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.

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 paper explores different participation methods that could be applied in redeveloping religious heritage. Due to secularisation, religious buildings are threatened with vacancy. Churches in particular are difficult to redevelop due to their ecclesiastical and social values. Active community involvement assists in overcoming the gap in designer and user interests. In this study, the St. Dominicus church is used as a case study in which a simulated participation workshop with actors is conducted. The initial goal of the simulated workshop was to determine a suitable program for a community centre inside the existing church building. Various methods were employed during the simulated workshop, structured by three participation phases identified by analysing case studies. Individual brainstorming, cognitive mapping, and a consensus design assignment were applied for research inquiry and design input. Two months after the initial workshop, the preliminary design was reviewed through individual semi-structured interviews. The individual brainstorming together with the cognitive mapping proved to be effective in determining general program possibilities, gapping the requirement of communication skills and time. After the review of the preliminary design, all participants expressed a sense of ownership of the design, thus these methods could easily be applied in other cases to boost social belonging and community values. Future research recommends a larger sample group and the mixing of age groups in the consensus design assignment, which could result in more conflicting interests regarding the community centre’s program.

This research explores how the St. Dominicus church in Utrecht can be revitalised with the help of contemporary spiritual values. As a result of secularisation and the shift from religion to spirituality, there is a noticeable increase in vacant church buildings. In this research, a design strategy is proposed that revises the original function in a way it can better accommodate the modern spiritual needs. Incorporating the results of different literature and analytic studies in spiritual architecture, this study demonstrates a way to create a design that accommodates
more spiritual experiences through architecture. It argues that these experiences can be evoked through architectural qualities that adhere to the bigger spiritual concepts of sensuality, humanity and sustainability.

The goal of the project is to find out to what extent it is possible to adapt the Faculty of Humanities in Leiden to meet the requirements of a 21st century university. The Faculty of Humanities is a university designed in the 70’s. Although it will remain the same institute, the program of the 21st century version consists of different types of spaces than the faculty program of the 1970’s. This is the result of a new, and modern way of learning. A 21st century university with more students and a higher demand for usable space, not only raises the question how Leiden University is going to transform the faculty, but also how it will facilitate students with housing in their future program. The design ambition for this project is to focus on what the changes in trends for learning are in order to transform the South cluster into a design for the university. An experiment on the North buildings will test whether it is possible to adjust the former university building to student housing. However the focus on the design will be on the University design.

Through differentiation and incision the structuralist system of the architect Joop van Stigt is exposed in his design for the faculty of humanities in Leiden.

How does a brick arch become part of a structuralist building? In this project I unravel the material layers of Van Stigt's Leiden Faculty and add a new architectural language that reappreciates the craftmanship behind brickwork.

This is a theory led research, driven by an obsession with the social character of Heritage Architecture and the way it relates with change. In an ever changing economy and culture, buildings will certainly mutate over time. Why try to impose any fix solution in a new stage of intervention?
The project will be focused in creating an strategy of intervention and development for Centraal Beheer of Herman Hertzberger. Some structuralist qualities give me hints on how to intervene on this existing building, where adaptability, personalization and change become key to face a new life stage.

Structuralism represents an architecture that can interact, grow and adapt. The buildings can be recognised by their vivid open structures, composition of small units, and a spatial organisation like a city. As a reaction to CIAM functionalism, the avant-garde members of Team 10 proposed inclusive and social space and a more human form of urbanism and architecture. Starting in 1959, Dutch Structuralism became a very influential movement in the development of architecture in The Netherlands. Now the Structuralist legacy has become heritage. Once the agent of a new era, the pioneering nature of this architecture seems to have faded and it is this building stock that is now in need of renewal. Although some of the Structuralist buildings have become icons, their existence is at stake. Many buildings are facing transformation or demolition, because they do not meet contemporary demands. Despite the design of open structures, being flexible for the future by extrapolation of the structure or adaptation within the building, many of the Structuralist buildings show shortcomings in for example; indoor climate, aesthetic appearance and programmatic possibilities. Recently, the renovation of Aldo van Eyck’s orphanage in Amsterdam has been completed, which once was the inspirational example for many of his contemporaries. Other icons of Structuralism still await a new future, like the Centraal Beheer office in Apeldoorn and the Ministry of Social Affairs in The Hague designed by Herman Hertzberger. Although several buildings have been renovated, there are no standard solutions. We believe that profound knowledge about both the original Structuralist buildings and the argumentation for redesign can help to prepare intervention strategies for upcoming projects. What building characteristics prove to be successful? Are these specific for one building, the oeuvre of one architect or widespread among this generation of buildings? Do renovation concepts reuse or contradict initial design themes? How can necessary renovations do justice to the cultural and architectural values of these icons? Do the icons prove what is promised? Or do we need alternative strategies? This exhibition ‘The Future of Structuralism’ shows our search for what Structuralism is and our assessment of some of its opportunities and shortcomings. But most importantly, it focusses on potential strategies for reuse. The structure of the exhibition is thematic. By focusing on several themes that were important in Structuralism, we aim to link ideology, current examples from practice of transformed Structuralist buildings and design strategies. Through the exhibition and a debate at the opening event, we hope to bring the work from within the chair to a wider audience and add new perspectives to the debate on the movement and its future values.