The Ladder

Abstract

This graduation research is done at the studio Heritage & Architecture (H&A), which is part of the master track Architecture of the Technical University of Delft and focuses on preservation and renewal in existing architecture. The topic of the graduation studio is the Hembrug area, a former military production site located South of Zaandam, Netherlands. Within the fortification “de stelling van Amsterdam” the Hembrug site functioned as the central point where weapons and ammunition were not only produced, but also tested. With the military leaving the site in 2000 it has become a large area to redevelop in the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. The object of the graduation is a building ensemble named the Ladder. The Ladder consists of 5 factory buildings, with a total floor surface of 7400 m², located in the South-East part of the military terrain. In this building, the shells of large grenades were produced. Notable is the fact that buildings in this ensemble are built within a span of 50 years (1926- 1969).
The current trend in the development of the industrial harbour areas along the IJ and the Noordzeekanaal is to transform into living and working areas, to expand the metropolitan area of Amsterdam. This means that the overall inquiry of the project is that the area needs to be redeveloped, but the buildings, with their specific cultural historic values, are not direct in a usable state. The result of this graduation project is the architectural elaboration of the building ensemble The Ladder in relation to the cultural historical and social context. The new function of the ensemble will be a sport village, including housing and a public swimming pool.