Site-specific approaches in contemporary European harbour

transformation

Lisa Diedrich Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Arch. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SLU Alnarp

PhD Fellow, Copenhagen University

Editor-in-Chief Landscape Architecture Europe, ‚scape the international magazine for landscape architecture and urbanism

Site-specific approaches

in contemporary European harbour transformation

Lisa Diedrich Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Arch., Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SLU Alnarp

PhD Fellow, Copenhagen University

Editor-in-Chief Landscape Architecture Europe, ‚scape the international magazine for landscape architecture and urbanism

Photo: Arnauld Dubois Fresney/ SAMOA

Photo: Vincent Jacques/ SAMOA

Global problem, global answer

Harbour transformation

Harbour transformation

Global problem…

Ashes? Gold?

Local particularities?

Global answer:

From ashes to gold!

What constitutes a site in design? (Burns/Kahn 2005)

Site is more than the area of topical intervention

What constitutes a site in design? (Burns/Kahn 2005)

Site is more than the area of topical intervention

Area of control e.g. proper harbour transformation area

What constitutes a site in design? (Burns/Kahn 2005)

Site is more than the area of topical intervention

Area of control e.g. proper harbour transformation area

Area of influence e.g. catchment, coast, water table, climatic zone

What constitutes a site in design? (Burns/Kahn 2005)

Site is more than the area of topical intervention

Area of control e.g. proper harbour transformation area

Area of influence e.g. catchment, coast, water table, climatic zone

Area of effect e.g. district, city, metropolitan region

What constitutes a site in design? (Burns/Kahn 2005)

Site is more than the area of topical intervention

Area of control e.g. proper harbour transformation area

Area of influence e.g. catchment, coast, water table, climatic zone

Area of effect e.g. district, city, metropolitan region

Site is a dynamic relational construct

Site is transscalar

What is site specificity? (Kwon 2002)

Site specificity was first coined in the arts in the 1960s and 70s

Today site-specificity needs redefinition

Thinking together

- the nostalgic desire of a retrieval of rooted, place-bound identities

- the anti-nostalgic embrace of a nomadic fluidity of subjectivity, identity

and spatiality

Relying on a pragmatic, constructivist idea of site being construed and

constructed by the artist from relational sensibility

Parameters for evaluating site-specificity

Physical structures e.g. geological, hydrological, urban…

materials e.g. gravel, rails, streets, buildings…

Parameters for evaluating site-specificity

Physical structures e.g. geological, hydrological, urban…

materials e.g. gravel, rails, streets, buildings…

Flux processes e.g. dynamics of natural systems

practices e.g. human uses and habits

Parameters for evaluating site-specificity

Physical structures e.g. geological, hydrological, urban…

materials e.g. gravel, rails, streets, buildings…

Immaterial atmospheres i.e. temporal phenomena, experiences

memories i.e. collective and personal

Flux processes i.e. dynamics of natural systems

practices i.e. human usages

Design as transformation (Braae 2012)

Starting projects from a close observation of all the existing elements

found on site in order to transform rather than to design anew.

Transformation is a process in the course of which something is

changed from one state into another, relating the former something with

the new something else while knowing that neither before nor after is

static.

Urban planning practice:

defining a programme which is applied to a site (Koolhaas)

Landscape architectural approach:

developing a programme from site (Marot, Meyer)

Antwerp

Nantes

Alexandre Chemetoff, Ile de Nantes, Nantes

330 ha

Photo: courtesy Atelier de l‘Ile

PROAP, Scheldt Quays, Antwerp

23 000 m2

Photo: courtesy Proap

Nantes Ile de Nantes

Atelier de l’Ile de Nantes (Alexandre Chemetoff), Paris/Nantes

Client Communauté Urbaine de Nantes

Design (competition) 2000

Construction 2002-2010

330 ha

Alexandre Chemetoff, Ile de Nantes, Nantes

Economy of means

Keep as much as

possible, eliminate as few

as possible of what is

found on site regardless

of when and why and for

whom it has been

installed...

„make over without a complete make-over“

Photo: courtesy Atelier de l‘Ile

Alexandre Chemetoff, Ile de Nantes, Nantes

Photo: courtesty Atelier de l‘Ile

Alexandre Chemetoff, Ile de Nantes, Nantes

Alexandre Chemetoff, Ile de Nantes

Map: courtesy Atelier de l‘Ile

Alexandre Chemetoff, Ile de Nantes

Map: courtesy Atelier de l‘Ile

Alexandre Chemetoff, Ile de Nantes

Map: courtesy Atelier de l‘Ile

Alexandre Chemetoff, Ile de Nantes

Competition 2000

‚plan guide‘ tool

site survey

project

site survey

project

site survey

project

site survey

project

2010

…

Maps: courtesy Atelier de l‘Ile

Alexandre Chemetoff, Ile de Nantes

Photos: courtesy Atelier de l‘Ile

Alexandre Chemetoff, Ile de Nantes

Photos: courtesy Atelier de l‘Ile

Alexandre Chemetoff, Ile de Nantes

Photo: Arnauld Dubois Fresney/ SAMOA

Photo: Vincent Jacques/ SAMOA

Transscalar transformation

Big size area of control – make it smaller

Ile de

Nantes

Antwerp Scheldt Quays

PROAP, Lisbon

Client City of Antwerp/ Waterwegen en Zeekanal nv

Design (competition) 2006

Construction start scheduled for 2012

23 000 m2

Raise dyke to 9,25m for flood protection,

which means 2,25m above city ground level –

new quays as a separation of city and river?

PROAP, Scheldt Quays, Antwerp

?

„erase without erasing“

Photo: courtesy Proap

PROAP, Scheldt Quays, Antwerp

area of influence

area of control

Map drawings: courtesy Proap

PROAP, Scheldt Quays, Antwerp

area of control

area of control

Map drawings: courtesy Proap

PROAP, Scheldt Quays, Antwerp

Map drawing: courtesy Proap

PROAP, Scheldt Quays, Antwerp

Drawing: courtesy Proap

TYPOLOGY 1

changing water levels...

PROAP, Scheldt Quays, Antwerp

high

low

changing uses...

Drawings: courtesy Proap

PROAP, Scheldt Quays, Antwerp

Competition

Play the game with

municipality,

port,

traffic engineers…

…inhabitants,

heritage people…

2006

2010

2012

Masterplan defined

Construction

1st phase starts

Drawings: courtesy Proap

PROAP, Scheldt Quays, Antwerp

Map drawing: courtesy Proap

Scheldt

Quays

Transscalar transformation

Small scale area of control – make it bigger

Site is transscalar, design is transformation

Big size area of control – make it smaller

Small scale area of control – make it bigger

Ile de

Nantes

Scheldt

Quays

Site is transscalar, design is transformation

Big size area of control – make it smaller

Small scale area of control – make it bigger

Ile de

Nantes

Scheldt

Quays

Site is transscalar, design is transformation

Big size area of control – make it smaller

Small scale area of control – make it bigger

Ile de

Nantes

Scheldt

Quays