architectural travel 25 years #1 / 1999-2012
Architectural travel
The small group of colleagues who travelled to a monastery in Tuscany (Italy) on Ascension Day 2004 were used to visiting interesting cities in our own country together and talking about them extensively with each other. The origin of this lay in winning the Haskoning Dubo Award 1998 for the sustainable new construction of a Rabobank, by the core team, Hans Jan Dürr (architecture & engineering), Ton Gijsbers (structural) and Loe Ortmans (installations). The prize money was spent on a excursion to The Hague and Rotterdam (July 1999), where we visited the latest architectural projects.
Since there was still money left, we were also able to go to Maastricht for a day and the development of the Ceramique area was thoroughly examined (September 1999).A few Dubo veterans decided to continue organizing the annual trips and so Groningen (2001) and the eastern islands of Amsterdam (2002) were visited. In 2003, the German border was crossed and the reuse of Zeche Zollverein in Essen, the most modern mine in Europe in the interbellum of the 20th century, was studied. The involvement of Jan van Swam (engineering) , who had joined us on the last excursion, at the Augustinian monastery in San Gimignano in Tuscany (I) aroused the group’s interest in spreading its wings even further in Europe.
1999 The Hague & Rotterdam NL
The Hague
City Hall & Library The Hague (Meier); Ministry of WVS (Graves & Soeters), Tower (Krier), Muzenplein (Natalini) and the Zürich Tower (Pelli)
Rotterdam
Schouwburgplein (West 8), Cinema (van Velzen), the Lijnbaan & Koopgoot, Erasmus Bridge (van Berkel), Kop van Zuid with courthouse (Ligtvoet)
Maastricht
Céramique site, urban design Coenen.
2001 Groningen
Groninger Museum (Mendini & Coop Himmel(b)lau); Waagstraat (Natalini); Provincial House (Benthem Crouwel); School 1922-’23 (Wiebenga).
2002 Eastern Islands Harbor Amsterdam
KNSM ISLAND – Buildings “Piraeus” (Kollhoff/Rapp) “SkyDome” (Arets); urban development plan (Coenen).
JAVA ISLAND – Urban development plan (Soeters) Two buildings by Diener & Diener; Jan Schaefer Bridge (Venhoeven CS)
BORNEO-SPORENBURG – Long strips of low-rise buildings are characteristic of these two harbour islands. Large residential blocks interrupt this sea of houses, like The Whale (Architecten Cie)
2003 – Essen, Germany
Zeche Zollverein 1928-’32 in Essen; production halls of the mine, visit Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Halle 7 (Forster) and the gigantic Kokerei. Today, the Kokerei and Schacht XII together form a unique industrial complex of quality with a cultural centre.
Centre of Essen, Aalto Musiktheater (Aalto).
2005 – Liège Belgium
Housing Hors Château 1979 (Vandenhove); staircase to Montagne de Bueren; Palais des Price Evêques, 1526; the Gothic cathedral Saint Paul;
The new TGV station Liège Guillemins (design 1996) was in construction (Calatrava).
2006 – Le Corbusier in France 1: Eveux, Ronchamp
To Eveux sur l’Arbresle – the monastery La Tourette (1953-’60) by Le Corbusier.
To Lyon – TGV station of Calatrava (1989-’94);
Further to Ronchamp –visit to the chapel Notre Dame du Haut by Le Corbusier (1951-’55).
2007 – Dessau, Dresden, Weimar – Germany
To Dessau – visit Bauhaus building (1926) and Meisterhäuser.
To Dresden – Zwinger Palace (1719-1738), Semperoper (1871-’78), wall tile tableau Augustusstrasse, Frauenkirche (1726-’43); VW car factory Gläserne Manufaktur (2001).
To the Saxon State Library (1998-2002) by Ortner & Ortner (A) and the UFA Palast cinema (1998) by Coop Himmelb(l)au.
Continue to Weimar, Haus am Horn (Bauhaus experiment 1923), Bauhaus Weimar by Henry van de Velde (1906).
2008 – Le Corbusier in France 2: Paris, Firminy, Lyon
Visit to the Villa Savoye in Poissy and Maison La Roche & Jeanneret by Le Corbusier & Pierre Jeanneret (1929)
In Paris: Visit to Musée du Quai Branly by Jean Nouvel.
To Lyon; the Opéra (extension and renovation Jean Nouvel, 1993).
To Firminy, Visit exterior church St. Pierre (1963-2006), stadium (1965-’69) and cultural center -maison des jeunes (1960-’65) by Le Corbusier.
Visit church St. Pierre –interior- and Unité d’Habitation (1963-’68) both by Le Corbusier.
2008 – Liège and Limburg
Visit to the TGV station in Liège. Towards Spa. Visit to the dam, le barrage de la Gileppe, Jalhay. Visit the Ronald McDonald house Kindervallei in Valkenburg (Hundertwasser).
2009 – Stuttgart and Munich, Germany
To Stuttgart, Mercedes Benz museum (UN Studio) and Weissenhof Siedlung (1927).
Visit Porsche Museum (Delugan Meissl).
To Munich, Allianz Arena and Art Academy by Coop Himmelb(l)au; Olympia stadium and BMW Welt (Coop Himmelb(l)au).