Mark Spijkerman House of Power The transformation of a former power station into a dynamic sports centre Admiraal de Ruijterweg 101-II 1056 EV Amsterdam +31 (0)6 5240 5144 spijkermanmark@hotmail.com
Amsterdam Academy of Architecture Graduation Projects 2014-2015 Architecture
Architecture
Mark Spijkerman House of Power The transformation of a former power station into dynamic sports centre
In the current society, there is an increasing need for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Sport is an important part of this. Sport is healthy for body and mind. Sport breaks down barriers between people, brings people together and provides energy. Fitness training has now become the most frequently practised sport in the Netherlands. The budget sport schools are sprouting up everywhere and the parks are increasingly filled with sporty people. In spite of these trends, it remains difficult for many people to find the motivation to keep active and to be energy-conscious. In addition, physical interaction is decreasing due to the rise of digital social media. Sport is particularly suitable for connecting social and physical aspects. Moreover, architecture can combine the spatial qualities of a park, the facilities of a fitness gym and sustainable techniques with each other. On the basis of a fascination for sport, redesignation and sustainability, I went in search of a contemporary architectural solution for a dynamic sports centre where the facets of a park and a fitness gym can be combined. A place with facilities where people from the surrounding area are invited to exercise, provide energy and come together. The former power station on the Hoogte Kadijk in Amsterdam was chosen as location, which can be found at a junction between various districts. The ‘House of Power’ will become the link between the various sections of the local community and will become a public place where each individual sportsman or sportswoman can enter without restrictions. The old power station will once again produce energy, generated among other things by the activities of the sportsmen or sportswomen themselves. In addition to passive energy generation, the building will generate energy and the surplus electricity will light up the approach routes around the building. Powered by the people, power for the people! Social energy will also be generated. Both the building and the public space will be transformed into a sports centre and will function as an attraction for the surrounding districts. During the transformation, the building will retain its rawness and architectural historical value. The hidden location of the current building will become recognisable as a result of a new principle building and thus provide optimal access for the sportsmen and sportswomen. The programme is based on the balance with which a sportsman or sportswomen can perform optimally. A mix between exertion, relaxation, nourishment and mindset. Each programme component has its own spatial and architectural identity. The building will be organised through a composition of routes, spaces and volumes. There are places to exercise actively, places to recuperate, places to produce oxygen and food, and places to focus oneself. The visitor will feel as if he or she is in a three-dimensional park, where one can find a good balance of sports and whereby the building will behave as a motor for its environment. Graduation date 26 02 2015
Commission members Gianni Cito (mentor) Marcel van der Lubbe Marijn Emanuel
Additional members for the examination Rik van Dolderen Judith Korpershoek
Mark Spijkerman
Architecture
junction of districts and sections of the local community.
sport as connection
transformation of closed factory to public sports building
transformation with new principle building and sports square
longitudinal section
eastern entrance, literally without restrictions for entering
Mark Spijkerman
exertion
relaxation
food
mindset
ENERGY BALANCE +18,000 KWH/YEAR House of Power, the place where one can get energy and which provides energy to light up the streets
Architecture
entrance exercise zone, with overview and dynamism
food and relaxation, above the new principle building
scale model exterior
Mark Spijkerman
entrance relaxation zone, with connecting strip on the southern side
mindset, in the ridge between the existing rafters
scale model interior
Amsterdam Academy of Architecture
Architects, urbanists and landscape architects learn the profession at the Amsterdam Academy of Architecture through an intensive combination of work and study. They work in small, partly interdisciplinary groups and are supervised by a select group of practising fellow professionals. There is a wide range of options within the programme so that students can put together their own trajectory and specialisation. With the inclusion of the course in Urbanism in 1957 and Landscape Architecture in 1972, the Academy is the only architecture school in the Netherlands to bring together the three spatial design disciplines under one roof. Some 350 guest tutors are involved in teaching every year. Each of them is a practising designer or a specific expert in his or her particular subject. The three heads of department also have design practices of their own in addition to their work for the Academy. This structure yields an enormous dynamism and energy and ensures that the courses remain closely linked to the current state of the discipline. The courses consist of projects, exercises and lectures. First-year and second-year students also engage in morphological studies. Students work on their own or in small groups. The design
projects form the backbone of the syllabus. On the basis of a specific design assignment, students develop knowledge, insight and skills. The exercises are focused on training in those skills that are essential for recognising and solving design problems, such as analytical techniques, knowledge of the repertoire, the use of materials, text analysis, and writing. Many of the exercises are linked to the design projects. The morphological studies concentrate on the making of spatial objects, with the emphasis on creative process and implementation. Students experiment with materials and media forms and gain experience in converting an idea into a creation. During the periods between the terms there are workshops, study trips in the Netherlands and abroad, and other activities. This is also the preferred moment for international exchange projects. The Academy regularly invites foreign students for the workshops and recruits wellknown designers from the Netherlands and further afield as tutors. Graduates from the Academy of Architecture are entitled to the following titles: Architect, Master of Science; Urbanist, Master of Science and Landscape Architect, Master of Science.