Amsterdam's Oostelijk Havengebied or eastern docks area consists of a number of artificial archipelagos laid out around 1900. When the once-flourishing docks fell into disuse, it was decided to transform the area into a high-grade residential district. Begun in the 1970s, that transformation is now almost completed.Jo Coenen, Sjoerd Soeters and Adriaan Geuze were among those who made the varied assortment of masterplans for the different areas. Many big-name Dutch architects contributed to fl...

Hardly any concept is as intangible as spatial quality. Especially when considering the ‘making of space’. Many people are convinced of its importance. Witness references to ‘livability’, ‘genius loci’, environmental quality, good spatial planning and more. Different users of space also have different visions about what exactly it is that makes a particular organisation of space qualitative.

The research project SPINDUS – initiated by three universities and partners from practic...

Transform your architectural projects with “The Fundamentals of Architectural Design.” Whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned professional looking to refine your skills, this book will prove a rich source of information on how to solve problems related to architectural design.

The book provides a practical and concise roadmap for students, architects, and designers alike. It guides the designer step-by-step in a simple way through all phases of the design process: from site in...

What might Gianbattista Piranesi (1720-1778) contribute to today's architectural debate? Could his vision of a pensile city inspire the city of tomorrow? Archescape is a new concept based on a reading of Piranesi's Campo Marzio, his sublime reconstruction of ancient Rome. Archescape, a fusion of the words architecture and escape into a new 'scape', addresses two issues: the city flight that tends towards the destruction of what it looks for, and the sprawling urban footprint that is unsustain...

Herman Hertzberger is een van de invloedrijkste figuren in de internationale architectuur van de laatste vijftig jaar. Hij is een voorvechter geweest van een humane moderne architectuur geworteld in plaats en geschiedenis, maar ook openstaat voor nieuwe vormen. Hertzberger wordt beschouwd als 's werelds meest vooraanstaande ontwerper van scholen, een type gebouw dat hij bijna in zijn eentje heeft geherdefinieerd. Zijn vernieuwende ontwerpen van kantoren en werkplekken vormen vaak de meest ove...

For English see belowGeen andere instelling heeft zo'n grote rol gespeeld bij de totstandkoming van de architectuurcultuur als het architectuurmuseum. Dit elegante boek van Sergio Figueiredo belicht de sociale en culturele doelstellingen van architectuurmusea en hun invloed op de totstandkoming van de architectuurcultuur. Met een kritisch overzicht van de geschiedenis en de erfenis van het Nederlands Architectuurinstituut (NAi) biedt Figueiredo inzicht in de manier waarop cultureel beleid in ...

The Netherlands is not only known for its clogs and tulips, but also for its waterworks. From the Stormvloedkering (flood barrier) in Zeeland and the Balgstuw (weir) in Flevoland to the new locks in the Maas River: besides examples of unprecedented technical ingenuity, these so-called wet infrastructural works are also an integrated part of Dutch public space and culture.The publication Waterworks in the Netherlands: Tradition and Innovation portrays the diversity and spatial, cultural and cu...

Of the world famous Dutch architecture bureau Mecanoo, is has been said that it has the ‘power to give ordinary things an unusual experience’, and of its projects that they are ‘pieces of time-bound spatial poems’. Like poetry, Mecanoo’s projects can resonate deep in our mind, generate emotion, conjure up magic, and evoke memory, either personal or collective. Taking this poetic quality as an important focus, this new book offers a completely fresh look at Mecanoo’s work. A surpri...