The American magazine Architectural Record was so impressed by MDW’s social housing project on the site of the former soap factory Savonnerie Heymans in the center of Brussels that they put it on the cover of the March issue. The architects managed to retain the industrial flavor of the location while providing social housing that has shared public space, amenities and – perhaps the most important – dignity. Read my article here.
In recent months the museum hogging the cultural spotlight in Amsterdam has been the Stedelijk, which opened in December after a nine-year renovation and expansion. (Read Justin Davidson’s review.) Many critics have panned its extension, designed by Benthem Crouwel and dubbed the “bathtub.” Read the article…
The Dutch are the canaries in the global-warming coalmine, writes James Russell in his review of Sweet&Salt: Water and the Dutch in the December print issue of Architectural Record. ‘Sweet&Salt is a profoundly humanistic consideration of the culture of water, with many ideas by designers about how to deal with water’s myriad challenges.’ He describes the book as ”an intensely visual consideration of the history, culture and engineering of water that engages our senses and our emotions – not just our intellect – with its ravishing photography, cartography and art.” He is manifestly relieved that it is possible to talk about water issues and climate change without having to put on a hair shirt.
Read the article…
The city of Rotterdam asked a group of artists to help rejuvenate the former harbor area of Katendrecht through the use of light. the winner of the competition was Rudolf Teunissen of Daglicht & Vorm. His award-winning design projects a wavy pattern on the street and siewalk and narrow pennants of lights on the facades of the social income housing. In the beginning the inhabitants were wary, but now they’re proud of the way that lighting project ‘Broken Light’ has softened the look and feel of the street. Read my story for Architectural Record here. Read the article…
As part of the rejuvenation of Rotterdam’s old harbor area of Katendrecht, known for its sailors’ bars and whorehouses, the city commissioned a combined art and lighting project. The winner was ‘Broken Light’ by lighting designer Rudolf Teunissen of Daglicht & Vorm. In the August issue of Architectural RecordI describe how his lighting gives the street a tranquility and a dignity it has never before known.