New Urbanism – the Anti-Europan (tenham medo... muito medo...)

[Dreamer]

O que está a acontecer na Holanda é no mínimo estranho.
A dupla Rob Krier e Christoph Kohl, parece ter encontrado uma das formulas do sucesso...
Se há alguns arquitectos que recorrem a elementos do passado, como colunas, ou arcos, estes dois senhores recorrem às tipologias desses tempos, como citadelas, muralhas, ou as soluções urbanisticas...
Como se pode ver no artigo apresentado (procurar em "march 02, 2007") pelo blog http://anarchitecture.blogspot.com/, estes senhores parecem ter pessoas interessadas no seu trabalho, aquilo a que apelidaram de "neo-tradicionalismo".
Como remata o artigo: "No final da sua carreira Rob Krier está a alcançar um enorme sucesso! Infelizmente é o lado mau do urbanismo Holandês..."

Fica também o link directo ao site desta dupla, onde toda a expressão dos seus trabalhos pode ser compreendida...
http://www.krierkohl.com/projects/proj_home.html

New Urbanism – the Anti-Europan.

Dutch housing projects are eminently respectable - it's easy to find good examples like the high density patio-housing built at Borneo and Sporenburg (Amsterdam) or the housing developments 1 and 2 in Groningen by S333 (actually an implementation of the Europan 3 completions). It's a demonstration of contemporary architecture paying attention to the peoples' needs.


Gated community – Haverleij, an extensive golfing area is being planned according to the masterplan by Paul van Beek and Sjoerd Soeters. (image by google earth)

However, a spectre is haunting Europe - the spectre of "New Urbanism". Unfortunately the movement has landed on fertile soil, especially in the Netherlands. Among others, Rob Krier and Christoph Kohl are the leading representatives of the "New Traditionalism".

But unlike their postmodern colleagues who merge forms from architectural periods (columns, arches...), Rob Krier and Christoph Kohl simply take urban typologies of the past: elements like citadels, city walls and moats. They call it "new romanticism". "As a direct counter-thesis to globalisation, increasing mobility and the internet, projects like Brandevoort, Broekpolder or Haverleij are consciously aimed at urban typologies of an imaginary past." (Workshop Report, DBZ 6/2004, p. 109)

Commercial housing developers have discovered the attraction of "New Urbanism" housing projects. "And what is more appropriate to satisfy a need for security, even greater after September 11, than to be part of a closed community in the midst of a medieval fortress?" (Workshop Report, DBZ 6/2004, p. 110)


Brandevoort, since 1996, Paul van Beek landschappen BNT, Krier & Kohl, image by anArchitecture.

It's surprising: At the end of his career Rob Krier is becoming enormously successful! Unfortunately it's the worse side of Dutch housing.

Link da notícia:
procurar em "march 02, 2007"
http://anarchitecture.blogspot.com/

Link do site dos arquitectos:
http://www.krierkohl.com/projects/proj_home.html