Hoogstraat talks: Tim Prins Hoogstraat talks: Tim Prins

In partnership with the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture, the Het Nieuwe Instituut is organising three "Streetwise" lectures with finalists from the 2014 Prix de Rome Architecture. What is the future of Hoogstraat in Rotterdam as a vibrant city street? On 26 November it is the turn of Tim Prins of, among others, Stad.Academie.

Hoogstraat and Binnenrotte have already been the subject of a lot of study. Moreover, a number of projects are currently reaching completion, leaving little space for new buildings. Tim Prins sees his task as not only a design assignment but also a matter of reusing and reinterpreting existing information about the area. By turning the whole area 'inside out in a cadastral manner', he wants to shed light on the power politics that have shaped the district.

The fictional assignment for the finalists focused on the area in Rotterdam where Hoogstraat and Binnenrotte intersect. The rich history of the location extends back to the 13th century when a dam was built in the River Rotte. Around this dam the city of Rotterdam would eventually spring up. Today, however, it is an uninspiring place where new and old buildings, a busy retail street with some vacant units, a big open-air market and complicated infrastructure all come together in the shadow of Laurens Church and the Market Hall.

The gatherings are organised by Het Nieuwe Instituut and the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture, which is devoting a two-year theme project to the street in Rotterdam and elsewhere entitled 'Streetwise: The Street as Social Space'. The project is supported by the Mondriaan Fund, organiser of the Prix de Rome.

Date: 26/11/ 2014
Time: 8 pm
Location: Het Nieuwe Instituut, Museumpark 25, Rotterdam
Language: Dutch
Entrance fee: ¬ 7.50 / Students free
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