Text: Merel Pit Discussion participant: Bart van der Vossen Photography: Kees Hummel

Concert­ gebouw­plein Amsterdam

Urban office villa in national monument The former Amsterdam branch of the trading company Lindeteves Stokvis on Concertgebouwplein (Eduard Verschuyl, 1917) is now a national monument.

The harmoniously composed façades in Um 1800 style and the Hennebique construction principle, which was modern for its time, makes the building highly

suitable for conversion into an urban office villa. A balance has been sought between the monumental style of the early twentieth-century building and the requirements of contemporary, luxurious offices.

Client: Kroonenberg Groep

Aalmarkt Leiden

Large-scale retail in historic centre The breakthrough in the Stadsgehoorzaal block at the level of the ‘gap of Van Nelle’ was the start of a radical transformation of the Aalmarkt area in Leiden. In order to reinforce the shopping circuit the access bridge to the area was moved and a new shopping street with a city garden was added. With a focus on fashion, space has been created for larger shop units that incorporate fourteen small-scale national and other heritage sites (from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries). Residential dwellings will be built above the new shops.

Client: MRP Development

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Casestudy: Aalmarkt

Liefrinck 1609 - collection of the Leiden Municipal Archives (Pilgrim Archives)

In 2009 Leiden’s municipal council decided to carry out a major transformation of its central shopping area. Changing notions in retail and the ensuing need for large-scale shopping spaces prompted the municipality to designate the Aalmarkt area – a building block situated between Breestraat, Mandemakerssteeg, Aalmarkt and the city auditorium – a new shopping location. It was the start of a process in which the demand for a large-scale shopping centre needed to be gradually brought in line with the intricacy of Leiden’s historic fabric.

The benefits of the choice were considerable. In contrast to existing shopping streets, the Aalmarkt area provided the necessary space for largescale retail. It was possible to create shops along a ‘figure of eight’ on-site, which meant a substantial improvement of the main shopping circuit. It also made it possible to make a clean sweep inside the block in a number of buildings that had been suffering from vacancy and a lack of maintenance, some of which were in a state of disrepair.

Initially, the project faced two challenges: first, a new route would have to be created straight through the historic urban tissue,

a route that had to logically connect to existing shopping routes; two: large-scale shops needed to be built next to – or even incorporating – historic buildings with a small urban grain, the majority of which were considered national monuments, municipal monuments or iconic buildings; an intervention, in other words, that had to respect the values of cultural heritage.

The task Rijnboutt’s role in the project was that of an ‘architect in the classical sense’, which is to say without distinction between urban development and architecture, existing buildings or new buildings. Rijnboutt was responsible for the urban development

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plan and the visual quality plan of the area, as well as the architectural task of building shops, residences and cafés, in other words large-scale new-build in addition to rebuilding and reinterpreting the various monumental buildings. Another difficulty here was having to weigh what were sometimes conflicting interests: the client’s financial-economic interests; the tenants’ commercial interests; and the municipality’s urban development, economic and cultural heritage interests.

How does the architect cater to such a range of differing wishes? How do you incorporate the grain size of the historic urban tissue with the needs of large-scale retail? And how do you deal with the heritage value of fourteen monumental buildings?

Original shopping route with old bridge and building block

From urban development plan to building block To create the new shopping route, a bridge was designed that connects the existing shopping area with the new shopping area.

Extending from the bridge, a cut was made along the entire length of the building block for a new shopping alley, from Aalmarkt to Breestraat.

The outside of the building block consisted of historic buildings. These were in a state of disrepair and constituted a static place in the heart of the city. The buildings were restored and renovated, and residential dwellings were realised above the shops.

On the Aalmarkt side, where the cut was drawn, there was a gap in the row of façades where a building had collapsed in the past. A building was designed for the corner of the new alley, the size and scale of which dovetails with the adjacent façades and the shape of which refers to a historic corner shop as can be found further up on Aalmarkt. The materials and details are modern, which tells you that this is a contemporary addition. The anomalous appearance of the building marks the entrance to the alley. A bit of modernity peeks out of the skin of historic buildings, a foreboding of what is happening inside the block.

