Day 21 - Almere-Stad

Holland treated me with sun and perfect walking weather today.  After my time in Rotterdam talking with the Dutch architects and planners, they impressed upon me how important it was to go see the new city of Almere in Flevoland, not too far from Amsterdam.  I learned more about the masterplan designed by Rem Koolhaas, and thought it especially compelling for my research on housing, since it's a mostly residential area.  (Fun fact, Almere-Haven is where OMA's (Koolhaas) first building in the Netherlands was built - a small police station.)  The train ride was nice, through some very green farm areas with lots of cows, then stopping at Leiden before arriving.  It was about an hour train ride to a very NON-touristy city, but I was very glad I went. 

 

For one, the train station was easy to navigate and efficient for pedestrians, with a landscaped park area cutting through the center of the lower ground level.  Some stations (like Delft) you have to weave your way in and out of traffic, tramlines, and other cloying citizens.  This was one that had been clearly thought out.  I began by making my way to the north of the station, around the World Trade Center and other tall office buildings.  Not far was a project designed by UNStudio for La Defense.  From the exterior, the building is constructed with traditional steel material, rather unassuming and slightly bland.  However, the building splits to form a core exterior-interior space from which all the entrances are located.  Here, the material shifts to a thrilling and colorful custom-made dichroic foil without any metal so it won't corrode - multilayered polymeric film with a polyester surface that changes color depending on the angle of viewing and the way the sun hits it. Close up it's got a texture of small concave bumps.  Some areas of the façade are reflective, others partially reflective, others translucent.  I was like a kid in an optical candy shop.  Another full-circle moment happened here, since this project for La Defense in Almere was featured on the cover of one of the first ever architecture books I bought back in my early years of architecture school.  I have come a long way.

After seeing that project, I went back in the direction of the station and took a detour to the Museum de Paviljoens.  The building was designed for a temporary installation, but it worked so well that they've just been adding and subtracting from it each time they have a new exhibit.  Unfortunately, that's what they were doing when I tried to visit!  Even though the museum door was locked, however, someone let me in and I explained to them that I was an architect from New York, just wanting to look around.  They were on their lunch break, but she still got a colleague who spoke better English and was super helpful and nice.  She gave me a lot of background information, and some pointers on where to go in Almere.  It's too bad because the new exhibit - which is all about Dutch Identity (in art specifically after the 1960s) - is slated to open on Friday!  She said if I had any questions or needed any assistance on my research that I should feel free to email and they would be more than happy to provide any help.  That's a good thing, and potentially something I may take advantage of once I dig into my publication.  

Which I got thinking about on the train rides.  I have to write a book within a few months after I return.  That's going to take a significant amount of my time, not to mention trying to figure out the employment situation.  Perhaps it's better this way - while I figure that out, I'll have something important to do in the meanwhile instead of going numb in the skull.  

After my visit to the museum, I headed into the city center which was not far at all.  It's a wonderful and wacky center, dominated by the Citadel (retail below, housing above), which makes use of overhead bridges.  There's also the well-designed Biblioteek, public library.  There is a SANAA building (Japanese architects), and housing by Rene van Zuuk, Claus en Kaan, et. al.  I also visited the Almere architecture center called cASla.  I have to remember to do more research on Almere Oosterworld.  Anyway, got some good info there, and continued along the water to some more housing.  On my walk, it really struck me how powerful the Dutch polder landscape is and all of the ecosystems that coexist here in Almere with the city life.  They work now in tangent quite well, it seems.  It's a multisensory experience - especially with the auditory.  Sounds of different bird species, buzzing of insects, even some frogs.  It was the closest thing to Upstate New York that I've experienced since I've been away, however in a totally different context.  

I visited a block of experimental houses designed around a decade ago.  It was a quiet area right in the thickets of the landscape, and it was hard for me to tell if there were people still living in these houses.  It was pretty clear that there were signs of life, but they seemed dated.  Especially the cars.  It was a little strange, but they were pretty cool buildings.  After this I walked back the way I came and stopped for a lounge on the water.  I had some food and did some shopping before I went back to the station to go back to Den Haag.  Made some spontaneous purchases that I'm happy with.  The train ride back was pretty crowded due to it going through Amsterdam Zuid, Leiden, and Schiphol.  Speaking of Schiphol, that's where I'm headed early tomorrow morning.  I already bought my train ticket to save time, but hopefully the trams are running on schedule so I can catch the 6:23 train.  Yes, in the morning.  It's going to be a long day...

Anyway, Almere was a perfect way to end my stay in Holland, primarily because instead of looking back on a stagnant past, it represents the direction of the future.  Away we go!

Day 20 - Delft

Today was interesting (aren't they all in their own ways?).  When I first woke up, it was pouring rain outside, which was actually quite nice to look at and hear against the roof and windows.  I'm on the highest floor - level 5 - and the walls of my room actually slant with the roof, plus it was nice to look out at the park getting drenched.  It was not nice, however, to imagine that as the prospect of my entire day, for which I had planned to visit Delft.  I curled back up into bed for awhile, deliberating on switching my plans for today and tomorrow, but in the end when I re-awoke, the rain had curbed some. 

