Osdorp Rings is projected in the Amsterdam district of Osdorp, between two apartment blocks that are part of a monumental post-war residential estate. It is a sports facility for Turkish greased wrestling. The design relates to the surroundings as a sculptural orchestration of mass and light. Osdorp Rings rises up as a landscape convulsion of earth, glass and bamboo. Groves of plants break through earth walls clad in a light-coloured limestone. The bamboo towers soar high above the muddy canal like a protecting web of colossal waving stems. The filtered light weaves constantly changing patterns among the stalks. Curving embankments and the towers contrasting with them break down the extensive urban field into a series of distinctive landscapes.

The plan meets the wishes of residents who are campaigning for a permanent sports facility where they can practise greased wrestling, a popular sport in Turkey. As yet they have had no success in their venture despite repeated attempts. This situation is emblematic of a more general state of affairs where the dominant culture is opposed to other cultures expressing themselves. Buildings have a key role to play in consolidating the image of a society. They are immovable and abiding public cultural creations. In placing an ancient sport in a new setting, Osdorp Rings stands for an open, dynamic culture.

Rocketing energy prices are large dictating the current economic perspective. At present, the construction industry contributes more than 45% of global greenhouse gas emission and landfill waste production. Architecture has a privileged position where it concerns getting pioneering construction materials on the market. In this context Osdorp Rings places a strong focus on the potentials of two distinct constructional systems: columns of bundled bamboo, and reinforced earth.

We as architects have always to be aware of the reciprocity between tools and intentions. This project uses the term 'rings' to describe this reciprocity. It regards architectural practice as a concatenation of such rings, as the consistent interlocking of routines, methods, skills and stances.

Osdorp Rings shows that it is exactly there, within the rings of our profession, that our views are shaped, our tools are made and, ultimately, innovation begins.

Place of education: TU Delft
Specialization: architecture
Tutors: Marc Pimlott, Jurjen Zeinstra, Ard Buijsen