The Space Between Real and Reel: Unravelling the Dynamic Interplay of Cinematic Architecture and the Real Built Environment of the Western World in the 20th Century

This thesis investigates how the real Western built environment influenced cinematic architecture in the science-fiction films Metropolis (1927) and Blade Runner (1982), revealing the real architectural elements that were either copied or adapted into imaginary worlds throughout the 20th century. In doing so, both films are analysed on three...

Environmental Utopias: Ecotopias aiding the transition to an environmentally conscious society

In the midst of industrialisation and simultaneously glimpsing the first sights of globalisation, the 20th was eminent for its many technical successes but also its social and environmental consequences, which created an unprecedented division in society. Wishful utopian thinking arose as a result of this dissatisfaction, and some architects...

An incentive to wander: The case of the Leyweg

In the Netherlands, shopping centres are abun¬dant. Whether they are large-scale malls or small neighbourhood centres, they are woven into the fabric of Dutch society. But recently and in the future many malls will be facing the prospect of vacancy. A response therefore is needed. This design was created for the Leyweg in the Hague, and...

The shopping mall as an urban catalyst: The case of Leyweg Winkelcentrum

The present graduation thesis “The shopping mall as an urban catalyst” explores the idea of an urban structure where working, crafting, living, meeting, and learning are entangled. The aim of this exploration mainly lies in the creation of a “skill city”, where groups that have not yet been fully integrated into the area under research can be...

Rethinking of a Typology

This master thesis explores the application of the theories from Den Heijer's dissertation ‘Managing the university campus - Information to support real estate decisions’ in the context of analysing vacant shopping malls in revitalisation processes. The aim is to develop a decision-making process that can be used by decision makers to make time...

Airports, Cities and Infrastructures: Post-war European Airport Models and their Impacts on Cities

This paper is a comparative analysis on major airport-related plannings and<br/>developments in Europe. Since the advancement of aviation technology in the<br/>20th century, airports have become indispensable infrastructures and emerging urban city nodes. This thesis aims to look into how airport developments affect the transformations of their...

Remembrance to Repression: Public Space, memorial landscape and collective memory in post-WWII Vienna

In his influential work ‘On collective Memory’, French sociologist Maurice Halbwachs described an intrinsic relationship between the past and present, a reconfiguration of the perceived past through the lens of its current generation’s ideas and experiences. This represents an increasing challenge in the urban realm due to the growing amount of...

Monumentality in change and exploration: Modern Monumental Architecture in China after the 1920s

This research focuses on the development of Chinese modern monumental architecture from 1920 to the early 20th century by examining first-hand and second-hand information on the development of Chinese architectural theory after 1920, as well as cases of Chinese modern monumental architecture. It is hoped that this study will show in a small way...

Kruisbestuiving | Cross-polination: Opening up the department store

When the V&amp;D in Haarlem was first built in the 1930s the building had a very open and inviting character. However, this changed after the 1960s when the shopping window passages were closed, views through the windows were blocked and escalators were installed. To make matters worse, the store went bankrupt in 2016, which meant that the shops...

Building Site Photography: 1890-1920

This thesis reviews photographs of Dutch building sites between 1890 and 1920. A catalogue of photographs from building sites from the archive of Het Nieuwe Instituut is compiled, in order to see what role photography played for its commissioners. Commissions were made by architects and contractors to document their work. The photographs were...

Adapting 20C Heritage Architecture Project: "Re-bridge" the "Islands" in Almere Stad

The graduation project is a transformation and reuse design of a previous office building, De Beurs, in Almere Stad. De Beursgebouw was designed by E.D. Partnership of architects and engineers Amersfoort in 1979 and finished in 1981 as the first building constructed in this area (Fig 1), and Almere is a New Town established around 1970s in Flevo...

St. Elisabeth Ensemble: Not just a brick in the wall

This studio revolves around the revitalization of Nieuwstad, a part of historical Zutphen. The project focuses on the so called St. Elisabeth ensemble: a living facility that is directly connected with a historical chapel and remains of a medieval city wall. The aim of this project is to improve the urban and architectural qualities of a multi...

The white of the 20th century: an explorative survey into Dutch modern art collections

White pigments were abundantly used in 20th century paintings, and relate to several degradation risks such as titanium white mediated photocatalytic binder degradation or zinc soap formation. Knowledge about the white pigments that were used is essential for risk assessments of 20th century collections. In this study, a representative set of...

A New Museum for 20th Century Art

Alison and Peter Smithson: A Brutalist Story, Involving the House, the City and the Everyday (Plus a Couple of Other Things)

The dissertation looks into the work of the British architects Alison and Peter Smithson (1928-1993, 1923-2003). Their work is regarded as exemplary for the development of modern architecture in the second half of the twentieth century, specifically with regard to the relation between architecture, welfare state politics and the rise of a new...

Historic Concrete: From Concrete Repair to Concrete Conservation

Concrete like materials were already applied during the Roman Empire. After the decline of the Roman Empire, a wide scale application of concrete only reappeared in the 19th century. Here lies also the origin of modern (reinforced) concrete. Since then, both concrete application and composition have significantly changed. Today, concrete from...

De stad als architectonische constructie: Het architectonisch discours van de stad (Duitsland 1871-1914)

The city as an architectural construction: The architectural discours on the city At the turn of the 19th to the 20th century a paradigm shift took place within German architectural thinking that can be identified as a turn to the city. Whereas throughout the 19th century architectural knowledge was primarily directed to questions of style of...