The modern malls in the Randstad are pressured into redevelopment, as their retail property value is decreasing relative to other more profitable functions (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, 2019). According to Galema & Van Hoogstraten (2005), the shopping centres built in 1940-1965 according to contemporary and recent literature are often hardly recognisable, due to the speed at which commercial attitudes change. They further state that retail is forced to keep up with the times, and retail buildings and centres change regularly. Concluding that the building type evades traditional monument conservation. This is despite forming an essential part of neighbourhoods for their socioeconomic value (Robertson & Fennell, 2007; Kooijman, 1999; Feinberg et al., 1989). Therefore, the research focuses on determining who the insider stakeholders are and how they value the spatial attributes of a changed 20th-century shopping mall. One of the key strategies for the survival of a 20th-century mall is to reinvent its meaning in contemporary society. The design focused on how to incorporate these values combined with contemporary design theories such as Gehl, and Sim, among others.

This thesis explores the potentialities of neo-gothic churches’ preservation and redesign in order to re-connect people and nature. It aims to identify elements of neo-gothic churches that are compatible with a biophilic and nature-inclusive mindset. At the same time, it reflects upon incompatibilities and how these can be overcome in order to create a more comprehensive redesign framework. Additionally, it creates a precedent of incorporating natural features into adaptively redesigned heritage buildings.

In Europe Christianity faces steady decline, causing dwindling attendance at churches. As a result congregations are no longer able to afford the upkeep for their churches, forcing them to end services in these buildings. This caused many grand and historic church buildings to become vacant, and means that many will follow in the near future. Because many of these churches have deep ties to the local community and historically served a very public role, fitting new functions are needed to keep these building sustainable and part of their community. To find an answer to this question, specifically relating to 19th century neogothic churches of the catholic counter reform, the following paper will research the basic principles of (Neo)Gothicism and the methods and process behind the creation of such a church and its furnishings. The aim of the research is to establish the relation between the interior, the symbols and the architecture itself to understand how they together conveyed the story of Christianity, and how this could possibly be adapted for a use after Christianity or how this can be used to establish a fitting new purpose for these churches. As part of a graduation project this research will put the main focus on the RK Barbarakerk, a church going vacant in Culemborg in the Netherlands. By diving in to the construction history and theory of the time the main principles of Gothicism will be established and an understanding of the relation between the architecture, furnishings and symbols will be gained. Then by observing the features of the Barbarakerk, these principles can be contextualized. Finally by comparing existing converted churches to see how they reacted to existing history, symbolism and iconography, illustrate their methods of storytelling through architecture. Finally showing the integral narrative nature of the (Neo)Gothic architecture being able to indicate their own most fitting future.

During adaptive re-use of heritage obejcts, experiential value of characteristics is often overlooked. This project highlights the importance of the effect of architecture on the psyche and how integrating this into the value assessment, a more holistic heritage approach can be realised. Religious heritage often has the capacity to astonish, overwhelm and inspire the visitor. This experience can be linked to the sublime, a philosophical concept which rose to fame in the 18th and 19th century. It describes how wilderness, vast landscapes, impactful structures, art and even music can elevate the mind, leaving a positive influence on mental well-being. The sublime experience is where the individual feels small or insignificant, but in a comforting way and where they are in an environment that goes beyond their imagination, evoking the realisation of the higher powers of their own mind. During adaptive-reuse of vacant churches, this experiential value is often overlooked, resulting in interventions that destroy the sublimity of the object. The research aims to identify the specific architectural characteristics and requirements within religious structure, so they can be preserved during transformation. This would ensure that the valuable experience is not lost, and can continue to positively impact society. A program which is suited to the existing architecture, a mental health & community centre, creates a beneficial relationship between function and structure where, both work towards the same goal: better mental well-being. Interaction between target groups reduces stigma on mental health issues and keep the church a public facility. Preserving the aesthetics and impactfullness of the structure, enhances sustainability and longevity, due to the ability of the structure to garner greater public support. The transformation was done with a zero was approach, meaning that materials that were demolished were re-used and future waste-streams greatly diminished through design. The project highlights how more research on wellness-architecture, or experiential qualities is needed to optimize the potential of heritage transformation.

