This project explores the complex interplay of utopian and dystopian perceptions within the maritime industrial heritage context, focusing on the former Van Eijk shipyard in Sliedrecht, the Netherlands. Once a symbol of industrial progress and prosperity, the site now embodies a sense of abandonment and spatial decay, reflecting a shift in societal and functional values in the post-industrial era. The central research question is: How were the utopian/dystopian dualities manifested over the course of the former Van Eijk shipyard's lifetime and its epistemological sections, and how can these dualities be employed to re-form its appearance into a heritage-based transformation?

The study examines how industrial spaces, traditionally viewed as utopian, often evolve into dystopian environments, depending on their current state and social perception. Drawing upon historical and theoretical frameworks—such as critiques by Manfredo Tafuri, and Constant Nieuwenhuys’s New Babylon—the research reveals how utopia and dystopia are not fixed categories but subjective experiences shaped by context and use.

A new method of heritage evaluation is introduced, emphasizing spatial experience and user perception over traditional value matrices. Unlike established matrix-based assessments, which often require expert interpretation and singular viewpoints, this approach incorporates multiple user perspectives to recognize the coexistence of contradictory spatial meanings. By focusing on spatial dualities—accessible vs. inaccessible, extrovert vs. introvert—the method allows for a more nuanced, participatory understanding of space.

This user-oriented model not only facilitates adaptive reuse strategies grounded in emotional and experiential spatial qualities but also strengthens the continuity and identity of heritage sites. Ultimately, the architect’s role shifts toward mediating between spatial atmosphere and collective memory, enabling a more inclusive and sustainable transformation of post-industrial environments.
The proposal for a complex combining existing heritage with new construction brings the theory to life. The use of materials and proposed functions create a social hub for the local community, reconnecting them with their forgotten past while creating a prominent future. Similar volumes, semi-transparency and framing create a landmark that aims to be given back to the local community, with the land and water at its epicenter.
Sponsors:
-Foundation for Education and European Culture (IPEP)
-Greek Shipowners’ Social Welfare Company

This thesis investigates how genius loci, the spirit of place, can serve as a meaningful strategy in the adaptive reuse of twentieth-century industrial heritage. Drawing on Christian Norberg-Schulz’s phenomenological theory, the research explores how a transformative intervention can be executed while preserving a building's identity and atmosphere. Through a literature review and analysis of adaptive reuse strategies, a value matrix is developed that integrates Norberg-Schulz's subjective, place-based values into design principles. The study applies this framework to three case studies, LocHal (Tilburg), RDM Onderzeebootloods (Rotterdam), and Mastenloods (Den Helder), to assess how contemporary architectural interventions respond to and reinterpret the genius loci. The findings show that incorporating the design principles leads to more rooted, context-sensitive reuse that preserves a building's identity. The final outcome is a adaptive reuse strategy for De Biesboschhal that balances historical continuity with contemporary needs, emphasizing repurposing (Winhov, 2024) over contrast-based reuse. This research contributes a perspective to heritage discourse, offering designers practical tools to preserve and articulate genius loci in adaptive reuse projects.