Thinking about Future Challenges Through the Lens of the Past

Abstract

On the periphery of a dike, a maritime industrial area between Alblasserdam and Kinderdijk in the Netherlands, a former windmill and ship manufacturer operated during the 19th and 20th centuries. This narrow 250-meter-long hall, known as Kloos Kinderdijk, is defined by its spectacular length and characterised by its spacious and light atmosphere. It is situated between two contrasting Dutch landscapes: on one side, the typical sophisticated, delicate, horizontal polder landscape with UNESCO World Heritage windmills at Kinderdijk; and on the other side, the robust river landscape, once pivotal for the maritime industry and still significant today. Kloos is one of the few remaining shipyards. However, not for long as Kloos is now waiting to be demolished. With the demolition of this building, the last visible maritime-industrial remnant will be lost.

Maritime-industrial heritage is in danger of being lost. It is crucial to transform these sites with a reinterpretation towards the future. This research is a new way of thinking about heritage and moves away from conservative preservation methods. It illustrates how undervalued buildings can be saved, reinterpreted for future significance, and thereby gain visibility by adding value through a more radical architectural adaptive-reuse approach.

In the case of Kloos Kinderdijk, the area has struggled with water issues for years, and these problems are expected to worsen due to rising sea levels. Therefore, Kloos' design involved building a floating volume above the existing. This floating volume is flood-resistant, maintains the spatial openness of the polder landscape, and offers panoramic views of both the polder and river landscape. The construction of the floating volume radically breaks through the existing structure, to enhance the building's visibility from the river landscape.