Dutch Structuralism represents one of

the most important moments in the devel-

opment of twentieth-century architecture
in the Netherlands, whether one cherishes
its humanist and overall cultural ambitions
or criticizes it for being an architecture of
good intentions. The succeeding pages
are a collection of ideas and possibilities
aiming to introduce Dutch Structuralism
to the next generation of architects and
urban designers, as well as to expand its
potential relevance for contemporary ar-
chitectural practice and thinking.
A supplement to Volume 35: Everything
Under Control, this introductory dossier
is a collaboration between the Delft
University of Technology’s Architecture
Open Structures Department and the Berlage Center for
Advanced Studies in Architecture and
Urban Design, and The New Institute.
An Introductory
Dossier on Dutch
Structuralism

[ 1 ]

Piet Blom
 relation to constantly fluctuating circum- houses the NAI and its archives, and
stances – that the new Berlage Center Volume magazine – it aims for a global
for Advanced Studies in Architecture and exchange of established traditions and
Urban Design at the Delft University of experiences acquired from institutions,
Technology initiated this publication. as well as for the worldwide distribution
Continuing the legacy of the former of Dutch expertise about the built envi-
Rotterdam-based Berlage Institute – a ronment.
groundbreaking educational-cultural plat- Now more than ever, it’s vital for the
form for study, encounter, and debate discipline to open up to new ideas, histor-
that operated from 1990 to 2012 – The ical experience, and shifting paradigms
Berlage today aims to open up questions that may radically transform the built en-
that are relevant for the contemporary vironment in this time of crisis. It is the
discipline, expanding the university con- aim of The Berlage to continue structur-
text to a broader international audience. ing a unique environment for educational
The former Berlage Institute closed its experimentation, one that prepares the
doors in 2012 after twenty-two success- figure of the architect to imagine tomor-
ful years following the parliamentary and row’s future.
Introduction ministerial decision to cease funding for
all post-academic institutions within the
Netherlands. The Berlage continues the
Salomon Frausto Institute’s mission to create a learning
environment for students to test and
Structuralism does not withdraw communicate models, insights, and prin-
history from the world: it seeks to ciples focusing on architectural, urban,
link to history not only certain con- and landscape issues.
tents (this has been done a thousand Dutch architecture culture has never
times) but also certain forms, not only limited itself to local issues; in fact, its
the material but also the intelligible, innovation has always been founded on
not only the ideological but also the an international outlook. As the building
aesthetic. process becomes increasingly complex,
– Roland Barthes, The Structuralist ambitious, and global, The Berlage sees
Activity the challenge for architectural education
today as the opportunity to directly en-
The current economic crisis has in- gage with these transformations. At the
creasingly left numerous buildings aban- same time, it aims to develop new types
doned throughout the world. From va- of architectural knowledge based on in-
cant office space in the Netherlands to novative forms of collaboration between
post-industrialized urban sites in China, architects, designers, planners, citizens,
the opportunity to rethink the reuse and politicians, and institutions.
transformation of the millions of square The Berlage’s Open Structures mas-
meters of available building stock is not terclass, held in autumn of 2012 and led
only a major task for today’s architects by Herman Hertzberger with Tom Aver-
and urban designers but it also affords maete and Dirk van den Heuvel, serves
them the opportunity to find alternative as the point of departure for this publi-
methods of design practice. It is within cation. The first collaborative effort of
this context that the spirit of structur- The Berlage – jointly produced with the
alism – the ability to practice in trans- ­Architecture Department at TU Delft,
formable, adjustable, sustainable ways in the New Institute in Rotterdam, which

[ 2 ]
 it, become very important. Both notions had their own ideas and practices – espe-
refer to an understanding of design that cially concerning the built environment.
takes into account other spatial agen- Out of this perspective the knowledge of
cies than that of the architect and both the architect was strongly repositioned.
define the architectural project beyond Structuralism illustrated that expertise
the articulation of a perfected image. concerning the built environment could
Structuralism seems to have engaged also come from everyday users, in both
with similar issues and this explains its more traditional as well as modernized
topicality. societies. I believe that it is this reposi-
tioned knowledge of the architect which
Dirk van den Heuvel: I’m really sur- strongly appeals to students nowadays.
prised that we still talk about it, and In contradistinction to the sometimes
increasingly so it seems. When I was a self-indulgent postures of architects in
student in the late eighties you wouldn’t the 80s and 90s, students are today look-
touch the topic. Structuralism was not ing for other positions from which they
so much taboo, but old fashioned, a can engage with different spatial agen-
non-subject, and even Hertzberger cies. This implies not only redefining the
The Agency himself was moving away from that role of the architect, but also questioning
position at the time. Piet Blom’s Cube the very idea of the architectural project.
of Houses in Rotterdam had been finished An architectural project is then no longer
for a couple of years and everyone understood as a projection of a perfect
Structuralism was very dismissive about them. The state, but rather as an interaction with
new trend was coming from Mecanoo, other spatial agencies: of communities,
and the first buildings by OMA were of inhabitants, of future users, and so on.
Tom Avermaete and Dirk van den being constructed. So I couldn’t imag- Hence, it is certainly about open systems,
Heuvel interviewed by Arjen Oosterman ine becoming fascinated by Piet Blom but this openness implies particularly the
and Brendan Cormier at the time. My fascination is that the engagement with other spatial agencies.
questions behind structuralism are still
Arjen Oosterman: We’re inter- very fundamental, they are still on the DvdH: Herman Hertzberger’s books
ested in the present relevance table. If you look beyond just the Dutch are by far the most read by our stu-
of structuralism, so please tell Forum group (Aldo van Eyck, Herman dents. We don’t tell them to read them,
us, what is so fascinating about Hertzberger and others) there are a lot they just do. It’s quite amazing. One
structuralism? of contemporary works, like work from of the paradoxes of historical structur-
OMA and MVRDV that are at least alism is that, although it tries to avoid
Tom Avermaete: The masterclass we building on the legacy of Dutch structur- the issue of form, it developed a very
held was about structuralism, clearly, alism. So these questions are still being strong formal language that is recogniz-
but also about ‘open structures’. Our asked: To accommodate the masses able today. Surely that’s part of why we
contemporary fascination with structur- in an egalitarian society the search is still talk about it. And that’s the para-
alism has a lot to do with the ongoing for open, all-inclusive systems, and to dox, because the way it’s being revived
debates concerning the changing role of devise these is extremely tough. now has two shapes. One is indeed a
the architect and alternative definitions formal language, look at pixel power of
of the architectural project. At present TA: You are right to stress that the his- MVRDV or the town hall in Rotterdam
a lot of people are searching for alter- torical development of structuralism was by OMA. And then there is a revival of
native roles, ‘other ways of doing’, as embedded in the project for an egalitar- those issues that you were talking about,
Jeremy Till and Tatjana Schneider have ian society and the question of ‘the great- Tom. How does architecture as a spatial
recently called it. Out of this perspective est number’. However, it is in my opinion system work with the other spatial agen-
notions like ‘openness’ and ‘generosity’, also strongly related to the emergence of cies in the city? And then you get a very
in the way that Lacaton and Vassal use a society of emancipated individuals who different sort of typology, configurations

