Villa Huisduinen - A Place for Retreat - Palimpsest in Architecture
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Abstract
I am intrigued by buildings, landscapes, objects and the relationship between them. I am also interested in the transformative processes of time and history. One of the beautiful and poetic theories that captures the continuity of history is that of the palimpsest. The project is two folded in the sense that it consists of a research and a design project. The research resulted in a book that portrays the concept of palimpsest in architecture in relation to six personal observations. For each observation an analysis is presented of a representative project of the following architects: Fernando Távora (place), Dimitris Pikionis (reuse), Rafael Moneo (memory), David Chipperfield (traces), Rudolf Schwarz (materiality) and Carlo Scarpa (dialogue). The design project evolved from the ideas developed during the research. For the project a derelict site - just outside of the traditional Dutch village of Huisduinen - is chosen containing three abandoned buildings made by the Germans during World War II. One of these buildings partially burned down five years ago and is now a ruin. The site is transformed into a place for retreat called "Villa Huisduinen", a secret oasis where people can rest, wander and enjoy the various aspects of the existing landscape.