This research explores the evolving role of shopping malls in the lives of the growing elderly population in the Netherlands. Delving into the unique needs and desires of the elderly, the study emphasizes diversity, accessibility, community, and inclusivity within shopping centres. The research methodology integrates a comprehensive literature review, a case study of elderly-cantered architectural designs, and structured interviews with elderly individuals. Contrary to the prevalent literature portraying the elderly as fragile and facing significant challenges, the interviews unveil a diverse reality of ageing, emphasizing individuality and varied impacts on daily life. The case study elucidates themes of mobility and social community as crucial elements in the design of age-inclusive spaces. By integrating these perspectives, the research concludes that a one-size-fits-all blueprint for shopping malls is inadequate. Instead, designers should focus on incorporating practical amenities, a diverse shopping environment, promoting community, and ensuring accessibility to cater to the broad spectrum of elderly needs and preferences. Furthermore, the study advocates for ongoing research to understand how the ageing population’s needs influence urban environments and various functions within these spaces. Ultimately, this research envisions an age-inclusive future, where cities and spaces are designed to meet the evolving requirements of an ageing population, promoting inclusive and enjoyable environments for all.

Churches have always been the centre of Dutch society to gather under one roof (De Kruijf & De Roest, 2010). Due to the secularization of the Netherlands, church vacancy is increasing. Currently, churches still fulfill a central function within a city, village or neighborhood (Kerkmagazine, 2022). The Grote- of Mariakerk is one of them, and the vacancy of buildings in such prominent areas of the city will detract from social and physical quality of these areas (De Kruijf & De Roest, 2010). The church should not withdraw from the public domain (Kennedy, J. C. K., 2010). A transformation towards a public interior could avoid this. Kloos (1993) describes public interiors as buildings in which the city’s public space is continued. The social and functional diversity of urban buildings is reflected in their façades (Jürgenhake, 2014), especially around their interior and exterior; the ‘transition zone’ (Gehl, 2011). Therefore this paper focuses on the role of the transition zone when transforming the Grote- of Mariakerk towards a public interior, whilst maintaining its heritage values. By combining literature research , case studies, and field research, the role of the transition zone in public interiors is clarified. By analysing the existing transition zones of the Grote- of Mariakerk and linking them with the criteria of a public interior, opportunities and challenges for the transformation towards a public interior result in design approaches regarding the transition zone.

This paper explores the dual challenge of vacancy in post-war shopping malls and the lack of green spaces in urban areas. It proposes biophilic design as a solution to revitalize malls and address environmental issues. The paper emphasizes the importance of preserving the unique identity or 'spirit of place' while implementing biophilic transformations. The central question is: ‘How can biophilic design enhance the value and spirit of place in a post-war shopping mall?’. Through a comprehensive methodology, including literature reviews and a case study of Winkelcentrum Leyweg, the paper highlights the potential of biophilic design to enrich heritage, well-being, and sustainability. The results emphasize the importance of adopting a well-balanced approach that takes into account the unique Spirit of place of each shopping mall.

More and more churches are closing, facing vacancy, or even being demolished at an alarming rate, as a result of the declining amount of ecclesiastical in the Netherlands. While many churches are being repurposed, this isn’t always easy, as repurposing is an extremely emotional process for the local community. The locals hope to maintain their Sense of Place towards the church buildings and when this is endangered, they go as far as placing restrictions on business dealings. One of these churches is the Grote- of Mariakerk in Meppel. Instead of the local’s Sense of Place being a roadblock, this paper aims to find a way of working with their emotional bond. By measuring the residents of Meppel’s Sense of Place towards the church, and defining the limits to which the form and function of the building can be changed, without diminishing or damaging the local’s Sense of Place. By doing so, hopefully finding a way of repurposing the Grote- of Mariakerk with their Sense of Place instead of against it.

