A skilled and open landscape

A Skilled and Open Landscape Amsterdam and its population has always been seen as tolerant towards people that are ‘different thinkers’, but what’s left of that attitude in the current society? Focussing on the city centre, one can localize marginalized groups. The margins are the places where these different thinkers gather and form a group of same minded. This gathering can be based on race, religion, sexual preference, income, illegality, etc. Marginality produces space and social values, since the people living there cooperate in order to improve their quality of life. This production only takes place within the margin and therefore the margin is isolated in the biggest part of society. The main focus of the project is the tolerance between marginalized groups. De 2A0 posters dienen naast elkaar gezien te worden omdat er een afbeelding doorloopt over 2 pagina's. Een bijlage van 1xA1 is toegevoegd voor bouwtechniek. Investigation of the spatial, social and economical aspects of marginal groups can learn us how a common interest is created among people living in the margin. The Skilled and Open Landscape uses these qualities derived from the margin for the creation of an intermediating programme that creates a base for communication, production and reflection among people, regardless their social conceptions. The focus on a person’s skill and the qualities of its cultural materialism provides a new perspective. In Richard Sennet’s book ‘The Craftsman’ he writes: “The culture of matter provides by itself an entire overview of what man can make. This seemingly unlimited vision is bounded by self-caused harm, wether this happens carelessly, intentionally or by accident. Spiritual values will possibly not solve the struggle with Pandora here. Maybe nature is a better guide, if we consider our productions as a part of its being.” Richard Sennett: The Craftsman. 2008. from: De Ambachtsman, De mens als maker. Translated by Willem van Paassen. Publisher J.M. Meulenhoff, Amsterdam, 2008. Page 24. The project is located at the Marnixstraat, which is at the periphery of the city centre and forms a boundary whereon and around marginality is still strongly present. The site has the potential of forming a centrality but still isolated within the urban fabric. The programmatic theme of human skills (for the production of goods ánd knowledge) ties to functions which are accessible to people from the margin and could be used by the main stream. The building structure and the landscape create a network that ties to the urban fabric and stimulate the movements on the site. The architecture opens up at moments to emphasise the skills being practiced. The architectural typology of some programmatic key-functions, as for example the communal centre, creates flexible spaces to facilitate an informal programme.DSD Urban Asymmetries, Amsterdam RefiguredArchitectureArchitectur