[ 3 ]
or languages that are not necessarily looked upon as the failure of structur- TA: The nice thing about structural-
structuralist as a formal language, with alism, but one can also look differently ist architecture is that there is always
lots of repeated little units; there can at this. What remains fascinating about control of the single cell. So it’s about
also be open structures like the reuse this paradox, and possibly also produc- being flexible and maintaining a certain
of industrial sheds. Or take Herman tive within a contemporary perspec- design control simultaneously. It’s not
Hertzberger’s own work. He always tive, is that designing an architecture completely undefined in terms of form
presents it as a continuity, but in terms of openness does not necessarily imply but there is also a certain flexibility on
of typology or spatial structure there is a withdrawal of the aesthetic dimen- the level of configuration.
definitely a shift in how the construction, sion. In other words, fully engaging
the physical structure, and spatial con- with the spatial agencies of users does DvdH: The other curious thing with all
figuration and typology interrelate; that not imply that the architect is becom- these buildings designed for flexibility in
is very different in his recent school in ing the designer of a mute infrastruc- the 60s, including Hertzberger’s Ministry
Rome compared to the Centraal Beheer ture. Quite on the contrary, I believe of Social Affairs, is that they are up for
in Apeldoorn from 1972. that structuralist architects were very demolition. So flexibility relates to the
aware of the fact that designing the design process, and not so much to
TA: I would make a plea not to define built environment with a large degree reuse.
structuralism too narrowly. I don’t agree of openness in certain instance requires
with a definition of structuralism as a aesthetic control in other instances – if AO: So what is this non-flexi-
sort of aesthetic of boxes. If we relate only to safeguard the aesthetic quality bility? The building is designed as
it to structuralism as we know it in the of the collective domain. What I found flexible, intended as such, and still
fields of anthropology and literature interesting, Dirk, in what you were say- we find out that it’s not. In the end
and so on, then it has always been, not ing is that part of our contemporary it fails.
about a particular style or a particular fascination for structuralism relies on
form, but about much more fundamen- its capacity to ask about the relation DvdH: It doesn’t fail because of the
tal principles. If you read Levi Strauss between the individual entity and the inflexibility of the building itself, because
and others, they were not interested in whole. Structuralism introduced a way the building is utterly flexible. The stu-
a particular phenomenon, but rather in of thinking about architecture as part of dents in our master class could do
the structural bases. Also in the field a bigger configuration, or morphology. whatever they wanted to the building,
of architecture structuralism was about This complies strongly to our contempo- it’s like a sponge that can accommodate
defining fundamental principles that had rary sensibility. Increasingly we believe anything you want. The issues were
the power to install some quality in the that architecture is not about isolated very different: space management, new
built environment. That remains for me, I design, but about interventions in a big- requirements for comfort, climate design
must say, a very central issue in thinking ger whole. Structuralism offers a very management, and all those aspects. And
about structuralism. strong approach to think about the indi- maybe the demolition of the building
vidual entity and the whole simultane- is also way too cheap, in comparison.
Brendan Cormier: But wouldn’t ously. That is quite important. Maybe that’s also part of the problem,
you agree that the majority of why people don’t even consider reusing
structuralists fell into the trap of DvdH: Yet we can’t talk about open- perfectly fine open structures.
aestheticizing structuralism? ness and flexibility as if these are val-
ue-free or the politically correct, dem- TA: I would like to add that for me
TA: As Dirk was saying this seems ocratic thing to do. It’s also very much again it’s very much a question of spatial
the paradox of structuralism. Architects related to the whole production system agency. Take a project like Candilis, Josic
working from a structuralist perspective itself. It’s not just about accommodating and Woods’ Free University in Berlin; it
wanted to design buildings that were the user and the inhabitant; but also the relied on the spatial agency of students,
non-monumental, without style, with- real client with budget and management professors, and scientists. There was an
out predefined form, but paradoxically issues. So openness and formlessness enormous belief in the spatial engage-
in the end they introduced a very clear are also about being flexible during the ment of people, of users, of those who
aesthetic with their projects. This can be design phase. were occupying their structures.

[ 4 ]
 AO: And the user had to finish whole series of design strategies to cre- in the case of a ministry building. If the
the building, it was designed as a ate openness, and I have a sense that ministry of Internal Affairs or the new
half product. some of them work better than others. cabinet decides that a ministry has to
Some of them require more spatial be reshuffled, then it does so. So there
TA: Yes, finish them, and adapt them. agency from the user than others. is a limit to what architecture can do and
However, the reliance on spatial agency everybody is aware of that.
was never fully lived up to. The expec- AO: Thinking of Hertzberger’s
tations were too high. I have a feeling ministry building: it will be aban- AO: Yes, but again the architect
that people these days are more aware doned and there is a serious threat is also aware of the fact that if he
of their spatial agency than they were in that it will be demolished. So, the designs a building it will not be
the 70s. A major takeaway of the mas- question is about use – misuse – used for its original function for-
terclass, was that we have within the abuse. And that relates to this topic ever. Do you feel that this whole
field of architecture a rich set of strat- of openness and flexibility and the narrative of the open and the flex-
egies to create this openness. If you whole ambition of structuralism. ible is closely tied to a very stable
look at Hertzberger’s Centraal Beheer and well-defined society?
– it’s about designing neutral cells DvdH: I’m forced to discuss with my
and an intelligent system of combining students: how architecture seems to DvdH: Well, the ideal of a welfare
these. The Free University of Berlin keep failing all the time. This is exactly state is that it will last forever. And the
defines openness by directing all design the point of course. We discuss Robin good thing about the idea of the welfare
attention to the very large scale of the Hood Gardens, we discuss Toulouse le state being there forever was that you
so-called streets, and the very small Mirail, etc., as so-called failed projects. could make proper investments with
scale of the single building elements. And then we enter the whole literature long-term returns. And companies made
Between these two scale levels every- debate over ownership, maintenance, a lot of profits because of this. That
thing was left undesigned and therefore and agency. There is the classic text by seems to have gone out the window in
introduced a certain openness. Louis Alison Smithson ‘The Violent Consumer’, our society today. You don’t know if the
Kahn had a completely different strat- where she talks about aggression of the billions you invest will bring back returns.
egy. In his Trenton Bath House he used user and misuse and abuse of spaces. It’s all about the very short-term period.
an approach of discrimination between Urban geography and sociology also So this openness and flexibility also relies
servant and served spaces concentrat- talk about ownership of spaces and how on a long-term idea or assumption.
ing the former ones in particular build- that works – literal ownership, but also
ing elements and leaving the rest of in more anthropological terms of who TA: Indeed historically this depended
the space open. OMA’s Jussieu Library feels responsible. Can architecture and on the possibility to make large and qual-
design is not about discrimination but its spatial configuration enable this, or itative investments, and to develop long-
rather about a particular confluence of is it really powerless? Hertzberger is term ideas – on a condition of abundance
circulation and programmatic space, very clear about it; he says that there one could say. Nowadays there seem
which offers the building a certain flex- are ways to provoke and enable this. to be other logics that are recharging
ibility and openness. Hence, we hold a However you cannot decide ownership these ideas of openness and flexibility.

[ 5 ]

The Berlage Institute

based in Aldo van
Eyck’s orphanage in
1995
Photo Rafael Gomez-Moriana
Paradoxically, they have to do with the TA: But that is not a technology of a appropriate, to conquer. So on the one
notion of scarcity. We find ourselves in a building itself. It’s more a technology of side you have all the cells, and the units,
situation were built structures are there social life. and the math that came out of structur-
and their openness and generosity is alist studies, and on the other side you
being rediscovered. For me one of the AO: Infrastructure is a big issue have the loft space, or the typical floor
best examples is the study ‘Plus’ that in buildings, and defines what you plan.
Lacaton and Vassal made of post-war can and cannot do. In terms of flex-
housing towers in France. They proved to ibility it’s huge. AO: Wasn’t that already the
their ministry that it was better to reuse conceptual framework for, let’s
these structures than to destroy them, DvdH: Also in terms of control; say, the Forum group?
because destroying them would be more access through ID-controlled doors, for
expensive. Once again the economical instance. That’s what made these struc- DvdH: No, it wasn’t there, the loft
substratum seems important. If the wel- tures vulnerable. That everybody could wasn’t there – although it was embry-
fare state with its abundance and gen- just enter them, with doors on every onic in the work of Louis Kahn and his
erosity offered the historical condition, side. It’s a nice democratic idea, that notion of the served and servant space;
then now maybe this condition of scar- everybody can enter and should be able in the Dutch Forum you do find cases
city could refuel some of these design to listen to history lectures, etc., but it of reuse such as the Spoleto palace,
ideas of openness and flexibility. also had a few unforeseen negative the Arles amphitheater, and so on.
consequences. Hertzberger showed them again in the
AO: And then there may be masterclass lecture. He’s happy to keep
another way to retake the subject of AO: In the masterclass, did the showing them, because the ‘enemies’
structuralism. Up until the 70s it had student work produce any discov- of Dutch structuralism appropriated
to work with the available building eries or surprises? the same concepts. For instance, Aldo
technology. And maybe that technol- Rossi also talks about these urban fixes,
ogy was too backwards in compari- TA: For me the surprising thing was that are part of collective memory, that
son to what the ambition of structur- that open structures were not necessar- can be reused and have a value of their
alism was. Forty years later we are ily about creating a lot of openness. It’s own, and Peter Eisenman talks about
in a different situation, different set- a little bit contradictory to what you were Chomsky’s notion of competence and
ting, and with different possibilities. saying, Dirk. Looking at these structures performance just as Hertzberger. The
you saw it could be about connecting political, ideological intention of each is
DvdH: But what is this technology? certain elements, or creating spaces of course entirely different.
with a certain kind of neutrality. But it TA: Of course the whole typological
AO: Well, the whole flexibility also could have to do with surplus, a cer- and morphological research of the 60s
goal had to be achieved with a lim- tain kind of generosity. I think that one and 70s can be understood as a sort of
ited set of conventions like poured of the mistakes people make, thinking structuralist research as well – anthropo-
concrete. about open structures and structuralism, logically, but also in terms of change and
is that they think about loft spaces. And I adaptation. The type itself (as Saverio
DvdH: Yes, but it’s also the miniatur- think that realizing that there is this vari- Muratori, and later Aldo Rossi describe
ization of technology that makes spaces ety of different architectural attitudes, of it) is an attempt to define a certain fig-
much more flexible. Here at the TU Delft approaches to this openness, was a very ure, which in itself has a capacity for
architecture building these spaces are big surprise. change, modification, and so on. So in
fantastic. But they only work because we that sense there is quite a bit of overlap.
have wireless connections. So miniatur- DvdH: That’s true. Still, the loft is
ization makes a lot of these spaces desir- this fantastic thing of the twentieth BC: Earlier we talked about
able. When you look at new buildings like century. In the post-war period it was these new social agencies or spatial
SANAA’s Rolex building in Lausanne for really discovered as something positive – agencies, facilitated by new tech-
instance, they are very much related to abandoned warehouses being rediscov- nologies. You can either look at spa-
this new sort of soft technology. ered as fantastic spaces to occupy, to tial agency as a no-confidence vote