The research is on the intangible cultural heritages of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites, analyzing UNESCO documents and media sources. Additionally, it compares these findings with how current museums enhance the visitor experience of intangible cultural heritage through architectural composition, programs, and community integration. The research focuses on Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in Alblasserdam, the Netherlands. It assesses and compares the core values attributed to Kinderdijk, as outlined in UNESCO documents, with its Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), closely linked to the site, including community and industrial structures. The assessment further explores how these are connected to present communities by extracting and analyzing keywords from various media sources. The research conducts a spatial analysis of museums within Kinderdijk and other museums associated with UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites in the Netherlands. It evaluates the combination of spatial elements and ICH, as well as the integration of the community. Furthermore, the research proposes an efficient organizational approach to ICH. The results show a comprehensive understanding of values through diverse approaches and highlight how spatial elements of museums and community integration have contributed to intangible values, as illustrated by current case studies.

This study examines the relationship between design elements and how visitors perceive exhibitions to assess how architectural interior design influences visitor engagement in museums. In light of the post-pandemic spike in museum visits, the study attempts to close the information gap regarding the connection between evolving exhibition narratives and architectural principles for creating immersive spaces. Through fieldwork and literature reviews, this study investigates the complex relationship between visitor engagement and architectural design. The theoretical basis highlights the significance of layout, traffic flow, and how spatial design influences visitor behavior. The Maritime Museum in Rotterdam and Schoenenkwartier in Waalwijk serve as two case studies that highlight these concepts by showcasing how to integrate additional functions, achieve a balance between structure and freedom, and arrange interactive features effectively. The research concludes that architectural interior design significantly influences visitor engagement through thoughtful layouts and varied installations. Achieving success requires establishing a balance between direction and liberty, catering to a variety of audiences, and integrating digital content into the exhibition. The outcomes offer architects and curators beneficial insights into designing impactful museum environments.

This study examines the relationship between design elements and how visitors perceive exhibitions to assess how architectural interior design influences visitor engagement in museums. In light of the post-pandemic spike in museum visits, the study attempts to close the information gap regarding the connection between evolving exhibition narratives and architectural principles for creating immersive spaces. Through fieldwork and literature reviews, this study investigates the complex relationship between visitor engagement and architectural design. The theoretical basis highlights the significance of layout, traffic flow, and how spatial design influences visitor behavior. The Maritime Museum in Rotterdam and Schoenenkwartier in Waalwijk serve as two case studies that highlight these concepts by showcasing how to integrate additional functions, achieve a balance between structure and freedom, and arrange interactive features effectively. The research concludes that architectural interior design significantly influences visitor engagement through thoughtful layouts and varied installations. Achieving success requires establishing a balance between direction and liberty, catering to a variety of audiences, and integrating digital content into the exhibition. The outcomes offer architects and curators beneficial insights into designing impactful museum environments.

This thesis explores the use of the palimpsest as a theoretical framework for adapting a heritage building. The research studies the former Maranatherkerk in Castricum, Noord-Holland. Set against a backdrop of ever-increasing secularisation in the Netherlands, the former Maranathakerk characterises the struggle faced by many decommissioned churches today - that of a tendency for stakeholders to choose demolition over adaptation. Despite the successful establishment of an upstart school community within the former church in recent years, the site nonetheless faces imminent demolition and redevelopment by the municipality. The focus of the thesis is thus twofold: to propose an extension to the former church and champion it as a permanent home for the school community; and to position the palimpsest as a theoretical framework in guiding the architectural design. The latter builds upon previous discourse on the palimpsest in linguistics, postcolonial theory, archaeology, and drawing theory, and applies this to architectural design in a novel manner. In a palimpsest, the interplay of successive layers transforms the collective into a new whole. The retention of imperfect erasures of past layers forms a crucial part of this transformation. The thesis posits that the valuation of heritage is a subjective process. Rather than attempting to establish 'limits of change' or merely preserving past traces, the existing is taken as is and as a whole and used to study ways in which past layers of the building have influenced the present usage of the site. By investigating and cataloguing the ways the different time layers interact with the life within the building: its phenomenological meanings, characteristics, usage, and everyday rituals, a toolbox for palimpsestuous adaption is formulated. In the final extension proposal, these palimpsestuous fragments are developed and architecturally highlighted in both spatial layout and material detail, encouraging future users and visitors to experience the many past lives of the site and add their own traces onto the tapestry.