To make the inner area accessible on the Breestraat side as well, a historic building had to be taken down. In the inner area itself, the clumped structures on the former back yards were cleared out to

New shopping route with new bridge, ‘figure of eight’ and alley

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make space for the alley and large-scale retail. A passage was made from the alley to the courtyard at the location where the neighbouring city auditorium has a large terrace. The tranquil spot under a monumental red beech tree, just off the shopping route, gives this part of the city centre an additional touch of quality.

The convergence of old and new To preserve the historical qualities of the monumental buildings, all contemporary interventions were given a restrained and modern design. Differences in the visual idiom, material and colour make it clear at all levels – from urban development interventions to architectural details – what is old and what is modern. The most special moments arise when an intervention and an existing building are in equilibrium and enhance each other, when you can

The ‘gap of Van Nelle’

demolition

breakthrough new-build

Catharinahof

simultaneously perceive the spatiality of the modern and the tradition of the past.

The monuments have been meticulously restored. The original structure of the buildings have been reinstated as much as possible. Authentic materials have been reused and the original colours have been restored. The monuments’ rear façades have been given large openings, an intervention that produces a new moment in the block. The small-scale historic interiors were incorporated into the large shop volume but remain recognisable as individual buildings. At first glance, visitors in the large-scale, modern shopping space look into the small houses, as if looking at a full-sized, historic dollhouse. Only now do you realise that these are not terraced houses. You recognise the different styles of living, the storeys that are not always

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What do you want to preserve and why?

Just as you cannot get rid of everything, you cannot simply preserve everything either. There are different reasons for persevering an object. With buildings, the initial concern is the building history: why was it built and how? What materials and techniques were used? How has the building managed to meet the demands of the ages again and again? You analyse the building on-site, dive into the archives and read about its typology, the architect and the time in which it was created. The more you know about the context and the building itself, the easier it will be to determine what is valuable. You acquaint yourself with the building’s story and its significance in the history of architecture, the cultural history and the urban development context. It may concern a unique item or the best-preserved example from a series.

Sometimes the value is in the material itself. Whether a beam is made from oak or pine says something about former trade routes in Europe. Sometimes the value lies

in tradition, the craftsmanship behind a component. That is true of trades that are no longer practiced, but it also pertains to a skilled or creative example of that trade, such as a masterpiece. Sometimes value lies simply in the test of time, the dents and scratches, in the signs which reveal that the object has lasted for centuries.

Every material and every detail has its own shelf life. When it is ‘used up’ or has vanished, you have to replace it with something new or reconstruct it. How you deal with it has to do with the reason why you want to preserve an object, with the story that you want to tell with it. By giving a building an appropriate (new) function, you extend its lifespan. This means you have to accept that change is necessary.

The value of cultural heritage does not impede this process, but usually enriches a project and provides it with identity.

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at the same height among themselves, the fact that the hearths are always in different places but always located on a side.

Never before had the cultural wealth of the centre and all the layers of the urban history, including the 21st century, been laid bare. Integrating historic interiors into modern shops may not be new, but at this scale, and with such a pure division between the historic ‘mass’ and contemporary spatiality in one, simple gesture, is probably unique. The gesture unites the world of the small and the historic with the world of the large and the modern.

Text: Karianne Vandenbroucke Photography: Kees Hummel

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Piotr Olbrys´ developer at Balmoral Properties

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“This project’s combination of old and new is pioneering” ‘Two hectares have been returned to the city!’

Piotr Olbrys´ exclaims. He is standing in the middle of a former Okocim beer brewery, called Brewery Lubicz, on the edge of Kraków’s Old Town.

As a developer, he is responsible for the redevelopment of the building complex in which new-build will be combined with the renovation of monumental nineteenthcentury buildings. The result is an accessible and alternating residential and work location that he is proud to show us.

Not only were all of the houses that were put up for sale gone in no time, but the redevelopment is also enjoying national recognition. ‘This project’s combination of old and new is pioneering. I am not aware

of any project like it in Poland,’ explains Olbrys´. After an extensive tour, we talk to him about how this redevelopment – unique in Poland – came about.

Why did you join this project?

‘In about 1995, the beer brewery closed down. Part of the premises was demolished, and the rest was put up for sale ten years later. The site was empty and shut off from the city for all that time.

It was clear that this could not go on. I

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showed an interest in the site, but it had already been sold to an American investor stationed in Kraków. What followed was a four-year-long battle with the city council for more leeway in order to make the redevelopment financially feasible.