[ 6 ]
 of the architecture that was already the architect and of other players, like
there, or as Brian Boyer character- developers. Structuralism offers a cer-
izes spatial agency, as a no confi- tain kind of openness for these roles to
dence vote for government. People be redefined. Re-articulating does not
start doing things when government mean making these roles weaker, how-
isn’t providing it. You can look at ever. Quite the contrary. If I’m think-
architecture maybe in the same ing of contemporary examples, then
way. People modify a building when I’m thinking of the work of Alejandro
it’s not serving their needs. So if we Aravena, for instance, which for me is
were to think of structuralism in the an excellent example of an architecture
future, how can it navigate this new which on the one hand is very strong
expanded spatial agency and have in terms of form, of color, style, urban
proper dialog with it? formation, and so on, but nevertheless
has this openness to allow for appropri-
DvdH: Ideologically, it is all very much ation. I believe that this is an excellent
opposed to corporate consumption cul- example of how issues that are at the
ture, or the paternalistic model of the core of structuralism could be further
post-war welfare state, indeed. Still, pursued. Unfortunately, and I don’t know
we need to learn a lot. You need some why, but the work of Aravena and oth-
sort of larger framework in which you ers has remained at a very small scale
can operate, even if in an antagonistic so far. However, I believe that it has a
way. There is no such thing as bottom-up tremendous potential. It illustrates that
without some sort of top-down provision. changing spatial agencies doesn’t mean
Take these amazing houses by Frei Otto weakening them, but rather a more pre-
in Berlin in the Baumhaus project; that’s cise and more intense guidance of the
a fantastic example of how a rather neu- design intelligence. This is what the
tral open structure can lead to fantastic agency in the near future of structural-
appropriated spaces. It is a bit of a side- ism might be.
line to the Dutch structuralism story, but
it’s also from the same period and with
the same sort of questions behind it.
TA: The emergence of structuralism
in the field of architecture should in my
opinion be understood as a reaction to
the dominance of the role of the archi-
tect. Today we are also experiencing
a redefinition of the spatial agency of

[ 7 ]

The Berlin Freie

­Universität by
Candilis Josic Woods
Photo Sven Schwiegelshohn
 To quote Joop Hardy, the less-
er-known but still highly influential co-ed-
itor of the Dutch Forum journal during its
heydays of 1959–1963, this collection
of images might be read as a Malraux-
like Musée Imaginaire. As Hardy put
it himself: not “a tradition in the tradi-
tional sense” but an associative collec-
tion gathered from different places and
times that “surrounds us in the here and
now”. The chosen examples range from
the intimate, cozy corners to cosmolog-
ical diagrams and expansive grids, from
new domestic environments to all sorts
of institutional buildings of the welfare
state. The selection brings together
works by Jaap Bakema, Piet Blom, Gert
A Selection Boon, Theo Bosch, Abel Cahen, Theo
van Doesburg, Cornelis van Eesteren,
from the Archive Aldo van Eyck, J.L.M. Lauweriks, B.
Mertens, Johan Niegeman together with
of the Mart Stam, J.J.P. Oud together with
Theo van Doesburg, Gerrit Rietveld,
Netherlands Jan Verhoeven, Willem Wissing togeth-
er with Dutch CIAM ‘de 8 en Opbouw’,
Architecture but also examples of the critical, yet
parallel positions of Carel Weeber, Aldo
Institute Rossi, OMA/Rem Koolhaas, Willem-Jan
Neutelings, and Peter Eisenman.

The following documents are a

quick-scan from the rich collection of
the Netherlands Architecture Institute,
now part of The New Institute in Rot-
terdam. They are a taste of what is to
come from future collaborations be-
tween The New Institute and TU Delft’s
Faculty of Architecture, which aim to
open up the vast archive with questions
of today. Dutch Structuralism is the
first focus of this collaboration and the
selection of material presented here is
both a de-historicizing of the material
and a first suggestion for new relations
in recognition of its relevancy for con-
temporary culture.

[ 8 ]

All images Piet Blom

[ 9 ]

Theo van Doesburg; Theo van Doesburg with Cornelis van Eesteren; Peter Eisenman
[ 10 ]

Piet Blom; J.L.M. Lauweriks; Theo van Doesburg

[ 11 ]

Piet Blom; Willem Jan Neutelings; B. Mertens

[ 12 ]

Aldo Rossi; Gert Boon; OMA/Rem Koolhaas; Theo Bosch

[13]

Aldo van Eyck; Carel Weeber; Gerrit Rietveld; Johan Niegeman together with Mart Stam
[ 14 ]

Jaap Bakema; Willem Wissing with ‘de 8 en Opbouw’; Jaap Bakema

[ 15 ]

Abel Cahen; Jan Verhoeven; Gert Boon; Aldo van Eyck with Theo Bosch
[ 16 ]

Theo van Doesburg; Piet Blom; J.J.P. Oud with Theo van Doesburg
 many projects whose design superficially designer finds himself confronted with
seems structuralist are in essence rig- conflicts that stem from volatility of pro-
id and inflexible. Even though they may grammatic data that incessantly induce
display a clear structure, they have noth- adjustments. Flexibility has been recog-
ing to do with structuralism. It is not the nized as a key to possible solutions, in
form itself we should observe but what a theoretical sense that is. The shift of
you can do with it and how you can in- paradigm that is needed to start design-
terpret it considering its circumstances. ing in such an open-ended way so that
Architects seem to have difficulty to dis- buildings can withstand the dynamics
tance themselves from thinking in com- of modern life appears quite difficult to
pleted compositions such as a traditional achieve. Nowadays architects still view
painting and a traditional sculpture. The their buildings as autonomous, organical-
time factor usually remains outside our ly organized works of art and as complet-
frame of mind. ed objects to which nothing can be add-
Cities begin somewhere and grow ed or removed and moreover from which
from a nucleus under the influence of everyone should keep his hands off.
centrifugal forces, leading to forms that The difference between ‘closed
Open versus shape themselves. There is no notion of shape’ and ‘open shape’ was already
a controlled, designed periphery, such as discussed in the 50s, especially during
Closed Structures a walled city at least suggests. Cities are meetings of CIAM and Team 10. The
usually not designed, they design them- Metabolists in Japan also saw this as
selves from the inside out, ultimately one of their main themes. Already then
Herman Hertzberger led by hardly controllable forces within the inevitable necessity was recognized
society. to stop designing buildings and cities as
The following text is an excerpt from In contrast to cities, buildings are con- completed concepts that would become
a book currently in preparation and ceived from the outside in. An architect obsolete in no time, but to turn to open
scheduled to appear in late 2013. positions himself outside the fictitious shapes that allow for change and ex-
construction and tries to envision what pansion and are open to the influence of
Open structures are – as opposed to might arise. The architect generally has residents.2 But, even if you are aware of
closed structures – open to interaction to conform to urban stipulations. On top the problem you are facing, the solutions
with the outside world; they can influ- of that the building should fit into its are not always in sight.
ence their surroundings and also be surroundings, which poses its demands Nonetheless Team 10 did, in the years
influenced by their surroundings. In ar- on the shape of the building mass. The 1960–1968, come up with strategies to
chitectural terms this mainly relates to shape of the exterior therefore asks the view buildings and cities no longer as
consequences in time and therefore to architect’s first attention which then also closed systems, which are still valid. In
expansion or transformation. forms a legitimization for his irresistible particular the plan for the Free University
Many buildings identified as structur- sculptural inclination, the need to mani- in Berlin by Candilis Josic Woods, which
alist, but also urban designs (while still fest himself in an object as large as pos- was the first building to be organized
plans) are, if only by their unchangea- sible, preferably detached, spurred by his by some sort of urban grid with all the
ble exterior, in fact closed fortresses, client who also wants to manifest himself freedoms that come from this – that in
incapable of reacting to a changing knowing he can derive identity from it.1 practice these freedoms were not utilized
environment. But all too often they are This perhaps explains the persistent does not alter the intent. Incidentally Aldo
also incapable of reacting to internal practice of viewing buildings as inde- Van Eyck’s orphanage (1955–1960) was
developments caused by changing in- pendent, completed constructions, a fi- organized like a small town, albeit with
sights and challenges. When we reserve nal state that does not easily let itself a purposely-designed definite periphery,
the label structuralism to those objects be changed or expanded. This working and thus more like a walled a city with
that are open to influences and can be method still seems ineradicable, even a defined shape. The urban character is
interpreted as accommodating to them, though with each assignment every particularly evident through not only the

[ 17 ]

