symposium Dutch architecture abroad Christian Maijstré On the sixth of June the symposium committee organized another symposium. This time the symposium was titled ‘Dutch architecture in foreign countries’. Working abroad is very popular with Dutch architects. Why is that and what are they building there?

The theme was conceived out of the contem- tries also. While having worked with a lot of ficient, they found out that countries such as porary issues within the field of the Dutch ar- local architects he gave us a good example of China were not incompatible with this, limiting chitect, which forces a bulk of them find their Erick van Egeraat, who had designed and rede- their activities to European countries. luck abroad. Issuing how to deal with the dif- signed some of ’s most well known Next, Friso van der Steen, currently the mana- ferent cultures: how would one position him- buildings. During that period, he guided some ger of international projects at Mecanoo, told or herself as a Dutch architect abroad? Would interns on which he had a clear influence. In of his activities in Korea, China and Taiwan. His one submerge into the local approach of the return, also had influence on Emiel lecture shed light on a big issue in East Asia: a assignment by ways of techniques and archi- Lamers: in 2007 he designed a pavilion in Am- diminishing understanding of building scale. tecture, or would a Dutch identity still be seen sterdam taking Hungarian vernacular design Clients want to see a design first, before kno- in the result, or would perhaps an internatio- characteristics and molding them into a pavi- wing the necessary program to design pro- nal approach be more fitting? lion which fit perfectly in any Dutch city. per architecture. In contests, superficial jury members select winners by skimming over To answer these questions, we sought out The architect who would end the first shift was large papers explaining a design hardly paying a variety of people that we deemed able to Marijn Schenk, a co-founder of Next Architects attention to the user, or knowing who will be shed a light on the topic. The day was divided known for the book “You can’t change China, using the design. After being active in Taiwan in two shifts, each with offices of compara- China changes you.” As the title suggests, for an extended period of time, he knows now ble size. This would make a following debate they have ventured into China, where they when a design will be successful, using impres- more interesting because the comparable size had set up a second office in Beijing in 2005. sions and films to attract the jury, rather than would supposedly shed different lights on He explained how different a country could explaining why and how the design ‘works’. As problems or events the offices would come be: whereas the former lecturers had noticed Marijn Schenk had pointed out, it seemed that across. The first shift would feature the firms some differences, China seemed to be a whole designs worked better when clearly resem- OKRA landscape-architects, Emiel Lamers different level. The selection of designs was bling favorable symbolism. Architectures and Next Architects, while the done quite differently: seeing a mouse eating firms Cepezed, Mecanoo and Soeters van money in a small pavilion which meant it was Jos van Eldonk signed off the second shift. Eldonk would speak in the final shift. sure to be a profitable building. Other projects While telling of their design for the Chinese had been of immense scale with a supply grea- Wuhan Energy Institute, he conveyed some The symposium was initiated at 11:20 by Bou- ter than the demand, concluding they actually knowledge they came across during the pro- dewijn Almekinders of OKRA landscape archi- contributed to building ghost cities. ject. First of all, it was clear that there simply tects, a firm he has co-founded. They preferred was no context: any context available would to have a young team, consisting of various In the discussion following all the architects soon be replaced, making it only temporary. disciplined architects and they had a special had shown that it is easier to work abroad Second, they too found that they were desig- department called the adventure department, with a local office. OKRA always did so, Emiel ning facades before program: the institute the in which they seek out new ventures in foreign Lamers did so too, and Next used to work with building would house was not yet existent. It countries. They found it takes about 2 years a large Chinese office, but had just moved out, only required floor space, sustainability and time before a new venture was successfully continuing with a Chinese partner to co-lead the necessity for offices and laboratories. addressed. From then on he mentioned some their Chinese annex. But with the variety of Using the jury’s superficiality to their own of their projects abroad noting the specific countries discussed another conclusion was ends, the cup-shaped building providing its problems they found per country: whereas made: every country had different ways of own shade, was dubbed a flower. It worked. Belgium was much more hands-on and wor- dealing with architecture. The project could be described with two per- ked fast: in for example they almost haps paradoxical statements: the boss is al- got lost in bureaucratic mazes. Luxembourg The shift next started with Ronald Schleur- ways right, and never to change your mind.// had extended amounts of building phases and holts, partner of Cepezed, who are quite active OKRA: in they had to follow directions and in at the moment. He explained their usual >> http://www.okra.nl/ Emiel Lamers Architectures: personal taste of a Lord in that area. mode of operation, a fast and less expensive >> http://www.architectures.nl/ Next Architects: use of pre-fabrication with an assembly on >> http://www.nextarchitects.com/ The second architect to talk was Emiel Lamers, site, fitting in the context of the building but Cepezed: >> http://www.cepezed.nl/ who had lived in Budapest, Paris and Ljubljana inserting their own designs and technologies, Mecanoo: for the last 9 years. His lecture gave us views and as concluded before: also using a local >> http://www.mecanoo.nl/ Soeters van Eldonk: on other Dutch architects active in other coun- firm. While their way of working is quite ef- >> http://www.soetersvaneldonk.nl/

12 stylos // power // general