WINTERWORKSHOP 2013 ACADEMY OF ARCHITECTURE AMSTERDAM - The Amsterdam Canal District, the next 400 years -

From Friday January 11th until Friday January 18th the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture will organize the yearly international winter workshop. During this workshop, international and interdisciplinary groups of students of architecture, urbanism and landscape architecture will work on a challenging assignment that exceeds the boundaries of the three disciplines. This will motivate them to expand their horizon as designers and prove that they are able to provide fresh and inspiring answers to current and future challenges. THE AMSTERDAM CANALS, THE NEXT 400 YEARS? In 2013 it will be 400 years ago that the Amsterdam Canal district (‘Grachtengordel’) was developed as a rational, optimistic and proud extension and modernisation of the medieval old town. It will be celebrated with all kinds of festivities. Proudly, the Dutch look back on developing and preserving a characteristic, unique and beautiful urban concept. Because of the clear plan, the nice spatial characteristics and the special architecture everybody is impressed by this urban ‘piece of art’. The reward was getting the status of an Unesco World Heritage in 2010. Unfortunately the critical thinking about the essential urban meaning, the essential qualities and the future of this area came to a stand-still after getting this unique status. Being a perfectly restored museum village –frozen in time- seems to become the one and only future of this once so dynamic and modern city area. An area loved by visitors and tourists but of no longer of any meaning to its own inhabitants or the daily life in Amsterdam and no longer a source of inspiration for vital urbanity. UNIMAGINABLE PERSPECTIVES It is the ambition of the Academy of Architecture to give new and fresh impulses to the thinking about the future of the Amsterdam Canals by collectively thinking about the ‘next 400 years’ of this area during the interdisciplinary winter workshop 2013.

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How can, would or should the area look like and function in 400 years’ time when its development is mostly continued on the basis of certain current trends or what-if scenario’s? By thinking on a time-scale of 400 years the unimaginable is imaginable again and it becomes reasonable to explore and discuss it. In 400 years, the ownership will have changed approximately 20 times, in 400 years the world will be organised differently, in 400 years social, economic and cultural values and notions will shift. The city’s population will evolve with 10 generations, people will have been liberated from today’s dogmas and preoccupations. Who dares to explore this far future? Who will take up the challenge to give insight into the possible spatial ‘could be’ future of Amsterdam in 2412? The future scenarios to be elaborated follow out of already emerging trends or possible future conditions that are not to be completely ruled out, coming out of changing global forces, social, economic and technological developments, and choices when it comes to dealing with questions about environmental conditions or living qualities. By elaborating all the possible questions arising out of these trends and possible developments ‘in extremo’, as well in time as in spatial consequences, interesting, relevant and provocative ‘unimaginable perspectives’ on the far future of the Amsterdam Canal District will be constructed. INTENSIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY WORKSHOP In an intensive interdisciplinary and international workshop approximately 100 students will work in teams on the challenging question: The ‘Grachtengordel’ is 400 years old, and now what? In the winter workshop the students will be challenged to demonstrate their design talents and skills to translate the defined trends in instructive, essential or maybe even shocking spatial consequences and proposals for possible future perspectives on the Canal District It is not necessary for students to assume a fixed position in the debate about the future of the Canal District. They will primarily be asked to explore the unknown by the method of ‘research by design’. To produce interesting, intriguing and instructive material and spatial insights which can be used to start up a fundamental and inspiring discussion about both the contemporary as well as the possible far future qualities and meaning of the area. In 8 days, students, by producing designs, installations, pamphlets and other media, will demonstrate how the Grachtengordel Area could possibly evolve. Unimaginable perspectives will be shown. Food for thought! TRENDS AND STUDY THEMES A couple of trends which are already becoming visible now, in the development of society or as part of the debate about possible or necessary futures, will be explored. The trend of environmental awareness, energy use and the consequences of energy transition will be explored. The trend of tourism as being a serious economic factor will be researched on its maximum potential. The trend of food awareness, urban agriculture and the development of new public places which function literally as well figuratively as social feeding places will be looked at.

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The trend oft historical inner cities being looked at as the ultimate research and development campus, especially by the creative industry, will be part of the discussions. The consequence of the trend that more and more people like cities and want to live there will be explored by driving the density of the area ‘to the max’. Other possible extreme futures will be researched. For example a scenario in which the Grachtengordel area will be organised as a totally independent ‘city in a city’ by strategic choice of its owners: an area to be compared with Vatican City in Rome. Or for example a future in which companies such as Landall Greenparks- being a specialist in qualitative free-time retreats- or Ikea as the company believing that the design of everything can always be improved, will be in charge in the area. Another scenario, of another kind, that of the total collapse of real estate values, also needs to be researched on its consequences, especially when 400 years is our time scale of thinking. INPIRATORS AND TUTORS The winter workshop will be guided by a wide variety of tutors and inspirators. The inspirators will hold introductions, lectures and debates, the tutors will lead a team researching a certain trend. They will not necessarily be designers and are certainly not ‘just designers’. There will be trendwatchers, marketeers, psychologists and new media specialists as well as specific architects, urbanists and landscape architects. The tutors and inspirators will be selected based on their critical as well as creative and innovative approach, based on their knowledge of a theme and their competence to think through the spatial consequences of certain trends. TUTORS/TEAMLEADERS Bart Kellerhuis, ZECC architecten Eric Frijters, Fabric Bruno Doedens, SLeM Ekim Tan, Play the City, TReC, INTI Lada Hrsak, Bureau LADA Richard Geerts, European Fun Factory Willem Hoebink, beeldend kunstenaar en vormgever Yukiko Nezu, Nezuaymo architects Jan Willem vd Schans, WUR specialist stadslandbouw, vz eetbaar rotterdam Martijn Blom, Hollands Licht

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SPECIAL EVENT Because this winter workshop, considering its extreme approach and time scale of thinking is in a way an epic historical moment, a special event will be organised. The outcomes of the winter workshop will be enclosed in a time capsule and ceremonially buried in the inner courtyard of the academy. Buried to be found by the archaeologists of the far, far future. In this way, a certain excitement about whose future vision will once be proven right will always be part of the stories and legends of the Academy of Architecture. PROGRAM Friday Saturday Sunday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Friday

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January January January January January January January January January January

0930-2230 0930-1900 0930-1700 1800-1900 1800-2230 1800-2230 1800-2230 1800-2230 0930-1600 1600-2230

hr hr hr hr hr hr hr hr hr hr

[opening, lectures, excursions, start studios] [research and design] [research and design [pecha kucha presentations and reflections] [research and design] [research and design] [research and design] [research and design] [preparing presentations, exhibition] [presentations,open house, buffet/drinks, party]

ORGANISATION AND COORDINATION Arjan Klok (Head of Urbanism department) and Marjoleine Gadella (Event coordinator) APPLICATION Applications may be send by e-mail to: [email protected], before December 20th 2012. Note: The winter workshop is mandatory for 1st and 2nd year Academy students. Academy students do not need to apply. COSTS Guest participants are asked to pay a workshop fee of € 100,- and arrange their own travels and accommodation in Amsterdam. LOCATION Amsterdam Academy of Architecture Waterlooplein 211-213 1011 PG Amsterdam The Netherlands T +31 (0)20 5318 218 INFORMATION Need more information? Please send your questions to: [email protected]

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