Tag Archives: architecture

City Wall

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architecture blog, Deventrade, city wall

Deventrade, Deventer. Photo: RM

The frayed edges of our agglomerations are often formed by industrial areas or business parks. Functions which, because of the noise pollution they cause or their mere size,are difficult to fit into the urban fabric. Therefore they have been raked together neatly in these places. When we are unfortunately enough to drive (they are by definition very pedestrian unfriendly)through these areas they cause us a slightly uncomfortable feeling. The buildings generally consist of a large shed, built of corrugated iron, sometimes with a relatively, disproportionately small office building in front of it.

Now what is it that causes our discomfort? Continue reading →

Myriad

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Architecture blog: Student housing

Student housing, Delft. Photo: RM

Students in general have little money, spend much of their time in public spaces and are less demanding in terms of comfort. They must, however, be housed, preferably as cheap as possible and in places where they cause the least possible inconvenience to the indigenous population. Continue reading →

Opium for the People

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architecture blog, communism vs. religion

Opium for the People. Photo: RM

The local branch of the Communist party in Venice is located on a streetcorner. In Italy, other than in most European countries,  communism, as well as fascism,  has never been completely marginalized. A glance through the window shows that the function of an office is combined with that of a bar, papered with posters of Che Guevara and the like. Outside, the facade of the appropriate red stucco building, an image of Christ applied with a small altar has been put up. Opium of the people! A subtle harassment of the commies by their Catholic landlord? Continue reading →

Station to station

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Architecture blog, Guillemins station

Guillemins staion, Liège. Photo: RM

If the same solution is applied often enough for a particular type of building, a new  typology is created. This can take place relatively quickly; comparatively young building types have already instilled a particular archetypal form in our subconscious. Continue reading →

Mirror, mirror

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architecture blog, mirror facades

WTC, Rotterdam. Office, Deventer. Photos: RM

Like in most “revolutions”, after due time the sense of reality takes over its goals. The initial idealism goes on sale and will be trivialized or pragmatized at best. Modern architecture is no exception. The mirror facade clearly shows the bankruptcy of modernism in architecture in its original form.  Continue reading →

No Loitering

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architecture blog, public space

L: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht; R: Lange Haven, Schiedam. Photos: RM

It lies in the nature of the Dutchman to organize things and public space is no exception to this rule. When the need to create order is limited to attempts to prevent undesirable behavior and furthermore anything unplanned is considered undesirable by definition, this leads to excesses in the design of public space. Two examples: Continue reading →