(T)Huis (House/Home)
Location
Rotterdam (NL)
Client
AIR
Year
2022
Status
Completed
Type
Exhibition
Curators
AIR, Namelok
Production
Tess de Ruiter
Graphic design

(T)Huis (House/Home), Rotterdam Architecture Month’s 2022 main exhibition, showcases 40 innovative plans and designs by architects, students, makers, and researchers. AIR (Architecture Institute Rotterdam) invited Namelok to curate and design the exhibition in Het Nieuwe Instituut.

What makes a house/home? Home is much more than what is behind the front door: our street, neighborhood, and city should also feel like home. In practice, this proves to be quite difficult. Changes in our society, such as the growing number of cultural backgrounds and the decrease in family size, make us feverishly search for new forms of living together. In addition, we are faced with a housing crisis on one hand, and a climate crisis on the other. What does this require from residents, and how do architects, urban designers, and policymakers see their role in this? Do they stick with master plans and policy documents, or would they be better off bending the rules for a change? Big questions are hanging over our heads, but at home, we can find answers around every corner.

From the rooftops, we look out on a staging of gleaming real estate and metropolitan infrastructure. But what are we not seeing? What is happening on the streets, in the shadows of the tall towers? Who are the protagonists here, and who are the extras? Only a few people feel at home in the overwhelming vistas of the city, so we descend to the street. Welcome to our city, where we build together, find our own place, and get to know each other.

As for the spatial design, we divided the displayed projects into five themes: An ‘Abnormal’ City, We Make It Together, Take It to the Streets, Seeing What’s Already There, and Evolution of Space. The projects in this exhibition offer realistic solutions and alternatives for the way we live. But even more, they are examples of inspiring visions with the ability to radically change our idea of home.

By removing the majority of timber panels, we opened up the existing grid to create an indoor cityscape. This open structure allows visitors to use the space as they please, which means there are shortcuts and alleyways to be found. Curtains of different heights and shapes flow through the space, untouched by the rigidness of the timber constructions. Low curtains recreate urban courtyards (‘hofjes’) and display projects focusing on social interactions. Eight meters high curtains resemble the skyscrapers of central districts. Here, futuristic (massive) building projects are showcased. In addition, the green pedestals take cues from everyday street furniture like benches, trash cans, and bicycle stands. The modular design made it possible to produce them in a short amount of time and facilitate a second life after the exhibition.

Namelok (2022). Press Image 1 [collage].
HP Architecten (2021). Rechthuislaan - Before, Rotterdam (NL), photograph: F. Hanswijk (2021).

Home is much more than what is behind the front door: our street, neighborhood, and city should also feel like home.

HP Architecten (2021). Rechthuislaan - After, Rotterdam (NL), photograph: F. Hanswijk (2021).
Namelok (2022). City Soundscape [audio].
Namelok (2022). Model Picture 5 [photograph].
E. Malaparte (n.d.). De Verbeelding van Rotterdam [collage].
Namelok (2022). Model Picture 4 [photograph].
Namelok (2022). Press Image 2 [collage].
F. Ernst (2022). (T)Huis Exhibition Opening 1 [photograph].

Who – or what – is ‘normal’? Welcome to our abnormal city.

Namelok (2022). Spatial Impression [digital art].
Namelok (2022). Model Picture 6 [photograph].
Namelok (2022). Pedestal Mockup, The Hague (NL).
Namelok (2022). Pedestal Color Testing, The Hague (NL).
Namelok (2022). Model Picture 3 [photograph].
F. Ernst (2022). (T)Huis Exhibition Opening 4 [photograph].

We’re not alone, so let’s make something of it together.

F. Hanswijk (2021). Waar Woont Je Huis - Almondestraat [photograph].
F. Hanswijk (2021). Waar Woont Je Huis - Kleinpolderplein [photograph].
Namelok (2022). Curtain on the Street [photograph].
F. Ernst (2022). (T)Huis Exhibition Opening 3 [photograph].

Big questions are hanging over our heads, but at home, we can find answers in every corner.

F. Ernst (2022). (T)Huis Exhibition Opening 2 [photograph].
F. Ernst (2022). (T)Huis Exhibition Opening 6 [photograph].
F. Ernst (2022). (T)Huis Exhibition Opening 7 [photograph].
F. Ernst (2022). (T)Huis Exhibition Opening 5 [photograph].
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