1 At the exhibition in the Kunsthal in Rotterdam in

2004 more than 100 models were shown of the
design for the building of the Chinese state tele-
vision CCTV. Apparently the designers wanted to 2 “The term quality in the language of the Open Form
emphasize that much attention had been paid to the should be understood as recognition of the individual
prominent exterior of the building and that for that in a collective.” quote from Oskar Hansen, CIAM 59,
matter they did not conceive it overnight. blz. 190
street and square-like ‘public’ space, but indomitable desire to define everything further into districts and finally city parts.
also by the way in which individual build- and with that also the use by residents Basically it was about hierarchical struc-
ing units are repeated like small houses. must have been motivated as a demon- tures, especially reflected in the way their
These units are shifted from each other stration to show fellow architect s how, in access systems branch out like a tree.
in a way that not only creates circulation his eyes, they fell short in executing their Also much attention was paid to the
space but also attractive recreational task (“rarely were possibilities greater, shape of the city by Team 10, this in re-
spaces are formed, while the whole of the rarely has a profession failed this bad”3). sponse to the question of how housing
building remains clear. If you read each This example – and there are many for ‘the greater number’ might be con-
‘small house’ as a neighborhood or even more to mention – shows that Van Eyck trolled by urban planning, to avert the
as a district it becomes easy to imagine perhaps thought in a structural but not disturbing prospect of cities that could
how such a process, at least theoretical- essentially structuralist way. He indeed disseminate unbridled. It was especially
ly, could lead to the design of a city. It didn’t want anything to do with it. In Aldo van Eyck who, inspired by modern
is quite extraordinary that this building its use as an educational institution the painting (R. Lohse) and African textiles
– like a city – is developed as much from building very easily let itself be arranged (Bakuba), was to formulate design strat-
the inside out as vice versa. Different and used for entirely different purposes egies for cities to grow in an organized
from the aforementioned Free University than it was designed for. The possibilities and planned manner. The examples from
this building can thus be seen as a city as the space offered proved unprecedented, ‘The Aesthetics of Number’, derived
well as a building. this in spite of the relentless skepticism of from patterns of abstract paintings and
However, despite the clear articulation the architect who did not want to see or fabric that Van Eyck presented and as
in units that suggests the possibility of could not see the building in its new role. such also of influence to the plan of the
extrapolation, the whole still remains a Other than a grandiose spatial struc- orphanage, showed how repetition in a
completed composition that one could not ture with surprising uses, the building is rhythmic manner could result in ingen-
add to or meddle with. This became ful- also an example – and probably the first ious patterns that, if not directly appli-
ly apparent when the building got a new – of a floor plan designed like a small cable, could at least give direction in ur-
function, what then was part of an effort city with the different departments, ban planning. The idea of a configurative
to save the building from partial demoli- grouped as housing units, on a hallway process is that each next step is logically
tion, when in 1990 the Berlage Institute branched out like a central street area. derived from the previous one and that
moved into an important part of the build- However, there is no zoning that sug- “not only the parts together constitute
ing. Van Eyck had the greatest difficulty gests any distinction of public or private the whole, but vice versa also the sepa-
with even the smallest of changes to the areas. Everything remains subordinate rate parts equally stem from that whole”.
building, which incidentally proved to be to the same discipline of identical col- The most radical and equally contro-
perfect for this educational destination. umns, lintels, and cupolas as a strict versial plan of Piet Blom; ‘Noah’s Ark’,
Van Eyck himself unfortunately saw the all-determining construction order. And a theoretical plan for a city of a million
building as a closed system and not in- it was precisely this strict construction inhabitants, was shown by Aldo van
tended for change or expansion. order that made it possible to shape the Eyck at the 1962 meeting of Team 10 in
For example, even before the com- spaces that gave the building its univer- Royaumont. This was in any case a very
pletion of the building, in 1960, his client sal value, and contributed significantly cleverly composed project, which carried
decided to switch from so-called ‘age to the building being just as suitable as through the configurative principle to its
groups’ to ‘family groups’ as program- an educational institute for students as logical conclusion, but could not find favor
matic principle. For each department Aldo it was as a home for children. with the other team members. It was pre-
van Eyck had designed special additions, In the same period of time a number cisely the complex circuitry of elements,
such as cribs and a puppet-show, spe- of proposals for urban plans were devel- which made the project appear hermetic
cifically tailored to the appropriate age oped that tried to arrive at a clear organ- by suggesting not to allow any freedom
groups. These elements that were me- ization by an internal logic, such as real- of development, and the endless repeti-
ticulously designed to be in line with the istic and partly realized plans by Bakema tions of motifs made quite clear that such
thinking of a certain age, and therefore and by Candilis Josic Woods, more or closed structures were a dead end.
defined the location for each age group, less based on the idea of multiplying res- This piece of work was actually bril-
thus lost much of their meaning. The idential groups into neighborhoods, and liant as it consisted of a growth form in

[ 18 ]

3 “Zelden waren de mogelijkheden groter, zelden heeft

een vak zo gefaald.” See Forum ‘Het Verhaal van
een Andere Gedachte’ (The Story of a Different
Thought).
which each element called put forth its Does that shape not come forth from a particularly well for that but would have
follow-up just like a crystal duplicates it- certain centralistic, albeit physical, game seduced many architects to make a the-
self – a theoretical model, as such archi- of forces that does not allow for any in- atrical gesture, which is explicitly absent
tects are good at, but carried through ad fluence from the outside? It is a closed in Le Corbusier’s design. This building
absurdum by Piet Blom. This plan, that in system and could in a certain sense in- freely fanning out across the open water
fact displayed the ultimate consequence deed be regarded as authoritarian. provides us, aided by characteristics of
of the configurative process Van Eyck The fundamental difference between the urban design, with an unprecedented
propagated, was – the story is known – a closed and an open-ended structure clear model for an open-ended building
‘unmasked’ as fundamentalist and was is clearly reflected in a comparison of structure.
even called fascist by Team 10. Aldo van Blom’s ‘Noah’s Ark’ plan, and Van Eyck’s The secret lies presumably in the ad-
Eyck who defended the plan as an inno- Orphanage no less, with the plan that Le dition of relatively small building units,
cent snow crystal did not gain any sup- Corbusier presented not long afterwards whereby a large volume is being articulat-
port and was left somewhat dismayed. for his hospital in Venice. In principle this ed with such portions so that the whole
But the message apparently did reach project is not designed as a completed is read as a collection of elements (such
an audience, in any case with the author. and therefore unassailable edifice, but as a necklace). This makes it easier to
By destroying his plan, he tore the model more like a very densely built piece of accept deviations as well as expansion
to pieces and with this theatrical gesture urban fabric that seemingly still could go or contraction and still view the whole
only a photo of this crucial work remains; anywhere. This plan from 1964 is one of as a unified entity without it resulting
Piet Blom also affirmed his format. For those buildings that evokes such a strong in an unfinished or heterogeneous pic-
him this was an important learning ex- image that you tend to forget it was nev- ture. This principle of the juxtaposition of
perience, but not just for him. This was er built. On first sight it is a structure with small-scale elements that together form
about more, it was about the limits of a defined shape, maybe because we are the building as a whole is a theme that
what architecture in a social sense can used to getting this from Le Corbusier, around 1960 emerged in many places
do and where its borders lie (however but on further assessment it consists of but of which the final realizations, such
ingenious conceived a plan it may be). a fabric of smaller units that seek con- as ‘LinMij’ and Centraal Beheer’ (both
It is very well conceivable that, nection with the adjacent older neighbor- works by myself), nevertheless are
through his admiration for the achieve- hood (Cannaregio). And as for the whim- scarce. This theme continued to resound
ments of his pupil Piet Blom, Van Eyck sically-grown old buildings you could also throughout the work of Louis Kahn af-
himself felt strengthened in his belief in well imagine for the hospital that units be ter 1955, of which the Medical Towers
the possibilities of such configurative added (or removed), by doing so chang- (1957) is the first building that shows
strategies. Presumably he misjudged ing its periphery without apparently af- how a building can be finalized, while still
the exceptional talent of Blom, illusion- fecting the project in its essence. In ad- remaining open for further development.
ist with magical powers and sometimes dition, several versions of this plan exist By composing a building through jux-
truly a magician, to connect elements that indeed prove this. Moreover, the taposing autonomously shaped building
and concatenate them, resulting in im- column forest that raises the floor, with units, it appears to be possible to estab-
pressive patterns that presumably Van its characteristic shed lights, high above lish the impression of a completed com-
Eyck let himself be allured by because the water leaves much space underneath position that will not be affected by add-
he assumed to see possibilities with where also many building volumes could ing or omitting several units. Apparently
which he could realize his ambitions of be added while maintaining the building’s articulation and repetition take over the
the ‘aesthetics of numbers’. Dramatic intended image.4 This design opens a effect of an organic whole and make sure
enough, these ambitions unfortunately new path for Le Corbusier at the end of that what we see we always experience
held no connection to the political and his career, and seems to be influenced as an entirety. What it in fact comes
economic reality in which cities come by the developments that took place down to is that the notion of a complet-
to existence. These so convincing-look- within Team 10. It can be understood as ed whole is abolished or rather is post-
ing plans ultimately were uncut urban an open-ended building. The location, on poned, and that each stage of a process
utopias. As far as that snow crystal is one side directly adjacent to the exist- that takes place over time, as some sort
concerned though, it is perhaps less in- ing residential buildings and on the other of dynamic equilibrium, can be seen as
nocent than the poetic image suggests. side opening up to the water, leant itself a completed situation.

