Historical buildings and urban areas lose their original function and are in need of a second or even a third life. How can they be transformed into the reality of today in such a way that they gain renewed social significance and financial value, while at the same time maintaining their identity and spatial quality? We visualise opportunities and conditions by mapping the essence of the cultural heritage and the core qualities; a sort of baseline measurement. What have previous generations done at this location? How did the building and its surroundings relate to each other? Which are the crucial design issues and how is the design to be placed within the architect’s oeuvre? What kind of memories, associations and feelings does the building evoke? From such research questions we distil the ingredients for a new chapter in the architectural and usage history. This certainly does not only concern monumental buildings and areas. Buildings can be very ordinary and nevertheless have great symbolic significance. In those cases, it is the intangible value which counts and which can play a special role in the context of a new construction. We translate our findings into a valuation assessment, a quick scan, a cultural heritage assessment study or a proposal for a monument inventory. Our clients often ask us to share our thoughts on transformation possibilities or planning guarantees in the follow-up process.

CASE 1

OOSTBURG: CITY HALL AND SURROUNDINGS

Cultural heritage assessment and transformation framework

Commissioned by the municipality of Sluis

SteenhuisMeurs explored the unique characteristics of the town hall of Oostburg and the cultural historical references for transformation in the surrounding area. The town in Zeeland is designated as one of the 30 listed post-war reconstruction areas by the Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE). Under the leadership of mayor Kees Hoekzema, the bombed city was rebuilt after World War II as a modern city. The new city hall, designed by architect J.A. Wentink, symbolised the promising future of Oostburg. Wentink conceived a modern building with a ceremonial route from the outer square to the council chambers. Two well-known designers – interior designer N.J. Hiemstra and landscape architect Mien Ruys – contributed to the interior and furniture design and the landscaping of the front square and garden. Artist Berend Hendriks created a glass artwork as high as the building for the central hall, celebrating the city's rebirth with radiant yellow glass. Since the opening of the city hall in 1958, the municipality has merged and grown. The local government is now exploring whether its offices can remain in the city hall. In the surrounding area, just outside the contour of the post-war reconstruction plan, history can inspire new developments. The former ramparts present an opportunity for introducing more substantial greenery, and Oostburg's characteristic post-war architecture serves as a starting point for the scale, size and composition of a new urban area.

Oostburg

CASE 2

NOORDHOLLANDS KANAAL, ALKMAAR

Landscape biography

Commissioned by: the municipality of Alkmaar

A journey along the Noordhollands Kanaal transports us through the history of Alkmaar's city and landscape. This 19th-century "highway" of North Holland connects the waterways and routes in the polder landscape. In its early decades, the "Grand Canal" was a great success; international sea vessels sailed closely past the city centre on their route from Den Helder to Amsterdam. Along the canal, Alkmaar's industry established itself and quickly expanded: flour, grain, cheese, butter, sawmills and chocolate. After the post-war city expansions, the canal had become a central axis through the expanding urban landscape. This resulted in a remarkable mixed atmosphere of farmhouses and factories, industrial areas and green neighbourhoods, cranes and cafes, mills and chimneys. In 21st-century Alkmaar, the canal is once again the lifeline for development. In addition to the station area, the municipality of Alkmaar has designated five areas as redevelopment zones. Historically, each area has its own character. In the biography written by SteenhuisMeurs, the different identities and unique qualities of the five development zones are outlined as a starting point for area-specific redevelopment and more differentiation in the new residential and work environments. The area biography of the North Holland Canal can be found here (only in Dutch): alkmaar.nl.

Alkmaar

CASE 3

KRANENBURG-NOORD, HARDERWIJK

Cultural heritage quickscan

Commissioned by ECHO Urban Planners

In the past 60 years, the area south of Harderwijk station has undergone significant changes. From a military cluster of barracks, officers' housing and training grounds in the predominantly agricultural landscape, the area transformed into an urban environment with an open zone at its heart. As part of the redevelopment of Kranenburg-Noord, SteenhuisMeurs presented the history of this former military site. Eight cultural-historical themes provide inspiring points of departure. The barracks camp from the 1920s was largely constructed from reused materials and dismantled buildings from former Belgian refugee camps. The establishment of the Infantry School in 1948, introduced buildings of brick and concrete to the area, resulting in a legacy of buildings from different periods. The brutalist concrete staff building was announced ‘ultra-modern’ in the year of its opening, 1991. The site is surrounded by a beautiful, semi-open green belt of trees that makes the area accessible yet provides a sense of security. The communal use of the land before the military settled here can also inspire new communal facilities.

Image source: Collectie Stadsmuseum Harderwijk