Introversion vs. Extroversion

The Adaptive Reuse of a Military Heritage as a Public Art Complex

Master Thesis (2026)
Author(s)

Shizhong Zhang (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)

Contributor(s)

A.W. Hermkens – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)

I. Nevzgodin – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)

Faculty
Architecture and the Built Environment
More Info
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Publication Year
2026
Language
English
Coordinates
52.1184303,5.2854721
Graduation Date
24-06-2026
Awarding Institution
Delft University of Technology
Programme
Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences
Faculty
Architecture and the Built Environment
Reuse Rights

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Abstract

The adaptive reuse of military heritage sites often presents a paradox between the integrity of its heritage values and the implementation of contemporary reuse programs. This project aims to adaptively reuse the former Officierscasino in Soesterberg, a Dutch national monument with an introverted character rooted in its military history, as a contemporary, public-oriented, extroverted art complex. Employing a research-by-design methodology, the project utilized a phenomenological tool to investigate the introverted character and translate it into executable design guidelines, which in combination with a value assessment, formulated a design position opposing the extroverted reuse program. The tension between introversion and extroversion was then resolved via multiple design interventions, eventually creating an architectural scheme that balances introversion with extroversion, privacy with publicness, and old with new. The project ultimately provides a methodological framework to incorporate intangible spatial phenomena into heritage conservation, demonstrating how exclusive monuments can be appropriately transformed into inclusive public spaces through architectural interventions.

Files

Graduation_Report.pdf
(pdf | 159 Mb)
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Final_Presentation.pdf
(pdf | 325 Mb)
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Technical_Drawings.pdf
(pdf | 9.46 Mb)
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