Bicycles in Deltapoort area

The Deltapoort area is the zone between the large river landscapes of Dordrecht and Rotterdam. By the diversity in use of the landscape it is considered as of the most fragmente of the Southern edge of Randstad. The large differences between the polder landscape and infrastructure, village and city, place the region under a strongly pressure.

For a week students of Academy of Architecture Amsterdam explore under the guidance of Artist in Residence Jeanne van Heeswijk the possibilities and impossibilities of opening up the Deltapoort zone with new cycle routes and connections to enhance the quality of the area.

With Jasper de Haan I was tutor of a group students. Our students interviewed a number of people from the area. This provided an interesting information and a large number of mental maps of the inhabitants and users of the area. It was striking that many people have a negative opinion concerning the area. The students have tested a prototype of a bar on several bridges and as a final result they have designed a bar bicycle. This bar can emerge unexpecteds in the area to serve as social condenser. With a drink it's possible to study the opinions and mental maps of other people of the area.

On Friday 14 January the final results have been presented in the atelier in Zwijndrecht. During the workshop gained knowledge and experience is used by Van Heeswijk in developing a new art project for the Deltapoort zone.