Robin Frings
DE TOEKOMST VAN ARCHITECTUUR LIGT IN PUIN!
THE FUTURE OF ARCHITECTURE LIES IN RUINS!
Connecting the industrial past with the city's future.
The graduation project explores the potential to breathe new life into an industrial relic: the CO-OP Flour Factory in Katendrecht, Rotterdam. Once a highly efficient grain-processing machine, the factory now stands as an odd presence amidst a residential neighborhood in transition. The project poses the question of how such a site can not only be preserved but also transformed into a vibrant place with public meaning.
The central ambition is to introduce a nightlife function into an area primarily focused on housing. By integrating the diverse music genres of Jazz, Hip Hop, and Hardcore into the design, a dynamic ‘MusicFACTORY’ emerges—stimulating culture and social interaction. At the same time, the project engages with broader urban developments, such as the shifting of Rotterdam’s city center toward the southern bank of the river.
Through an iterative research process—including historical analysis, user research, and model studies at various scales and with different materials—the project investigates how the building’s raw industrial identity can be combined with the needs of its future users. The concept of spatial duality, in which the building’s rough exterior contrasts with hidden interior spaces, forms the core of the design approach.
The design not only focuses on the functionality of spaces but also on the unexpected ‘residual spaces’ that emerge through architectural interventions. These are positioned as zones for spontaneous encounters and experimentation, contributing to a flexible and layered use of the building. Additionally, the historic core of the engine house—literally and symbolically the backbone of the Flour Factory—is used as a connecting element that supports the new dynamics both practically and symbolically.
The MusicFACTORY stands as a symbol of a new vision for adaptive reuse: not merely the adjustment of a building, but the creation of a destination that bridges past, present, and future. This research shows how architecture can act as a catalyst for social and urban change, while honoring the unique qualities of the existing structure.
Graduation date: 21 January 2025
Graduation committee: Judith Korpershoek (mentor), Wouter Kroeze, Annette Bos
Additional members for the exam: Machiel Spaan, Lisette Plouvier