Translated from the Dutch by

Alexander van der Wel
[ 19 ]

4 Students of Washington University in St. Louis (USA)

tested this under guidance of Robert McCarter and
showed with a large model that this building could
handle surprisingly much, even without staying true
to the building order as laid down by Le Corbusier.
Photo Gerhard Jaeger

A Selection
of Images from
the Ministry
of Social
Affairs Building

[ 20 ]

Photo Johan van der Keuken

Photo Ger van der Vlugt

 AO: You use the analogy be- to become so neutral it can be used for
tween language and architecture. anything. But that has the danger of pro-
This is nice, but why would it be ducing very dull buildings. And these very
comparable? cheap skeletons need florid designs for
reuse, to fight that dullness. But I don’t
HH: The word ‘structuralism’ is see it happening. Yes, in Venezuela, with
shrouded with many misconceptions. I’m Torre David, where people took over an
writing a book now explaining that struc- unfinished and abandoned office building
turalism has to do with structure, obvi- you see what can happen, but in our bour-
ously, but that structure is not the core of geois, manicured, prissy society it won’t.
the matter. Actually the idea is that struc- So you have to make characteristic struc-
turalism offers freedom of interpretation, tures that can be used time and again.
i.e. adaptation and transformation within, For the masterclass we proposed the
and thanks to a set of rules, acting as a Ministry of Social Affairs in the Hague as
framework. an interesting case since the ministry will
As a philosophical trend it started in leave the building and move to a tower in
France and Switzerland, thinking about the center. So, stripping it to the bone and
Structure language and the way we use language. thinking what could be next becomes an
Language provides the framework. interesting exercise. For this exercise the
Is Not People use it according to its inherent Social Affairs building is more interesting
rules, but in their own way, thus the (and more difficult) than Centraal Beheer
Structuralism framework provides a wealth of liberty. in Apeldoorn. The latter consists of the
Just like chess which offers a universe of 8x8 meter islands connected by bridges.
possibilities within the rather strict rules You can house any program there, easily.
Herman Hertzberger interviewed by of the game. In relation to architecture A school, a museum, a supermarket, etc.
Arjen Oosterman, Brendan Cormier, it allows you to make something sus-
and Robert Gorny tainable yet transformable, adjustable, AO: What makes the Social
depending on the circumstances. Affairs building more complex and
We meet Herman Hertzberger in the Today that is very relevant. The world more interesting?
conference room of his office, next to is transforming with incredible speed;
where his desk is situated. On one side we have all these buildings created for a HH: It’s more articulated, and it has
the room is filled with exquisite models, function that had already changed before ‘public space’ inside that you can literally
each in its own Plexiglas box, piled one the building was finished. Not to mention open up, and make publicly accessible.
on top of the other. “They’ve all been all these companies going bankrupt or The student work coming from the
made by the same woman who is still moving to other destinations. Reuse is masterclass didn’t produce really new
working here after all these years”, extremely difficult; you cannot change an ideas, but then two days is too short.
Hertzberger explains. A whole history of office building into housing, and squat- Independently, we ourselves also have
architectural thinking and experimenting ting has been made illegal here, so what an assignment to study potential reuse.
is represented in this display. And that is to do with our 7.5 million square meters So we’re quite aware of escape routes,
precisely why we’re here: To hear more of empty office space? So structuralism parking, and other complicated issues
about Hertzberger’s own development is about open structures which, just like and conditions to confront. The build-
in relation to structuralism and his views language will be transformed by its users ing is so big that one single new user
on the present condition of architecture. and consequently manages to reconcile is unlikely to be found. So most likely
Is structuralism relevant today? And did sustainability and change. it will contain multiple functions. But
the structuralism masterclass he led at In architecture you have this trend of the regulatory plan so far doesn’t allow
the new Berlage produce new ideas on ‘generic building’, something we used that. It says: ‘offices’. So no housing, for
its potential contribution? to call flexible building. Generic build- instance. That seriously might slow down
ing tries to reduce as much as possible; the transformation process. As far as I

[ 21 ]
know risk of exhausting procedures was designing even stronger. It’s totally dif- together the space; it forces the usually
a major argument for the Tate Gallery to ferent from how a much admired archi- awkwardly protruding stage tower into a
move to an old factory building. Building tect like Le Corbusier worked, who made larger composition.
new on a nice spot in the city would have each element, each detail a piece of art. But my latest project, the school in
taken at least eight to ten years more. But his designs are so interesting, that Italy, avoids this ‘greater form’. It is a
you accept a strangely shaped window structure that can be added to or sub-
AO: Yes. Why don’t we change simply for being beautiful. On the other tracted from, to create a maximum num-
the system from one prescribing side, Mies van der Rohe always used one ber of possible connections and configu-
what can be done into one prevent- type of window frame, one door and so rations with an economy of means.
ing only the things that should not on. Pretty boring, I’d say, I don’t know
happen. why people get so excited about these AO: Who are the architects
buildings; apart from the Farnsworth nowadays that you feel related to,
HH: Don’t get me started. Society is House of course. that understand the issue?
changing so rapidly. Regulatory planning In the end Mies van der Rohe won the
was invented to prevent one function battle with Le Corbusier, so to say, by HH: Lacaton and Vassal have very
hindering another. Say, noxious indus- inventing generic space. Take his archi- interesting ideas. Very inspiring. Also
try in the middle of a housing area. The tecture building at IIT in Chicago. You although quite differently Anna Heringer.
idea dates from the nineteenth century. can do anything in it. The architecture is What’s really great is the Basketbar
But it almost killed a neighborhood like only occupied by itself, with what I call from NL Architects in Utrecht. Within
the one here, De Pijp, where our office the ‘building order’. Not with function. budget they created as an extra func-
is. Twenty years ago the streets had all tion, a basketball court on top of this
kinds of workshops and activities; you AO: Is that criticism or admi- restaurant building. Still too many archi-
could find everything you needed within ration? tects are trying to create beauty. I’m not
a circumference of one kilometer. Today against beauty, far from it. But beauty
there are only shops and housing; and HH: Admiration! Not without cri- is the gift that results from doing things
restaurants, fortunately. Production has tique, though. At my age I cannot sim- right. It is not possible to intentionally
been expelled. ply admire, I’m always critical too. make a beautiful building. It is not a goal
Anyway, changeability is important So we have to strive for an architecture to actively strive for.
and we as architects have to learn how that doesn’t just provide boring boxes, Personally, I’ve always been fasci-
to design buildings that can change. No only characteristic constructions even nated by what is done by people with
building remains as built. when filled in a boring way, still repre- a building. All architects I know, even
sent quality. someone like Aldo van Eyck, think that
AO: So change is one of the foun- people spoil their buildings. They won’t
dational elements of structuralism. AO: In your own work I see a say that directly, but that’s how they feel.
shift from clustered small-scale The interiors of my elderly home De Drie
HH: Not so much foundational as elements, where the exterior is sim- Hoven were completely changed, com-
much as a reason why structuralism is ply the consequence of this spatial pletely ‘kitschified’. But that resulted in
again seen as meaningful. There are two configuration, towards designs that such great images, that it made me see
reasons that caused this renewed inter- address the exterior as a theme in the beauty of the banal.
est in structuralism. First is the computer itself in scale and detailing. For me the essence still is ‘make space
as a design tool. It made designers think and leave room’ as my first book was
in a much more structured way. By the HH: Yes, people criticized me for this called (Ruimte maken, ruimte laten1).
way, from the start of my career I have lack of ‘gesture’, so I thought, why not We’re living in a moment of change. The
been thinking in layers, never in sepa- give it a go? These expressive forms time of fairytale castles is over.
rate spaces, each with their own char- have an external rationale. They form
acter (color, material, function) like most a lasting shell or envelope, covering
designs were created. Now, the computer its instable content. The ‘waving’ roof
makes this structured and layered way of of the Breda theater for instance ties

[ 22 ]

1 Herman Hertzberger, Ruimte maken, ruimte laten.

Lessen in architectuur (Rotterdam: Uitgeverij 010
1996). The english version is titled: Lessons for
­students in Architecture (Rotterdam: 010 Publishers
1991).
 Students first researched existing ex- In the second part, participants were
A Selection of amples of both open and closed building asked to make design proposals for the
types in order to critically assess each Ministry of Social Affairs, originally de-
Work from the type’s capacity to allow for – or prevent signed by Hertzberger between 1979 and
– change, extension, and complete trans- 1990. They were asked to envision how
Open Structures formation. They analyzed architectural this example of an open building could
features that are characteristic for open be programmatically and spatially trans-
Masterclass structures, evaluating the field of tension formed while keeping initial characteris-
between the rhetoric and reality of open- tics intact.
ness and closedness. Complementary to this task, the
From November 19th to the 23rd, Working in groups, participants ex- masterclass also consisted of lectures
2012, The Berlage initiated a master- plored the ability of their precedent including ‘What are Open Structures?’ by
class entitled Open Structures, led by studies to adapt to change, extension, Herman Hertzberger, ‘Dutch Forum and
the first dean of the former Berlage In- or complete transformation. They made the (Im)possibility of a Universal Culture’
stitute, Herman Hertzberger, together precise diagrams, selected keywords that by Dirk van den Heuvel, ‘Mat Building: A
with Tom Avermaete and Dirk van den defined openness, and drafted sketches Prime Figure of Structuralism?’ by Tom
Heuvel. The aim of the masterclass was envisioning the possible adaptation to Avermaete, and ‘On LC’s Venice Hospi-
to explore the adaptability, extension, change, extension, and complete trans- tal’ by José Oubrerie.
and reprogramming of buildings, keep- formation of the analyzed precedents.
ing the spirit of structuralism in mind.
Participants investigated the essential
architectural conditions and character-
istics necessary for buildings to be con-
sidered ‘open structures’, as opposed to
buildings conceived as complete works
of art, or ‘closed’ structures.