Ultimately, the council drafted a zoning plan that provided sufficient programmatic opportunities. Unfortunately, the global real estate market was hit by the financial crisis. All developments came to a halt, and the American investor stopped financing the project. In the end, the beer brewery was put on the market again in 2009. At that point, no one was involved in project development, but I believed in this special location and finally I found a British investor interested in buying it. Kraków is a relatively rich city that is currently growing because it is a magnet for young people. It is also a tourist attraction that draws more than ten million visitors a year.

Consequently, there is great demand for living space and hotel rooms.’

What were all the possibilities on this site?

‘The zoning plan had been worked out to the smallest detail, but it was full of restrictive rules and regulations. For example, it had already determined which buildings had to remain intact, where the streets would be and how big the new building could be. We had a raw design in mind for the new buildings with a lot of concrete, but that was not negotiable. Because people primarily built with brick in the nineteenth century, the plan determined that the new building would have to be as well. But this building method is extremely expensive in Poland. Façades with stone strips are

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a less expensive and frequently used alternative, which we ultimately decided on as well. Only the programme – which prescribed housing and a hotel – was still open to interpretation. In addition to many dwellings we also added offices and in the plinths shops, cafés and restaurants.’

What surprises did you encounter during construction?

‘The brewery’s ground level is now equal to the street level, but it was almost two metres higher before construction.

We came across many surprises during excavations. It turned out that some buildings had no foundation whatsoever.

They stood on top of pits full of garbage and stones. We laid new foundations under all of the important monuments.

Our architect had taken over the American investor’s study on the soil and the monuments, but that study turned out to be inaccurate.’

How was the partnership with the Regional Heritage Board?

‘During the design process we were frequently in touch with the regional conservator Jan Janczykowski (see the interview with him elsewhere in this magazine, ed.). Janczykowski does not want to preserve everything at all costs, but is open to opportunities for monuments and wants to invest in their future. The culture-historic value of two-hundredyear-old buildings is often evident, but the younger they are the more discussion there is. For example, there was a building from the 1950s, the columns of which we initially had to leave standing. They were full of sand, however, so in the end only a limited part of the load-bearing structure was

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retained. And even though we were not initially enthusiastic about the use of the above-mentioned stone strips, we did come to a good solution. The use of different colours has created the illusion of depth, and by working with a variety of producers not all of the façades are the same.’

How did people in the vicinity react to the redevelopment?

‘We needed three construction permits and no one protested during the application period. During the design process, residents and other stakeholders were informed, and they too were given a voice in the whole process. The nearby hospital, for example, did not want a ten-metrehigh tower next door. And after word got out in a paper that the premises had been sold, I was approached and asked whether it would be possible to build additional parking places for the police station, which has a shortage of them. But most people that we spoke to wanted to know when they could buy beer again: the brewery

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used to have a shop. Now beer is served in Restaurant Lubicz, which brews its own beer in the old kettles.’

Text: Merel Pit Discussion participant: Katarzyna Bratek Photography: Kees Hummel

Vleeshal (‘Meathall’) Amsterdam

National monument part of the transformation of the Rokin and Nes areas The last refurbishment of the former St. Pieters- of Vleeshal (1779), situated between Nes and Oudezijds Voorburgwal, was in 1931 when a municipal clearing company, the Gemeentelijk Girobedrijf, sought to establish itself there. The Vleeshal, now a national monument, is part of a larger transformation of the area including the former Fortis buildings on Rokin and Nes that will implement a

mixed programme of retail and cafés and restaurants. There is a bicycle storage space in the basement of the Vleeshal that can accommodate 525 bikes. The Vleeshal and the shops on the Rokin are being administered by the Canadian department store retailer Hudson’s Bay Company.

Client: Ivy Group

Colophon Rijnboutt magazine no. 9 Text: Merel Pit, Jan van Grunsven, Karianne Vandenbroucke Editing: Jan van Grunsven (editor-in-chief), Jacklin Goverde, Kim van Houtrijve Translation: Mark Speer Photography: Kees Hummel, Herman Wouters Graphic design: Thonik Print run: 2800 Copyright: Rijnboutt bv, June 2017 We have made every endeavour to trace copyright holders. Copyright holders who we were unable to contact are asked to please contact Rijnboutt.

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