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 exemplary neighbourhood mall of the Netherlands. The design is focused on the social sustainability of a mall, a future proof design that could be applied to the many small scale shopping malls in the Netherlands. It is designed as a centre in the neighbourhood for people to come together, to meet each other, not solely as an incentive to seduce people to buy as much as possible. By bringing multiple functions in the mix, such as dance, study, work and community spaces, the mall becomes an centre point for the vicinity and attracts a large, diverse audience. It is made for people to just simply be there, to explore, to bring an incentive to wander.

With the rapid development of the Internet and the gradual penetration of online shopping into people's lives, COVID has accelerated the popularity of online shopping. People have found that it is convenient and varied, and traditional shopping centres are facing the impact of these e-commerce companies. This study explores the characteristics of brick-and-mortar shopping centres that cannot be replaced by online shopping from the perspective of perception. It selects Bogaard Shopping Centre and the Mall of the Netherlands as case studies to investigate the association between perception and architectural social space.

This project focuses on sound in architecture and the urban environment. The location of this project is Friche Josaphat, a green and biodiverse area located in Brussels. Being a void over the last years, this place changed into a biodiverse landscape. The main question of this research is: what is the sound of the Friche? By listening and analyzing these sounds through making music, information about the context of the building site is gained. A sonic plan is made which serves as a base for the landscape design. A Sonic & sculpture park has been designed where the sounds of the Friche will be emphasized through adding more diversity in the landscape of the Friche and adding sculptures, sound art and places to listen to the sounds. The visitors center that is designed is one of the two entrances to this park. This building creates a gradient in sound from the urban environment of brussels to the park and introduces the visitor to sounds. The building also shows a gradient of materiality from urban to green. The visitors center is an educational place for people from the neighbourhood and contains a café and exhibition about sounds and green. After designing the building a new sonic plan is made, but then on building scale. Music is composed to emphasize the different atmospheres in the building.

Centrality denotes areas within a city that serve as pivotal hubs of social, economic, and political activity, transcending geography to symbolize authority, influence, and resource concentration. This concept is both cognitive, involving a comprehensive perception of reality, and social, encompassing the amalgamation of assets and activities. Centrality thus represents a fusion of diverse elements. The new Baggerarea in Sliedrecht has been remodelled with small interventions to enhance its social and cultural significance. A key change is opening the inner dyke to pedestrians, reclaiming it as public property akin to the old dyke. New functions include an inner-making street in the Rotterdam Steelworks BV shipyard, featuring a Box in Box system accessible from both ends of the dyke. Additionally, the old Dredging Museum and its extension have been transformed into a hotel. The Wow-Keet will be cladded with wood and repurposed as a pavilion for relaxation and coffee. Mirroring architectural heritage can generate meaningful urban interventions, enriching collective memory. This approach is embodied in the New NBM (Nationaal Bagger Museum), incorporating distinctive elements from Sliedrecht, such as glass-stained windows above entrances and steel columns in the Van Eijck hall. Inspired by monumental buildings like the old and reformed churches, the town hall, and old dredging contractor houses, as well as the shape of old dredging ships, these elements coalesce into the New NBM’s design, preserving and enhancing the area’s historical essence and to also enhance its social and cultural significance.

This research and design explores holistic sustainability as a remedy for long term development of modern shopping malls in the Netherlands. Shopping malls are susceptible to changes and sometimes fail to create an equal balance between the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability, leading to vacant shops and lower quality of living in and around the mall. The insights presented in the research paper, which assess the impact of past mall renovations on the three aspects of sustainability can be used to make future redesigns on modern shopping malls better resilient to changes and promote a long lasting life. For the design "In de Bogaard" (Rijswijk) was chosen to apply the strategy of transforming a mall in a holistic sustainable way into a food court, indoor market and culture centre. Reducing, reusing and refilling are found at the heart of this discipline and tackle the design question of dealing with modern heritage.