Salomon Frausto, Tom Avermaete, and Dirk van den Heuvel discuss with Jonathan de Veen
and other members of Group 1 research into select buildings by Louis I. Kahn.

Participants and invited guest engage in a lively debate

during the final presentations

[ 23 ] [23]
Tom Avermaete presents a lecture entitled ‘Mat Building:
A Prime Figure of Structuralism?’.

Jeroen van der Drift and Herman Hertzberger discuss the Dirk van den Heuvel presents a lecture entitled ‘Dutch
Ministry of Social Affairs building. Forum and the (Im)possibility of a Universal Culture’.
Group 1
Yoonhee Bae
Saran Chaiyasuta
Closed Openness Elderly Housing Social Housing

Tower Plan
Xiaoting Chen
Keith Chung
Francisco Ferreira
Xiaofeng Fu Elderly Housing Social Housing
Hiroki Muto
Jonathan de Veen Tower Plan
Cafe Recreation

Cafe Recreation
Elderly Housing Social Housing
Educational Workshop
Tower Plan Podium Plan

Educational Workshop
Modulating
Cafe program betweenPodium
Recreation servant
Plan
and served

Expand

Educational Workshop
Podium Plan
Transf
orm

DOGMA OPENNESS

Group 2
Jinsun Baik
Ye Han
Dependent Algorithm
Ryang Huh
Korn Kunalungkarn
Congxiao Liu
Kwang Hyun Baek
Polpat Nilubon
Alise Jekabsone
Elderly housing landscape unit create a friendly atmosphere for elder

Housing for students housing unit for student

2x

Education facilities education facility is use to create a vertical connetion

From repetition of units to combinatory dynamics

Combination Drawing
[ 24 ] design proposal original building

OFFICE ELDERLY STUDENT HOUSING ELDERLY ELDERLY STUDENT

EDUCATION STUDENT ELDERLY ELDERLY STUDENT EDUCATION OFFICE EDUCATION ELDERLY

VERTICAL COMMON SPACE / VERTICAL COMMON SPACE /

CONNECTION CIRCULATION COMMON SPACE / VERTICAL CONNECTION CIRCULATION
CIRCULATION CONNECTION

CIRCULATION / COMMON SPACE

LANDSCAPE
Group 3
Golnar Abbasi
Robert Gorny
Centraal van NOI
Felipe Guerra
Anna Andersson
Piya Limpiti
Olivia Marra
Jinyeong Seo
Ellen Struijk

care service
ELDERLY STUDENTS

sport

STUDENT ACCOMODATION /
START-UPS workshop
canteen
A polyvalent
Condensed circulation
living units offers shared
space for learning CENTRAL PARK reading room

library wintergarten

kindergarten
Common spaces
mediate
between public
and private

social activity
EDUCATION START-UP BUSINESS

conference

Interaction of
the public with
the inhabitants
Dealing with constraints for interpretative common areas
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES
AND COMMON SPACE

Group 4
Aleksandar Joksimovic
Xiao Liu
New Order
Taesan Choi
Mixture of
interrelated
Sung Bin Jung
units Haw-Wei Liou
Lei Mao
Olga Sankova
Jeroen van der Drift private

Elderly
partage in public
child care

ELDERLY HOUSIN G /
CHILDREN CARE

Group 4
Dissecting circulation for polyvalent public places
[ 25 ] [25]

Public spaces
Group 5
Shreyank Khemalapure
Yusni Aziz
Open Mat-ness
Claudio Cuneo
Jaewon Lee
Yi-Lin Liang HOUSING ELDERLY
Andrés Lopez TRANSFORMABLE MINISTRY POLYCENTRALITY
SHARED MULTIPURPOSE
Frank Loer
Anna Romani EDUCATION
START UP/PUBLIC PUBLIC
PARKING

Urban porosity multiplies internal possibilities

perimeter
entrance
0 10 20
Small city - porosity Programme
PROGRAMMED & POLYVALENT SPACE FROM FORTRESS
newTO CITY
perimeter startup
entrance public
porosity

HOUSING ELDERLY
SHARED MULTIPURPOSE
EDUCATION
START UP/PUBLIC PUBLIC
PARKING

0 10 20 0 10 20
Roof Programma
0 10 20
Small city - porosity Programme
0 10 20
Roof
roof perimeter education new perimeter startup existing building roof perimeter
existing entrance public existing
porosity porosity porosity
existing void existing void
new void new void
FROM AUTONOMOUS SCULPTURE TO CITY ON PLINTH

Group 6
Alejandra Arce Gómez
Karthik Balla
Ministry of Life
Nazmi Bin Mohamed Anua
Shruti Omprakash
Damhee Kim
Ya-Han Tu
Onur Can Tepe
Lysanne van Hoek

[ 26 ]

From hierarchical circulation to fixed dynamics

Group 7
Ju Hwa Baek
Hakim Bin Abdullah
Cantilevered Web
Zhou Fang
Yiyun Huang
Young-Hun Kwon
Like Tao
Edu Lamtara
Valerie Saavedra

Permutation of ideas creates connective surplus space

F)37*+ G%64:+H I&7*3&' J:,+*44 K*4,)63)+,

Group 8
Ajay Saini
Han Lin
A Travers une Architecture
Gi Son
Jinlefu Su
Kangshuo Tang J PRIVATE

ooyoun Yoon
Miao Zhang
Nino Nadareishvili PUBLIC

[ 27 ]

From open structure to opened-up superstructure

 off, all sorts of connectivity disrupted, The following is a tentative argument,
specifically in the post-war districts which tries to take a fresh look at welfare
planned under welfare state conditions. state policies, in particular the planning
The continuous landscape of open and of open and public space in our cities,
collective spaces makes way for the city not so much as a call to re-instate it, but
of enclaves, closed perimeter blocks, rather to learn from what we’ve thrown
and private enterprise. Complete neigh- away.1 It situates the so-called failure of
borhoods and districts are being disman- welfare state planning and its architec-
tled, nobody monitors where the former ture in the state of the public spaces,
inhabitants go and what kind of effects particularly their open character. This
such enforced migration has on cities in open, all-inclusive character has prov-
terms of social disruption. Before the en to be untenable, notwithstanding the
crisis brought the Dutch building indus- desirability of spaces to ‘meet’ for ‘en-
try to a full stop, the complete expan- counter’ and ‘free exchange of ideas’ that
sion of the Amsterdam Western Garden we come across in the newspeak of the
Cities was up for demolition by a private creative class adepts and Jane Jacobs
conglomerate of housing corporations acolytes. Paradoxically, this ideology of
Contested Spaces without any proper democratic control meeting and mixing as a precondition for
and hardly any political objection. The a vibrant, democratic society was already
of the amount of inhabitants facing a forced re- at the heart of the post-war reconstruc-
moval numbered as much as a mid-sized tion just as it was in the case of Dutch
Open Society town such as Delft or Leiden. When in- Structuralism and the Team 10 discourse
nercity neighborhoods were torn down in from the mid-1950s onward. Despite the
Amsterdam, in the late 1960s and early all-inclusive, universalist talk of ‘identity’,
1970s – also in the name of large scale ‘community’ or ‘society’ we are obvious-
On Dutch urban renewal – it was Aldo van Eyck ly looking at the construction of various
who spoke of ‘sociocide’, thus viciously different identities of the collective and
Structuralism stigmatizing the responsible planners, the individual citizen and the concomi-
designers, and politicians, identifying tant fight over who is entitled to appear
and welfare state technocracy with the au- in public space and who not. To revisit the
thoritarian regimes for which it was sup- planning of the spaces of the democratic
Welfare State posed to be the enlightened alternative. welfare state – or the Open Society to
Today, we hardly hear such harsh words. use Karl Popper’s famous term – will thus
Planning Yet, with half of all Dutch banks and their highlight some of the inherent ideological
private debts being nationalized, with contradictions at stake.
former union banks sold to private banks
Dirk van den Heuvel and now bankrupt, with the former local
councils’ real estate funds sold to private
Despite the current lament on the parties and now bankrupt, and just as The Open
excesses of neo-liberal planning, the well, with the privatized housing corpo-
privatization of welfare state assets con- rations now collapsed or on the brink of Society
tinues, most painfully so, by social demo- collapse we’d better start to ask what
crats as if there were no alternative man- the real costs of privatization add up to Many modern architects of the post-
agement models other than those of the and if we might learn something from war period referred to the idea of an
market and private equity. As we know, those days before casino capitalism and Open Society suggesting they were
this privatization also affects the spaces the ‘creative class’ started to redirect building towards such a society. In Team
of our cities. Everywhere, quite literally, the economy and by default the forces 10 circles too, it was a favorite phrase,
fences are erected, open spaces closed of town planning. just like the ones of ‘open aesthetics’

