The Maassilo: in the Belly of the Beast
Verisimilitude
M.M. de Moes (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
NJ Clarke – Mentor (TU Delft - Heritage & Design)
FWA Koopman – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Heritage & Technology)
I. Nevzgodin – Coach (TU Delft - Heritage & Values)
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Abstract
The Maassilo, an enormous concrete creature, a remnant of the prosperous growth of the Rotterdam harbour, lies unmoved and quenching for thirst on the bare and abandoned quay. Its identity intertwined with Rotterdam’s DNA and its presence is a pure display of structural power. As part of the studio Heritage + Architecture the project demonstrates the constant dialogue of industrial buildings in port cities that deal with environmental issues and identity loss. The project follows an expressive journey that revolves around the power of words and experiences that put the new design on display and exhibit the historical and hidden layers of the building to the public. The result is an affirmation that the Maassilo is a site of cultural heritage even though it doesn’t bolster a monumental status. The thesis shows that the building, although originally designed for industrial activities, can embody the human scale and industrial scale to have a symbiotic relation.