INDUSTRIAL WATERFRONTS
TRANSFORMING THE CANAL
TRANSFORMING THE CANAL
transforming the canal | the zipper
The team (Sebastian Gernhardt, Eric Pijffers, Luca Vallicelli) has proposed the transformation of the Canal zone of Eindhoven, the Netherlands, as a desirable place to live in. This involves a a careful consideration of the site and building's history, reuse and process in order to develop a critical perspective on the concept of renewal design and its architectural and functional implications. Right now the industrial waterfront is a nearly death area. Some factories are still located there but the rest of the buildings are mostly abandoned. The canal cuts the living city of Eindhoven like a wedge. The neighborhoods on both sides of the canal are not connected.
In order to resurrect the canal zone, we decided to cut the canal into two pieces. The ‘head’ of the canal will be reconnected with the inner city of Eindhoven and the ‘tail’ will be it’s own city district - the water zone. Our ‘zipper’ concept aims to reconnect the two separated neighborhoods on both sides of the canal. The zipper itself contains of three parts - the closed zipper [the green zone], the open zipper [the water zone] and the slider [the transition between both parts]. It was decided to elaborate all three themes. Which locations have been chosen for this is indicated on the map below.
The team (Sebastian Gernhardt, Eric Pijffers, Luca Vallicelli) has proposed the transformation of the Canal zone of Eindhoven, the Netherlands, as a desirable place to live in. This involves a a careful consideration of the site and building's history, reuse and process in order to develop a critical perspective on the concept of renewal design and its architectural and functional implications. Right now the industrial waterfront is a nearly death area. Some factories are still located there but the rest of the buildings are mostly abandoned. The canal cuts the living city of Eindhoven like a wedge. The neighborhoods on both sides of the canal are not connected.
In order to resurrect the canal zone, we decided to cut the canal into two pieces. The ‘head’ of the canal will be reconnected with the inner city of Eindhoven and the ‘tail’ will be it’s own city district - the water zone. Our ‘zipper’ concept aims to reconnect the two separated neighborhoods on both sides of the canal. The zipper itself contains of three parts - the closed zipper [the green zone], the open zipper [the water zone] and the slider [the transition between both parts]. It was decided to elaborate all three themes. Which locations have been chosen for this is indicated on the map below.
the slider
We decided that the point where the highway crosses the canal should be highlighted. It’s a tricky position because on the one hand it has to seperate both green and water zone as two independent areas on the other hand it has to connect them. That’s where we placed the ‘slider’. It is an essential part of the zipper. For us it works like a an urban joint. It is a machine that connects both canal zone, it creates a highpoint to mark the site and it also guides the traffic around the building. We want to keep the traffic away from the aquarium and the canal. We decided that a roundabound would work perfectly to let traffic and canal (and especially the aquarium) ‘talk’ to each other but not ‘touch’ each other. The car driver can ‘stay’ for a while when he goes round an round. But when he wants to stay there for longer he has to come by foot.
We decided that the point where the highway crosses the canal should be highlighted. It’s a tricky position because on the one hand it has to seperate both green and water zone as two independent areas on the other hand it has to connect them. That’s where we placed the ‘slider’. It is an essential part of the zipper. For us it works like a an urban joint. It is a machine that connects both canal zone, it creates a highpoint to mark the site and it also guides the traffic around the building. We want to keep the traffic away from the aquarium and the canal. We decided that a roundabound would work perfectly to let traffic and canal (and especially the aquarium) ‘talk’ to each other but not ‘touch’ each other. The car driver can ‘stay’ for a while when he goes round an round. But when he wants to stay there for longer he has to come by foot.