[ 28 ]

1 My recent research has a focus on both the welfare

state and Dutch structuralism, see among others:
Dirk van den Heuvel, ‘The Kasbah of Suburbia’,
in: AA files, nr. 62, 2011, pp. 82– 89; Dirk van den
Heuvel, ‘Piet Blom’s Domesticated Superstructures,
in: DASH (Delft Architectural Studies on Housing),
‘The Urban Enclave’, NAi Publishers, Rotterdam,
2011, pp. 56 –70; Tom Avermaete, Dirk van den
Heuvel (eds.), Footprint, Autumn 2011 (Vol. 5,
nr. 2), ‘The European Welfare State Project: Ide-
als, Politics, Cities and Buildings’, Techne Press,
Amsterdam.
and ‘open form’. For instance, Alison and born. Popper took a radical stance against tribal society, or in anthropological terms
Peter Smithson stated that: “An open historicism, totalitarianism, and what he ‘magical’ with taboos, myths, and rites,
society needs an open city. Freedom to called ‘utopian engineering’. Among oth- which regulate everyday life as if these
move and somewhere to go, both inside ers, he situated the emergence of Open were equal to ‘natural laws’. Instead,
and outside the city.”2 They spoke of the Societies in ancient Greece and its city human reason was to be the first foun-
‘open city’ with an ‘open center’ with re- states as the outcome of the emergence dation of the Open Society, including the
gard to the projects they proposed for of commerce, trade, travelling, and mi- possibility of criticism of the institutions
the devastated German capital during gration, which in his view created a pro- of society. Human laws are ‘conventional
the late 1950s and 1960s, including their to-urban society of ‘burghers’. How the laws’ and can be challenged by the mem-
famous Hauptstadt Berlin competition industrial revolution and the new forms of bers of a society. Naturalism as applied
entry of 1957–1958.3 This period was of capitalism and organization of labor might to society, just as the idea of society as
course the heyday of the Cold War and or might not be compatible with such an an organism, were refuted by Popper as
the very notion of anything ‘open’ was idea of society is not quite elaborated. In principally anti-democratic and anti-hu-
tailored against the Communist threat his fight against totalitarian utopianism, manist, since they denounce the idea of
from the East, just as it was presented he opposed ‘blueprint’ planning, a tabula personal freedom and personal respon-
as the embodiment of the humanist al- rasa approach, and social engineering. At sibility. It is at this point that Popper em-
ternative for the defeated Nazi-Reich the same time, he was not against social braced the process of political and tech-
and its fascist and racial doctrines. reform or ‘a rational approach to the prob- nological modernization, and where we
And just as Popper proposed his Open lems of social reconstruction’ as he put it find a parallel with the diagnosis made
Society as the alternative for any kind himself.5 Instead of a politics of ‘utopian by architects of the period (if not the
of ‘closed’ society, the architects cham- engineering’ Popper proposed ‘piecemeal same). Popper wrote: “As a consequence
pioned their ‘open aesthetic’ as opposed engineering’, allowing for experiments of its loss of organic character, an open
to the ‘closed aesthetic’ of the past and and re-adjustments, and learning from society may become, by degrees, what I
present.4 Despite the various references mistakes.6 It should be noted that ‘piece- should like to term an ‘abstract society’.
by architects to Popper, he himself didn’t meal’ sounds much more modest than ac- It may, to a considerable extent, lose the
talk about architecture or town planning tually suggested by Popper; his phrase character of a concrete or real group of
in his monumental book. Still, rereading ‘social reconstruction’ is slightly ominous men, or of a system of such real groups.
Popper’s The Open Society, it is not so in this respect. By piecemeal engineering (…) Our open societies function largely
difficult to see how his politico-ideolog- Popper could still imagine ‘blueprints’ for by way of abstract relations, such as ex-
ical construct and the post-war project ‘single institutions’ such as healthcare or change or co-operation.”9 The ‘gains’ are
for the Western European welfare state educational reform. Of these blueprints that ‘personal relationships of a new kind
as envisaged by its architects were par- he would say that they were ‘compar- can arise where they can be freely en-
allel phenomena. It also helps to explain atively simple’ and if they would ‘go tered into, instead of being determined
how the architects found themselves in wrong’, ‘damage’ was ‘not very great, and by the accidents of birth; and with this,
a most ambiguous position largely due to a re-adjustment not very difficult’.7 From a new individualism arises. Similarly,
the demands of the Open Society. today’s perspective one might question spiritual bonds can play a major role
the assumed simplicity at stake in these where the biological or physical bonds
Popper’s seminal publication of 1945, matters, but for now it might suffice to are weakened; etc.’ 10
The Open Society and Its Enemies, in- observe that Popper’s position was far
volves a still provocative rethinking of removed from a liberal, laissez-faire at- The definition of the Open Society
Plato’s ideas on the State and the prop- titude; that it was supportive of all sorts as inevitably ‘abstract’, which offers
ositions of Marx and Hegel regarding the of reformist, social democratic interven- social groups that are – still according
historic process, class struggle, and their tion as an alternative to the revolutions to Popper – nothing but ‘poor substi-
assumed laws, all against the background of 1917 in Russia and 1918 in Germany.8 tutes’ incapable of providing a ‘common
of the question what constitutes a tru- Popper also defined the Open Society life’, is key. In itself, the ‘abstraction’ of
ly democratic and egalitarian society, in in more universalist terms by contrasting human and social relations was not an
which everybody can fully participate no it with what he saw as the closed so- original insight of Popper’s – one thinks
matter to which family or class one is ciety. The latter concerns an irrational, of Tönnies and Simmel of course – yet,

[ 29 ]

