Hoogstraat talks: XML
3 December 2014 20:00 - 22:00
In partnership with the Rotterdam Academy of Architecture, Het Nieuwe Instituut is organising three "Streetwise" lectures with finalists from the Prix de Rome Architecture 2014. What is the future of Hoogstraat in Rotterdam as a vibrant city street? On 3 December it is the turn of David Mulder and Max Cohen de Lara of XML.
Rotterdam Reconfigured
The project by XML proposes an alternative urbanisation scenario for Rotterdam. "Since the 1980s Rotterdam has developed as a high-rise city. Using the somewhat uprooted slogan 'Manhattan on the Maas', the city has presented itself with buildings that attempt to outdo one another in height. The result is a series of disconnected incidents, like mislaid garments from a bygone era, and an impressive skyline in a city lacking a coherent ground plane. We propose revising the city's current high-rise programme, focusing instead on drastically increasing the density of the area around Laurens Church, with horizontal urbanisation around the convergence of two lines: landscape and urban life."
2014 Prix de Rome Architecture Assignment
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.
Hoogstraat talks
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.
Practical Information
Date: 3/12/ 2014
Time: 8 pm
Location: Het Nieuwe Instituut, Museumpark 25, Rotterdam
Language: Dutch
Entrance fee: ¬ 7.50 / Students free
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