The City as Loft
The exhibition is a co-production of the Netherlands Architecture Institute NAi, Rotterdam, the International Arts Centre deSingel, Antwerp, KCAP/ASTOC - Kees Christiaanse Rotterdam/Cologne and International Arts Centre deSingel, Antwerp.
In the exhibition 'The City as Loft', the focus is on those projects by KCAP/ASTOC - Kees Christiaanse that move at the interface of architecture and urban development. What is special is the way in which the office combines 'social engineering' and design, thereby creating the possibility of actually realising complex projects. The exhibition presents designs for former port, industrial and railway sites. In the debate about the future European city, the question of restructuring inner-city areas is receiving special attention. Former port, industrial and railway sites are among the few areas close to the city centre that are still available. For the development of these areas, also called 'waiting lands', different strategies are applied by KCAP/ ASTOC, which can be summarised under the title 'The City as Loft'. In the exhibition and in this exhibition newspaper, the different facets of this approach are illustrated by seven themes: 'The City as Loft', 'Control & Laissez Faire', 'Fuck the programme?', 'Ensemble & Enclave', 'New Haussmann', 'CIAM & XL' and 'Urban Catalysts'. One of KCAP/ASTOC's design strategies is to play with masses. In their ensembles, building blocks appear on the one hand like free-standing sculptures and on the other as part of an urban whole. The exhibition is a spatial installation of ten man-high 'building blocks' that brings this design principle closer to the visitor. The newspaper presents the seven design themes and explains them by means of exemplary projects.
Speaking at the opening:
Kristin Feireiss, Aedes Berlin
George Lawson, Counsellor for Culture, Royal Netherlands Embassy, Berlin
Patrick van Mill, Deputy Director NAi, Rotterdam
Kees Christiaanse, Rotterdam/Cologne.
For their kind support we would like to thank: HGIS Cultural Programme of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Culture, BAM Vastgoed, Blauwhoed, B&L Immobilien AG, Dutch Consulate in Antwerp, De Principaal, FONDS BKVB-Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture, Schiphol Real Estate, Dutch Embassy in Berlin and Zumtobel Staff.