8 The (anonymous) introduction to my edition of the

Open Society (2002) calls it a largely ‘social demo-
cratic’ argument, which at first I found strange since
I had situated Popper as a ‘witness’ to the culturally
2 Alison and Peter Smithson, Ordinariness and Light, conservative critique on modernism (due to Colin
(MIT Press: Cambridge MA, 1970) p. 180. Rowe’s use of Popper’s book against modernist town
3 See among others Alison and Peter Smithson, Urban planning in his Collage City); it remains odd since Pop-
Structuring, Studio Vista, 1967, London. per was brought to the London School of Economics
4 At this point it should be noted that in Communist 5 Karl Popper, The Open Society and its Enemies, by Friedrich von Hayek, and in our days of bank and
Poland, Oskar Hansen developed his notion of (Routledge & Kegan: London 1945) various re-edi- Euro crises, Von Hayek is not quite considered to be
‘Open Form’; more research is necessary here to tions; introduction, p. xxxvi. on the left side.
understand the notion of ‘open’ and the cross-traffic 6 Ibid., p. 147 and 153. 9 Popper, 1945, pp. 166–167.
between East and West during the Cold War era. 7 Ibid., p. 149. 10 Ibid.
he connected it to an idea of twentieth collectivism (think of tax control, or even A still fantastic example of this ide-
century democracy and thus, he val- the rule of law some might argue), just ology is Van Eyck’s proposal for the
ued this abstraction as something with as one has to accept that in the Open new town hall of Deventer, a design
mostly positive effects and connota- Society the abstraction of human rela- from 1966 that was not realized. The
tions. However, the universalist ‘abstract tionships is inevitable. Naturally, this is building internalizes the qualities of the
society’ on the one hand, and the ‘real not the place to ponder what sort of gov- medieval inner city and its dense fabric
emotional social needs’ that can only be ernment system may balance these con- of small-scale alleys. The building itself
satisfied by entering ‘real’ social groups tradictory requirements in the best way becomes such a fabric, a micro-city of
on the other, put architects in quite a possible, yet my question is what sort of its own, with a public route brought into
predicament, most certainly in relation spaces, typologies, and concepts were the built volume itself. The public domain
to the question posed to architects to proposed and built by architects to meet and public life literally penetrate the in-
create cities full of meaning, identity and these inherently contradicting demands terior of the political institute while up-
community. of the Western European welfare state. setting the conventions of urbanism and
architecture. Such a strategy is also the
Aldo van Eyck summarized it as a rid- It is my hypothesis that the Team 10 guiding principle of Hertzberger’s de-
dle impossible to solve when he rhetor- position is the most vulnerable in this re- sign for the town halls of Valkenswaard
ically asked how architects could build spect. Herman Hertzberger has argued (1966) and Amsterdam (1967), which
the ‘counterform’ of society when soci- that: “in architecture Team 10 and CIAM are based on a grid of interior ‘streets’.
ety itself has no real form.11 as well are the equivalent of socialism.” Hertzberger eventually realized this idea
He immediately tempered this: “I’m not with the office building for the insurance
saying literally. Maybe Giancarlo De company Centraal Beheer in Apeldoorn
Carlo is the only one who directly linked (1968–1972), the epitome of Dutch
Inclusiveness, politics and architecture. Bakema cer- structuralism, and with his Vredenburg
tainly did not and Aldo van Eyck did it in Music Center in Utrecht (1973–1978),
Collectivism, and a more philosophical way.”12 Whatever in which the foyers blend with the public
the exact political position, one might shopping arcades and the adjacent mar-
Public Space say that Team 10 represented one of ket square.
the clearer moments at which architects
Another key contradiction of Popper’s claimed for architecture a capacity to ac- The typology of interior streets and
proposition concerns, I believe, the com- commodate the real social needs, while ‘streets-in-the-air’ are the classic tropes
bination of the all-inclusiveness and egal- delivering an architecture that was open of the post-war building production; they
itarianism of the Open Society (‘equal- and all-inclusive in line with the post-war also hold a notorious reputation for the
itarianism’ Popper says), the exclusive ideal of a democratic, egalitarian socie- many social problems which are identi-
role and responsibilities of the democrat- ty. In the case of Team 10, the proposed fied with it – vandalism, insecurity, feeling
ic state, and the anti-collectivist position concepts or typologies that would foster of insecurity and anonymity (rather than
as taken by Popper. Collectivism – that such an ideal were geared at the crea- ‘identity’), assault, burglary. We all know
is any doctrine that puts the collective tion of ‘in-between spaces’ or ‘spaces the examples, from the Bijlmermeer in
first and the individual second – will in- between’, the doorstep most notably. Amsterdam, to Sheffield’s Park Hill,
evitably lead to totalitarianism according Hence, within the design production of from Robin Hood Gardens to Toulouse-
to Popper. Yet, in anticipation of a con- Team 10 we see all sorts of transition le-Mirail, the Barbican to Thamesmead,
clusion one might perhaps ask who else zones between the public and the pri- and so forth. The vast access systems in
but the state (as the ultimate represent- vate, which were intended to enhance these complexes were conceptualized as
ative of the people) can actually guar- collective behavior and the reciprocal public streets, which made them prone
antee any level of the desired all-inclu- creation of both individual and collective to vandalism and worse. Apparently,
siveness and egalitarianism of the Open identities. Such in-between spaces were when these projects were conceptual-
Society. Apparently, one just might have to enhance the encounters between the ized the idea of such radical ‘publicness’
to accept that any variant of the Open familiar home, the ‘outside world’ and was not questioned. On the contrary,
Society needs to be built on some sort of ‘other’ spaces.13 that everybody could enter them was a

[ 30 ]

12 Clelia Tuscano, ‘I am a product of Team 10’, interview

with Herman Hertzberger, in: Max Risselada, Dirk
van den Heuvel (eds.), Team 10 – In Search of a
Utopia of the Present (1953–1984), (NAi Publishers:
Rotterdam, 2005), pp. 332–333.
11 Aldo van Eyck, ‘The fake client and the great word 13 This position is not unlike the ones of Jane Jacobs,
“no”’, in: Forum, August 1962, nr. 3, p. 79. Jan Gehl, or William Whyte, of course.
matter of course: not just the milkman experiments, all under the banner of the mapping. The ‘freed’ urban space was
and postman, but simply every mem- welfare state and sanctioned by many made up of points and spheres of at-
ber of the new egalitarian society had enlightened officials who supported ex- traction, diversion or repulsion, not
a right-of-way in these public ‘streets’. periment and innovation as an alterna- unlike Constant’s dynamic labyrinth of
As the Smithsons aptly noted it was all tive to Taylorist logic and Foucaultian bi- New Babylon, or Frank van Klingeren’s
about a new ‘freedom to move’. opolitics. Of course, such tendency was controversial and celebrated cultural
part of the welfare state system too, centers. This interest in a new kind of
yet at heart the welfare state is a hybrid polycentric yet continuous urban space
system, more or less anticipating the was key for Blom to try and fulfill the
Spaces of post-modern condition of negotiation, promise of the welfare state by building
fragmentation and relativism as defined the most radical kind of open space im-
Everyday by Jean-François Lyotard.14 In Holland agineable, but also terribly vulnerable
such ‘checks and balances’ consisted to vandalism in all sorts of ways as we
Contestation of special money flows, industrial inno- have learned. Herman Hertzberger’s
vation programmes and regulatory and monument of the Dutch welfare state,
Behind the fate of these particular es- administrative exceptions, but also sim- the Ministry of Social Affairs building in
tates and the social problems involved ply an appetite for the new that admit- the Hague (1979–1990), demonstrates
lurks quite a bigger question impos- tedly included a destructive element too, perhaps the opposite. Not because its
sible to fully address here, yet related yet altogether resulted in the nowadays architecture lacks the necessary versa-
to the kind of universalist, middle class derided, generous tolerance of the ‘per- tility, quite the contrary, but the techno-
kind of public space that designers and missive society’ of the 1970s, including cratic demands of the program, and the
policy-makers seemed to have had in the embrace of multiculturalism, eman- care for security management especially,
mind when building the welfare state. cipation, and spiritual open-mindedness. have led to a centralized, hierarchical or-
The open spaces provided to build a der after all with one main entrance for
new community consensus all too often Perhaps Piet Blom’s work embod- surveillance purposes. It is probably here
turned out to be used as spaces of every- ies such ambiguity between consensus that we touch upon the underused po-
day contestation of the status quo. How and contestation most radically, espe- tential of both the welfare state system
should an architect deal with both at the cially in his studies for an Urban Roof and Dutch Structuralism.
same time? The new personal freedoms and the various Kasbah projects of the
of the Open Society also brought a new late 1960s, early 1970s. The houses
fragmentation that bypassed any sort are raised to ‘free’ the urban space and
of homogeneous body of democratic maximize the space for encounter and
citizens. Planners and architects have exchange. The resulting undercroft was
to deal with mixed communities living meant as a Situationist terrain vague,
together, who don’t necessarily share a an open landscape to be appropriated
common idea of public space and public by the favorite of the post-war Dutch
behavior; at times these notions of pub- avant-garde: Johan Huizinga’s Homo
lic space (who is allowed to appear in Ludens. On a ground floor drawing of the
this space and on what terms, or costs) Urban Roof project between the columns
are actually contradictory to the kind of and access points to the raised houses,
public space generally associated with Blom inserted hand-written slogans and
the egalitarian public space of the Open atmospheric references to the Provo in-
Society. So, how open can the Open terventions of those days: a mix of polit-
Society really be? How open can a city ical statements, romantic insertions, but
and its architecture be? also of darker urban fantasies, religious
It is in Dutch Structuralism and its ones, and new economic realities. The
wider circle of post-war avant-garde drawing reads like a mix of Cobra poet-
that we find some of the most radical ry and Situationist psycho-geographical

[ 31 ]

14 In 1979 in his famous La condition postmoderne and

in Le postmoderne expliqué aux enfants from 1986.
 This introductory publi- The New Institute The Berlage Center Architecture Department, Open Structures: an

[32] cation is a supplement to

Volume 35: Everything
­Under Control. It is a
The New Institute
celebrates the innovative
for Advanced Studies in
Architecture and Urban
Design
Faculty of Architecture,
TU Delft
Introductory Dossier

collaboration between power of architecture, Through its The Archi- Editors:

the Delft University of design and e-culture. The The Berlage Center for tecture Project and Salomon Frausto and
Technology’s Architecture organization arose out Advanced Studies in its Foundations research Dirk van den Heuvel
Department and the Ber- of a merger between the Architecture and Urban program, the Architecture
Editorial assistant:
lage Center for Advanced Netherlands Architecture Design is a new educa- Department of the TU
Robert Gorny
Studies in Architecture and Institute; Premsela, the tional initiative at the Delft Delft’s Faculty of Architec-
Urban Design, and The Netherlands Institute University of Technology, ture has established itself Graphic Design:
New Institute. for Design and Fashion; continuing the legacy as a leading voice on Joris Kritis
and Virtueel Platform, of the former Berlage the revision of twentieth-
the e-culture knowledge Institute. It offers a new century architecture and
institute. cross-disciplinary and its impact on contemporary
international postgraduate practice and thinking.
master’s degree from the Special thanks to
TU Delft in an experimental Guus Beumer,
setting, characterized by Herman Gelton,
guidance and exchange Alfred Marks,
with leading and emerging Behrang Mousavi, and
designers and scholars. Jonathan de Veen.

Piet Blom