'If you saw it, standing in its midst, it would be a different city; Irene is a name for a city in the distance, and if you approach, it changes.'
Italo Calvino (Invisible Cities)

My final year project is a quest to find this different city. It exploits the hidden qualities of the city's interior by transforming an existing urban block from the inside outwards. Dreaming Inside-Out breathes new life into a block sited on the square (Beursplein) between Nieuwendijk and Damrak. The project serves as an example of how to tackle the problem of vacant properties in shopping areas and break through the monotony of these monofunctional 'dream worlds'. Empty upper floors are made inhabitable and a mix of public and private functions is added to the existing retail facilities in the block. At the same time, this increases the quality of life and calls a halt to the rampant decline afflicting the city centre.

The block is composed of two structures, each of which has been transformed in its own way. The medieval portion consists of individual lots with empty floors above the shops. This basic ingredient of the city's central area has been shaped over the centuries by the stringing together of individual lots. Living and working were once combined according to the principle of voorhuis (the front part of the house containing the business premises) and achterhuis (the living quarters at the rear). My scheme reinstates the rear residential component, which means that the upper levels can once more be used. Nineteen of these storeys (960 m2) can be reached from the central outdoor area. The new back sections (300 m2) in effect become front sections, generating a tranquil residential climate amidst the bustle of the city centre. This combination of living and working lends a new vibrancy to the shopping street.

The second structure, a modern department store shared by C&A and Euronext, consists of stabilizing mushrooms columns and floors in a characteristically space-defining structure. It divides into three vertical slabs, generating two arcades and two alleys. This intervention increases the permeability of the urban space. The central slab accommodates public functions and is also accessible in the evening. This is the 'belly' of the design where the main entrance is. Locking lettable units slip between the slabs. These are used either as additional space for offices and housing or as units for anyone wishing to publicly display and/or sell some product, depending on their position in the design. The two arcades give access to public baths, shops, restaurants and cafés, a stage for cultural activities and a roof terrace overlooking the roofscape of the central city. Houses, offices and the adjoining inner urban areas are reached along alleys. Altogether the programme covers an area of 12,456 m2.

It is a city within a city, an interior to complement the city's exterior.

Place of education: TU Delft
Specialization: architecture
Tutors: Nicolas Pham, Leendert Verboom, Franziska Bollerey