 

It was drizzling when I set out for the tram to Hollands Spoor Station, where I then switched to the tram that runs from Scheveningen to Delft.  The ride was not too long, and I got out at Delft Station, where there was a lot of construction.  It was crowded, busy with vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians, and none of the crosswalk lights were working.  I didn't have my bearings, so I just walked where it felt right, and eventually I got on the right track towards the University.  TU Delft, or the Technical University of Delft, is a prominent school in the Netherlands, and practically THE school in the Netherlands for architecture.  They offer undergrad degrees in architecture and graduate degrees with various concentrations (housing, urban planning, computation, etc.).  Before my trip I had attempted to contact various people at the university about my research.  Unfortunately, the European schools have different semester schedules than we do in the US and they are right at the tail end of their semester now, so everyone is at the peak of their busy time.  I also tried contacting the International Office to see if I could get more information about potentially applying for their Masters programme, and they told me to visit their office in person.  When I did, they were less than helpful, telling me all of the information was online.  Yes, thanks, I've seen that.  I guess I can't fault them too much, since the unhelpful people are just office staff and not faculty or architects themselves, so I guess I have to suspend judgment.  

What was helpful was milling around the building, getting to peek into some of the studios and even chat with some of the students.  It was a real throwback, even though the setting was not like the Greene building at all.  There were some similar things though, such as students building models in the hallway (though the hallway looked like it was designed for that purpose).  Actually, this building was recently renovated to hold the school of architecture after a fire in 2008 destroyed the previous building.  A bunch of Dutch architects banded together to have it ready in a small amount of time. 

It was interesting to see their way of working, but I don't think I could get my Master's there, even though they say you can do it in English, most people speak Dutch in the hallways, and it's really a "Dutch club."  It carries over into practice as well, which is understandable.  Since the country is so compact all of the Dutch architects know each other and typically only hire other Dutch architects, or young people who graduated from Delft.  I guess you can find that in pockets anywhere you go, because as it is, architecture is a small world.  What I am finding, however, is that I am missing some international leverage, despite being on a fellowship from a good university.  RPI is not as well known in other countries including NL, although most architects I've spoken to over here do know Evan Douglis, the current dean at RPI.  In order to make their ears really perk up, to get their attention, and sadly for them to even begin to take you seriously, you have to drop the name of one of the main universities, yes, the Ivys.  Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and also MIT.  Once you attend any of those, you're opened a new world of connections and potential opportunities - doesn't even matter if you did well or not.  It's all in the name, sad as it is.  Of course I already knew all of this, but I'm just experiencing it even more now.  Oh well, to think more about later.

I continued on throughout the university campus, which did have a distinct campus feel to it as opposed to some others I've visited, especially in the US.  Came across some really great buildings spanning the ages.  The Geotechnology building was pretty interesting, as was the student union.  The most incredible building, however, was the TU Delft library designed by Mecanoo.  It was essentially the project that put them on the map.  It was, and I'm not exaggerating, one of the best buildings I've ever been inside or outside.  Its presence from the exterior is very smart as well, including a large sloping green roof with the entrance directly across from the student center.  From the opposite elevation at the road the library has a distinct presence with a large glass façade that is broken up so you can see the program from outside.  From the exterior something that looks a little strange is the conical shape protruding from the center.  From the interior you understand, however, that it is essentially a large skylight that booleans downward, with the radius increasing as the floors get lower.  That way you get an ample amount of natural light without sitting next to a wall, and being right in the center of the building.  Really smart moves here.  There were a ton of students utilizing the space, and it seemed like a productive and pleasant place to study (if there is such a thing!).  

Anyway, after that I set out to see some student housing by various architects.  They had the same type of colored container box housing, only in a slightly different arrangement.  After I saw that stuff, I wanted to head back to the city center which I had not yet experienced.  On my way, I stopped at the original Delft Blue Pottery factory.  There's some really beautiful pieces that are only authentic if they are made right in Delft and handpainted.  I would come to find out, all throughout the city there are bits of Delftware, including on lightposts and sidewalks.  Delft is also the town where Vermeer lived - where my favorite painting "The Little Street" is based. 

I made it into the city center and the whole vibe changed instantly.  Plenty of shops and cafes, and small canals with picturesque rowhouses.  At this point, the sun had begun to come out, which was nice.  I was starving so I got a delicious ham and cheese toasted sandwich.  I saw the Oude Kerk, the old church, which was austere but impressive, like the ones in Utrecht and Rotterdam, and even Den Haag.  Up farther I saw some contemporary housing, all located within a short distance from the quaint center.  

 

After a full day, I hopped back on the tram and arrived back in Den Haag.  Took a short break before heading out to the Hollands Spoor area to see some housing by Alvaro Siza.  It was in a weird area, too busy with trains and traffic, and weird people.  I didn't stay too long here, but then headed in the direction of the hotel, stopping once more at Albert Heijn for some Dutch spiced cookies that taste like softer gingersnaps, some frambos and appel juice (apple and raspberry), and these really tasty peanuty wafer cookies called kletskoppen.  They go well with tea or coffee. 

All in all it was another good day.  I wish things could have gone better at the University, and I wish that the lecture/talk at the NAI was still happening...still no word there but it's already too late.  Very strange.  Regardless, Delft charmed me with its small-town appeal.  I learned quite a lot today that will need time to process as well.  I can't think about my time here coming to a near close because I need to keep going, and will not be able to fully reflect until I return to the States.  I also don't want to get nostalgic or sad before it's even over!